Nova Scotia Movie & TV Filming Locations
The complete hub guide to every major production filmed across the province, Sullivan's Crossing, We Were Liars, Haven, Jesse Stone, and more.
Nova Scotia has been one of Canada's busiest film and television hubs for more than three decades. Its coastline, preserved colonial towns, and working harbours regularly double for coastal New England on screen, the lighthouses, the weather, and the waterfronts are nearly interchangeable with Maine, only a few hundred kilometres to the south-west. Add a competitive provincial production incentive, a favourable exchange rate, and an experienced Halifax-based crew base, and the result is a steady run of high-profile shoots. This guide is the hub for all of them: the four productions with full visitor guides (Sullivan's Crossing, We Were Liars, Haven, and the Jesse Stone films), plus the other major productions filmed across the province and a practical plan for visiting the real locations.
Why Nova Scotia on Screen
30+ Years of Production
A sustained film and television industry since the 1990s, anchored by Halifax soundstages and a South Shore location circuit.
Stands In for New England
The South Shore's lighthouses, working harbours, and colonial architecture double for coastal Maine and Massachusetts.
Production Incentives
The Nova Scotia Film and Television Production Incentive plus the Canada-US exchange rate make filming highly cost-competitive.
Experienced Crew Base
Three decades of shoots have built a deep local crew, equipment, and post-production industry concentrated around Halifax.
Lunenburg Is Film Country
The UNESCO town has starred in Haven, Jesse Stone, and We Were Liars, more productions than anywhere else in the province.
All Walkable & Free
The filming towns, Halifax, Lunenburg, Chester, are compact, public, and free to explore. No studio lots or tickets required.
The short answer is geography. Nova Scotia's South Shore coastline, lighthouses, working harbours, and preserved colonial architecture are nearly interchangeable with coastal New England, so the province regularly doubles for Maine and Massachusetts on screen, giving productions the exact look of coastal New England only a few hundred kilometres to the south-west.
Cost does the rest. The Nova Scotia Film and Television Production Incentive, combined with a favourable Canada-US exchange rate, makes filming dramatically more affordable than shooting in the US, which is why the pipeline of high-profile shoots has stayed steady for more than three decades.
The third pillar is the crew base. Sustained production since the 1990s has built an experienced local crew, soundstages, and a support industry concentrated in Halifax and on the South Shore, deep enough that current series like Sullivan's Crossing shoot across the Halifax region with local crews.
For visitors, the payoff is that almost everything is walkable and free. The filming towns, Halifax, Lunenburg, and Chester, are compact, public, and free to explore, no studio lots or tickets required. You walk the same waterfronts and streets you saw on screen, with the honest exception of private spots like the old Trailer Park Boys set, which was struck years ago.
Nova Scotia on Screen at a Glance
This page tracks nine productions in total: the four with full visitor guides, Sullivan's Crossing, We Were Liars, Haven, and the Jesse Stone films, plus five more, The Curse of Oak Island, Trailer Park Boys, Diggstown, The Lighthouse, and the Titanic & Halifax connection. Together they span more than three decades of continuous production, from Jesse Stone's first TV movie in 2005 to Sullivan's Crossing shooting across the Halifax region right now.
By scale, Haven is the biggest series commitment, five seasons and 78 episodes; Jesse Stone is the longest, nine TV movies and the longest-running franchise; and The Curse of Oak Island is still running in Season 13. On the map, it splits cleanly: Halifax and its surroundings carry Sullivan's Crossing, Diggstown, and Trailer Park Boys, while the South Shore, Lunenburg above all, carries Haven, Jesse Stone, and We Were Liars, with The Lighthouse's purpose-built lighthouse set at Cape Forchu on the southwest tip.
The Major Productions
Four productions have full, verified filming-location guides on this site. Each card below links to the deep-dive guide, with every confirmed location, self-guided walking routes, and itineraries for visiting the real places you saw on screen.
Sullivan's Crossing
CTV · The CW · NetflixThe Robyn Carr novel adaptation currently in production across the Halifax region - Shubie Park in Dartmouth, Agricola Street in the North End, and Fisherman's Cove in Eastern Passage all appear on screen. The highest-profile ongoing Nova Scotia shoot.
