Where Was Practical Magic Filmed? Locations from the Original and the Sequel

What's The Sequel About?

The sequel got its first proper trailer this week, and it's everything fans of the original have been waiting for. The film picks up with Sally and Gillian years later: Sally's daughters are now young adults navigating their own magical legacies, Gillian has traded her wild streak for a quieter life with a black cat for company, and a mysterious stranger played by Lee Pace has just arrived in their New England town with a new quest for the sisters. The aunts are back. The margaritas are back. And judging by the trailer, the atmosphere we all love in the original hasn’t gone anywhere.

The Original Movie Was Set in New England, But Filmed in Washington State

Practical Magic takes place in a fictional New England town, but the production team headed to the Pacific Northwest to bring it to life. The primary filming location was Coupeville, Washington, a small waterfront village on Whidbey Island with unmistakable 19th-century charm. The town's Front Street and Main Street provided the atmospheric backdrop for much of the film, with local businesses standing in for the Owens' fictional world.

Several Coupeville spots are still recognizable today. Toby's Tavern, a locals' favorite serving beer and Penn Cove mussels by the water, stood in for "The Catch and Fry" pub scenes. The building now housing Molka Xete Mexican Kitchen served as Sally's herbal shop, Verbena Botanicals. And the Penn Cove Gallery, at the corner of Front and Grace Street, now sits where the farmer's market scenes were filmed.

Kingfisher Books, occupying the old Benson Confectionery building, was used for the hardware store scenes where Sally falls for Gary Hallet. The Coupeville Pier also appears in the film, and a trail near the Island County Historical Museum marks the path to the Owens house.

The Iconic Owens House Was Built from Scratch — and Then Torn Down

The Victorian mansion at the center of the film wasn't found on location. It was entirely constructed on San Juan Island, Washington, on land the production team leased for $80,000. Stephen Alesch and Robin Standefer of Roman and Williams designed the set, which took six months to landscape and build. Because the team wasn't permitted to dig into the grounds, the entire structure was built on giant platforms.

The house was, famously, just a shell. The interior scenes were shot on a soundstage in Los Angeles, with wood paneling, an Aga stove, and bird-and-vine wallpaper all designed to evoke the aunts' particular brand of cozy, magical domesticity. Once filming wrapped, it took little more than a day to dismantle the exterior entirely. Barbara Streisand reportedly called the producers hoping to buy it, only to learn there was nothing left to purchase.

Coupeville Still Celebrates Its Witchy Legacy

The town hasn't moved on from Practical Magic, and honestly, why would it?

Coupeville hosts an annual fall festival called Practically Magic Halloweekend every October, complete with midnight margaritas, a pumpkin race, movie nights, and a torchlight parade. The white picket fence the production team built between the Little Red Hen Bakery and Toby's Tavern still stands.

If you want to make the pilgrimage, Whidbey Island is accessible via a short ferry ride from Mukilteo, about two hours from downtown Seattle. Most filming locations are within easy walking distance of each other along the downtown waterfront strip.

Practical Magic 2 Moved Production to England

The sequel takes things in a noticeably different direction, geographically speaking. Principal photography for Practical Magic 2 began on July 18, 2025, with Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden serving as the main production hub for studio scenes. It’s the same complex that housed the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, and this time it became home to a newly rebuilt version of the Owens house. Nicole Kidman confirmed at CinemaCon that the original house had been recreated for the sequel.

Filming also moved out on location across England, with scenes shot in London, including reports from Worcester Park, and further southwest in Devon. Devon’s rugged coastline and rolling countryside bring a different kind of atmosphere to the story, one that leans a little moodier and more windswept than the original’s Pacific Northwest feel. Production wrapped on September 13, 2025, after roughly two months of filming.

The move to England tracks with where the story is headed. The Owens sisters are further along in life, the tone has shifted, and a new, mysterious figure played by Lee Pace arrives in their New England town with a fresh agenda. Whether the English landscape can recreate that same cozy, witchy magic is still an open question. But if the early teaser is anything to go by, the essentials are still there: the aunts, the margaritas, and just enough midnight spell-casting to make it feel like home.

Practical Magic 2 arrives in theaters on September 18, 2026, and it feels less like a reinvention and more like a return to something that never really left. Whether you’re planning a trip to Coupeville or just rewatching the original again, it still holds up. The setting, the characters, the small details that linger. The magic hasn't gone anywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions: Practical Magic Filming Locations

Where was Practical Magic filmed?

The 1998 film was shot primarily in Coupeville, Washington, on Whidbey Island, with additional locations on San Juan Island and interior scenes filmed on a soundstage in Los Angeles.

Is the Owens house a real building?

No. The Victorian mansion was a custom-built set constructed on San Juan Island, Washington. It was built on platforms because the production team wasn’t permitted to dig into the leased land. Interior scenes were filmed separately in Los Angeles, and the structure was dismantled after filming wrapped.

Can you visit the Practical Magic filming locations?

Yes. Most Coupeville locations are within walking distance along the Front Street waterfront. Toby’s Tavern, Kingfisher Books, Penn Cove Gallery, and the Coupeville Pier are all visitable today.

Does Coupeville celebrate its connection to the film?

It does. The town hosts an annual fall event called Practically Magic Halloweekend every October, featuring midnight margaritas, a pumpkin race, movie nights, and a torchlight parade.

Where was Practical Magic 2 filmed?

The sequel filmed primarily at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire, England, with additional on-location shoots in London and Devon. Principal photography ran from July 18 to September 13, 2025.

Why did production move to England for the sequel?

The production team chose Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden as the main hub, the same facility known for the Harry Potter productions. On-location filming in Devon and London rounded out the shoot.

When does Practical Magic 2 come out?

Practical Magic 2 opens in theaters on September 18, 2026.

Who is in the cast of Practical Magic 2?

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return as Sally and Gillian Owens, joined by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest as the aunts. New cast members include Joey King, Maisie Williams, Xolo Maridueña, Solly McLeod, and Lee Pace as a mysterious newcomer.

Is there a trailer for Practical Magic 2?

Yes. The first official trailer was released recently, offering a look at the Owens family years later and introducing the film’s new storyline and characters.

What does the Practical Magic 2 trailer show?

The trailer reunites Sally and Gillian while shifting focus to the next generation, with Sally’s daughters now grown and discovering their own magical identities. It also teases a quieter, more settled Gillian, the return of the aunts, and the arrival of a mysterious outsider who sets the story in motion.

Does the sequel keep the same vibe as the original?

From what’s shown so far, yes. The trailer leans into the same cozy, slightly eerie tone fans remember, with familiar elements like midnight margaritas, candlelit spells, and that signature mix of warmth and witchiness still very much intact.