Calling all Film Fanatics! Beaufort, SC is the backdrop for quite a few blockbuster hits---stop by Blackstone Cafe and check out their collection of posters from movies filmed locally and you’ll see just how many. Arguably the most famous movie to come out of our town though is Forrest Gump. Tourists are still making the pilgrimage to see where Tom Hanks ate, ran, and gave an Academy Award winning performance. Some spots are easily recognizable as being in the film and others may look a little different now, but most are accessible and free to the public to visit, take photos, and imagine what a day of filming may have looked like.
The Scene: Run Forrest Run!
One of the most memorable parts of the film Forrest Gump, is actor Tom Hanks’ run across America. As he runs over the “Mississippi River,” he encounters a slew of reporters. In reality, they were running over the iconic Woods Memorial Bridge in downtown Beaufort. The bridge is nearly identical today, sans the Mississippi sign.
In fact, several of Forrest’s running scenes were filmed in Beaufort. Part of Sea Island Parkway connecting Lady’s Island to St. Helena Island that crosses Chowan Creek was used as the setting where Forrest enters Mississippi. You can drive right through this spot when you’re on your way to Hunting, Harbor, and Fripp Islands.
The Scene: Forrest Mows the Football Field
Remember when Forrest cut grass for his local Alabama football stadium? You can visit this spot, but it won’t be a football field! He was actually cutting the grass of a baseball field at Basil Green Sports Complex, a local city park here in Beaufort.
The Scene: Gump Medical Center
The Bayou Le Batre Hospital, which is renamed the Gump Medical Center, was filmed in the front exterior of the USC Beaufort Performing Arts Center. You can find it on 801 Carteret Street in downtown Beaufort. Check out the Shows and events while you’re there!
The Scene: Visiting Bubba’s Mother
Bubba Blue’s house is located on Alston Road on Lady’s Island. After Bubba died in Vietnam, Forrest visited Bubba’s mother at her home. Bubba’s mother was played by Marlena Smalls, a local speaker, singer and Gullah historian.
The Scene: Forrest Sings in the Choir with Bubba’s Momma
In the film, Forrest went to church every Sunday praying and singing for shrimp. The church from the iconic film is located off a dirt road in McPhersonville, South Carolina, and known as the Stoney Creek Independent Presbyterian Chapel of Prince William Parish. The tiny chapel has been added to the National Register of Historic Places and is well-preserved.
The Scenes: Vietnam
The film crew did not have to travel overseas to film the Vietnam War scenes wherein Forrest meets Lieutenant Dan and Bubba. Fripp and Hunting Islands served as a backdrop for most of these war scenes. Some filmed on the Ocean Creek Golf Course on Fripp, while others were shot around the area on Hunting Island near the marshwalk. The spot where Forrest dropped off all of his wounded comrades was along the popular lagoon at Hunting Island.
The Scenes: On the Shrimp Boat
Forrest Gump’s beautiful shrimp boat scenes were staged to look like Bayou La Batre, Alabama. However, the majority of these scenes were shot on location at Lucy Point Creek, on Lady’s Island just over the bridge from Beaufort. The dock and boat house on Coosaw Island on the other side of Lucy Creek was the setting for the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Stop by Gay Fish Company, a rumored favorite of Tom Hanks and the location of several iconic local shrimping boats. The owners at the time Bob and Hilda Gay provided the shrimp used in the shrimp boat scenes, and their shrimp boat “Miss Hilda” can be seen in the film when Forrest is naming his boat “Jenny”.
Beaufortonians are proud to mention that their hometown is the location of so many iconic scenes from this beloved film, and many local businesses still pay homage to Forrest Gump. At Saltus River Grill, you can order The Jenny co*cktail. The Chocolate Tree on Carteret Street remains famous as a favorite spot of Tom Hanks during filming, and it’s rumored that the owner still sends him a box of chocolates each year on his birthday. Beaufort Tours offers special film tours of Beaufort, and can take you to several of the locations.
What about you? Were you in Beaufort during filming? Do you have any fun stories to share or know of any other local people or businesses paying homage to Forrest Gump? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below!