Sullivan's Crossing guide →We Were Liars
Amazon Prime VideoThe psychological thriller adapted from E. Lockhart's bestseller was filmed almost entirely in Nova Scotia in 2024 - principally in the UNESCO town of Lunenburg and in Halifax. The most recent major South Shore production.
We Were Liars guide →Haven
Syfy · ShowcaseThe Stephen King-inspired supernatural drama ran for five seasons and 78 episodes. Chester was the production base (the local arena became a soundstage) and the UNESCO town of Lunenburg recurred on screen throughout the entire run.
Haven guide →Jesse Stone
CBSNine TV movies starring Tom Selleck as a small-town police chief - the longest-running Nova Scotia film franchise. Lunenburg played the fictional Paradise, Massachusetts, and Stonehurst Cove was Jesse's red house.
Jesse Stone guide →Other Notable Nova Scotia Productions
Beyond the four major guides above, Nova Scotia has hosted a long roster of well-known film and television productions. These don't yet have dedicated location guides, but several connect to existing pages on this site.
The Curse of Oak Island
2014–presentHistory Channel's long-running treasure-hunt series, filmed entirely on and around Oak Island in Mahone Bay - 15 minutes from Lunenburg. Now in Season 13 and one of the channel's top-rated shows.
Oak Island guide →Trailer Park Boys
2001–2018The cult mockumentary series set in the fictional Sunnyvale Trailer Park was shot in and around Dartmouth and the Bedford area. The franchise launched three feature films and an animated series.
Diggstown
2019–2022CBC legal drama starring Vinessa Antoine as a Halifax legal-aid lawyer, filmed across Halifax Regional Municipality and often featuring recognizable downtown landmarks.
The Lighthouse
2019Robert Eggers' acclaimed psychological horror film starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe was shot at Cape Forchu in Yarmouth, on Nova Scotia's southwest tip. A full lighthouse set was constructed for the production.
Washington Black
2025Eight-episode Hulu/Disney+ limited series adapted from Esi Edugyan's Giller-winning novel, starring Sterling K. Brown as Halifax community leader Medwin Harris and Ernest Kingsley Jr. as Wash Black. Filmed across Nova Scotia in 2022 - in Lunenburg's UNESCO old town, the sea caves of The Ovens Natural Park on the South Shore, and at the Fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island - with Halifax shoots rooting the story in the city's real African Nova Scotian heritage. Streams on Disney+ in Canada.
Lunenburg guide →Titanic & Halifax
1912 connectionNot a filming location, but a real maritime connection: Halifax was the nearest major port to the 1912 sinking, and three of the city's vessels recovered victims and debris. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic holds the world's largest collection of wooden Titanic artifacts.
Maritime Museum guide →Trailer Park Boys: Where Sunnyvale Really Is
The cult mockumentary (2001–2018) is the production most locals get asked about, and most of it shot in and around Dartmouth. The confirmed locations:
| On Screen | Real Location | Visiting Today |
|---|---|---|
| Sunnyvale Trailer Park (seasons 5–7) | Purpose-built set behind the fences of the former Halifax County Regional Rehabilitation Centre, Bissett Road, Cole Harbour | Not a visitor site, private property, no tour |
| The park and street scenes (seasons 1–7) | In and around Dartmouth | Drive-by only; working residential streets |
| The Rush concert episode | Metro Centre (today Scotiabank Centre), downtown Halifax | Open, home of the Halifax Mooseheads |
| The final singles dance, Say Goodbye to the Bad Guys | Olympic Community Centre, Hunter and Cunard streets, Halifax | Open, working community centre |
| Strip-club scene, Trailer Park Boys: The Movie | The Marquee (today The Paragon), Gottingen Street, Halifax | Music venue, check current listings |
Honest note, same rule as the rest of this page: there is no official Sunnyvale map and the Bissett Road set was struck years ago, the show's real geography is ordinary Dartmouth streets and Halifax venues, not a park you can tour. Pair the pilgrimage with the Halifax region guide and the Halifax Local Guide, which cover the North End, downtown, and Dartmouth neighbourhoods the show used.
ℹ️ A note on accuracy
Every production listed on this page is verifiably connected to Nova Scotia, either through the four dedicated, sourced guides above or through well-documented production histories. The Titanic & Halifax entry is a genuine maritime-history connection (Halifax was the nearest major port to the 1912 sinking and led the recovery effort), not a filming location, stated as such. Where a production's specific scene-by-scene locations were never officially released, the linked guides say so rather than inventing addresses.
