Steel Magnolias (1989) was filmed almost entirely in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The primary location for the Eatenton house and many key scenes is a historic residence in Natchitoches, commonly described as the Cook-Taylor House, which has since become a bed-and-breakfast and a local landmark. Other filming sites in the area include Tauzin Plantation and various spots within the town’s historic district, illustrating how the film leveraged real local architecture and settings. Key locations you can associate with the film:
- Eatenton house: 320 Jefferson Street, Natchitoches, Louisiana (the real exterior was used for the Eatenton home scenes; the interior sequences were shot on sound stages and with set dressing in Louisiana) [web sources indicate this address as the Eatenton residence site].
- Tauzin Plantation Home: 1950 Williams Ave, Natchitoches, Louisiana (used for outdoor exteriors associated with the film’s interior moments) [web sources].
- Cook-Taylor House: A historic downtown Natchitoches residence often highlighted in guides as a central filming location and later featured as the Steel Magnolias-themed lodging; located near downtown Front Street in the city’s National Historic Landmark District [web sources].
If you’re planning to visit, there are self-guided film tours in Natchitoches that highlight these and other local spots used in Steel Magnolias, along with the broader Movie District that preserves several of the town’s cinematic locations.