Filming Locations by Region
Every location confirmed on this page, regrouped by region. Use it as a road-trip checklist; the tour itineraries in the next section handle the logistics of getting between them.
Halifax Area
- Shubie Park, Dartmouth: Sullivan's Crossing campground and trail scenes.
- Agricola Street, Halifax North End: Sullivan's Crossing street filming.
- Fisherman's Cove, Eastern Passage: Sullivan's Crossing waterfront scenes.
- Downtown Halifax: Diggstown, with recognizable downtown landmarks across Halifax Regional Municipality.
- Halifax as Boston: Jesse Stone, the city doubled for Boston in the TV movies.
- Sunnyvale set, Bissett Road, Cole Harbour: Trailer Park Boys seasons 5–7. Private property, the set was struck years ago, no tour.
- Dartmouth residential streets: Trailer Park Boys seasons 1–7, drive-by only.
- Scotiabank Centre (Metro Centre at the time), downtown Halifax: the Trailer Park Boys Rush concert episode.
- Olympic Community Centre, Hunter and Cunard streets: the final singles dance, Say Goodbye to the Bad Guys.
- The Paragon (The Marquee at the time), Gottingen Street: the strip-club scene in Trailer Park Boys: The Movie.
South Shore
- Lunenburg Old Town: the most-filmed waterfront in the province. Haven across all five seasons (Season 1 along Tannery Road, Cornwallis Street, Duke Street, and Bluenose Drive), Jesse Stone's Paradise, Massachusetts, and We Were Liars.
- Stonehurst Cove: Jesse Stone's red waterfront house.
- Chester: Haven's production base, the local arena became a soundstage; additional Jesse Stone filming.
- Mahone Bay: additional Jesse Stone filming, with Oak Island in the bay.
- Oak Island: The Curse of Oak Island, Season 13 and counting, 15 minutes from Lunenburg, with the tram tour.
- Cape Forchu, Yarmouth: The Lighthouse (2019), a full lighthouse set built for the production, on Nova Scotia's southwest tip.
Cape Breton
None of the productions on this page filmed on Cape Breton Island. The shoots listed here cluster around Halifax and the South Shore, with The Lighthouse's Cape Forchu set at the far southwest tip, so a film-location trip and a Cape Breton road trip are two separate journeys.
How to Plan a Film-Location Tour
Nova Scotia's filming country splits neatly into two bases, the capital (Halifax, for Sullivan's Crossing and Diggstown) and the South Shore (Lunenburg, for Haven, Jesse Stone, and We Were Liars). Here are three ways to build a trip.
The split is clean. Base in Halifax for Sullivan's Crossing territory, Shubie Park in Dartmouth, Agricola Street in the North End, and Fisherman's Cove in Eastern Passage, plus the Diggstown downtown landmarks and every Trailer Park Boys venue. Base in Lunenburg for Haven, Jesse Stone, and We Were Liars country, with Chester 30 minutes north and Oak Island 15 minutes south.
The three itineraries below cover every pace: a 1–2 day Halifax film base, a 2-day Lunenburg film country stay, and the 4–5 day full film loop that stitches both together, with Peggy's Cove, Mahone Bay, and the Oak Island tram tour on the drive down.
Two practical notes before you set out. Every location on this page is public and free, and the towns are compact enough to explore on foot. The one exception is the Trailer Park Boys Sunnyvale set on Bissett Road in Cole Harbour: private property, the set struck years ago, no tour, so treat the Dartmouth street locations as drive-by only.
Halifax Film Base
⏱️ 1–2 daysBase in the capital for the Sullivan's Crossing locations - Shubie Park (Dartmouth), Agricola Street and the North End, and Fisherman's Cove (Eastern Passage). Halifax is also where Diggstown filmed and where every major production does its studio and post-production work. Fly into Halifax Stanfield (YHZ).
Lunenburg Film Country
⏱️ 2 daysDrive 90 minutes down the Lighthouse Route to the UNESCO town that has starred in more Nova Scotia productions than anywhere else - Haven, Jesse Stone, and We Were Liars all used the same colourful waterfront. Chester (Haven's production base) is 30 minutes north, and Oak Island is 15 minutes south.
The Full Film Loop
⏱️ 4–5 daysCombine both bases for the complete Nova Scotia film-tourism circuit. Days 1–2 in Halifax for Sullivan's Crossing and Diggstown country, then drive the Lighthouse Route to Lunenburg for Haven, Jesse Stone, and We Were Liars - with Peggy's Cove, Mahone Bay, and the Oak Island tram tour on the way.
Where to base yourself
Halifax is the practical fly-in hub (Halifax Stanfield, YHZ) and the best base for the Sullivan's Crossing and Diggstown locations. For Haven, Jesse Stone, and We Were Liars, split your stay down on the South Shore, Lunenburg itself is the centre of film country, with Chester 30 minutes north and Oak Island 15 minutes south. See our Halifax Local Guide, Lunenburg UNESCO Guide, South Shore Guide, and Where to Stay in Nova Scotia for accommodation picks across both bases.
Filming Locations, Answered
What movies and TV shows were filmed in Nova Scotia?
Nova Scotia has been a film and television production hub for more than 30 years. The highest-profile productions with dedicated visitor guides are Sullivan's Crossing (CTV/The CW/Netflix, 2023-present), We Were Liars (Amazon Prime Video, 2025-present), Haven (Syfy, 2010-2015), and the nine Jesse Stone TV movies starring Tom Selleck (CBS, 2005-2015). Other major productions include The Curse of Oak Island (History Channel, 2014-present), Trailer Park Boys (2001-2018), Diggstown (CBC, 2019-2022), and The Lighthouse (2019, shot at Cape Forchu in Yarmouth). The 2025 limited series Washington Black (Hulu, Disney+ in Canada), adapted from Esi Edugyan's novel, filmed in Lunenburg, The Ovens Natural Park, and the Fortress of Louisbourg. The province's coastline, historic towns, and production incentives regularly double it for coastal New England.
Where was Sullivan's Crossing filmed?
Sullivan's Crossing is filmed across the Halifax region of Nova Scotia. Confirmed locations include Shubie Park in Dartmouth (the campground and trail scenes), Agricola Street in Halifax's North End, and Fisherman's Cove in Eastern Passage. The show is based on Robyn Carr's novels and is a co-production of CTV and The CW, with distribution on Netflix. See the full Sullivan's Crossing filming locations guide for every verified location and a self-guided tour.
Where was Haven filmed?
Haven was filmed in Nova Scotia across all five seasons (2010-2015). The South Shore village of Chester was the production base - the local arena was converted into a soundstage. The UNESCO town of Lunenburg was a principal recurring location throughout the entire run (Season 1 filming is confirmed along Tannery Road, Cornwallis Street, Duke Street, and Bluenose Drive). Additional filming and post-production took place in Halifax, where production began on April 20, 2010.
Where were the Jesse Stone movies filmed?
The nine Jesse Stone TV movies (2005-2015) were filmed principally in Lunenburg, which stood in for the fictional Paradise, Massachusetts. Stonehurst Cove was used for Jesse's red waterfront house, and additional filming took place in Halifax (which doubled for Boston), Mahone Bay, and Chester. The franchise is the longest-running series of Nova Scotia-filmed productions.
Where was We Were Liars filmed?
We Were Liars - the Amazon Prime Video adaptation of E. Lockhart's novel - was filmed almost entirely in Nova Scotia in 2024, principally in the UNESCO town of Lunenburg and in Halifax. The full first season was shot across these South Shore and capital-region locations, making it the most recent major production to use the same Lunenburg waterfront as Haven and Jesse Stone.
Why do so many productions film in Nova Scotia?
Three main reasons. First, the look: Nova Scotia's South Shore coastline, lighthouses, working harbours, and preserved colonial architecture are nearly interchangeable with coastal New England, so the province regularly doubles for Maine and Massachusetts on screen. Second, the cost: Nova Scotia's film and television production incentive (the Nova Scotia Film and Television Production Incentive) plus the favourable Canada-US exchange rate make filming dramatically more affordable than shooting in the US. Third, the crew base: three decades of sustained production have built an experienced local crew, soundstages, and support industry concentrated in Halifax and on the South Shore.