Where was Christmas Island filmed? Guide to all the Locations
Posted by Ra Moon
Featuring gorgeous locations, Christmas Island was filmed entirely in Nova Scotia, Canada.
This is one of the rare occasions when a Hallmark movie is set in the same place where it was filmed. Canadian locations are usually towns situated somewhere in the USA.
This is one of the rare occasions when a Hallmark movie is set in the same place where it was filmed. Canadian locations are usually towns situated somewhere in the USA.
Rachel Skarsten (The Royal Nanny, Lost Girl) plays the lead role of pilot Kate Gabriel. Andrew Walker (The 27-Hour Day, A Safari Romance) co-stars the air traffic controller and occasional Santa's leprechaun helper, Oliver Macleod.
The story revolves around Kate's first private flight to Switzerland with the wealthy Sharpe family aboard, which is unexpectedly forced to land on a special island due to a snowstorm.
Here is our complete spoiler-free guide to all the filming locations of Christmas Island. You'll find the locations more or less in order of appearance.
The Christmas Island Location
But let's start from the beginning: the scenes that take place in the airport were filmed at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
The movie was filmed in August, so you can imagine the surprise of passengers arriving at the terminal to find festive decorations.
(You can open all the locations on Google Maps by clicking on the links below in the captions ↴)
Image courtesy of Hallmark Channel - Map
Image courtesy of Hallmark Channel - Map
After reluctantly landing on Christmas Island and meeting their hosts, the trope is taken to the town.
The picturesque village of Lunenburg doubles as the small village that nobody leaves as a Scrooge.
Founded in 1753 by German, Swiss, and British settlers, the cute and colorful Old Town of Lunenburg is so pretty and unique that it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
According to the official Nova Scotia website, this distinctive village proudly retains up to 70% of its original colonial structures built between the 18th and 19th centuries.
Image courtesy of Ron Cogswell
After almost having a second transportation-related disaster for the second time in one day, Oliver drives Kate into town.
It's so beautiful - The spot where Kate first appreciates the charms of Christmas Island is located on Lunenburg's Montague Street in the center of the town.
But where is the lighthouse on the right?
Image courtesy of Hallmark and Google Maps
Peggy's Cove Lighthouse is also featured in several key scenes, although in Lunenburg it was added into the scene using some digital magic.
Perched atop the rugged shores of Nova Scotia, this quaint beacon surrounded by a postcard-worthy landscape has been guiding mariners since 1915.
The two lovely blue and yellow Oliver's family houses are also located in Peggy's Cove.
Standing on smooth granite rocks, these magnificent houses have a true view of the lighthouse.
Image courtesy of Hallmark - Map
The tiny village of Peggy's Cove is actually situated about 62 miles away (100 km) from Lunenburg.
Image courtesy of Hallmark - Map
In the background of some scenes is St. John's Anglican Church in Peggy's Cove.
Built at the end of the 19th century, this gorgeous Gothic Revival temple features a slender tower with a spire.
Image courtesy of Hallmark and Google Maps
Just before the meeting that the whole town attends, there is an establishing shot that was filmed elsewhere.
The filmmakers added stock footage of the elegant Collingwood City Hall in Ontario.
This iconic building, with its Romanesque clock tower, was completed in 1890.
Image courtesy of Hallmark and Google Maps
The town meeting and the candy-making scenes were filmed at the Shore Club in Hubbards.
This venue is a seafood restaurant where you can have a delicious lobster supper.
One of our readers commented that the Post Office was filmed in a Shore Club building at Hubbards Beach, the same location used in the series Moonshine.
Image courtesy of Hallmark - Map
However, the exterior of the town hall was filmed at the Lunenburg Masonic Temple, located at 120 Pelham Street.
Constructed in the late 19th century in the heart of the village, the temple showcases intricate masonry and symbolic elements.
Image courtesy of Hallmark - Map
The Knot Pub is a real local bar located at 4 Dufferin Street.
This location, along with the entire town, was featured in the fourth season of The Sinner series, which doubled as the fictional Hanover Island in Maine.
Lunenburg also served as the perfect location for the hit Netflix series Locke and Key, set in Matheson, Massachusetts.
Image courtesy of Google Maps
Like many coastal towns in Nova Scotia, Christmas Island has a vibrant fishing community.
The square where the trap tree was erected, made of stacked lobster traps, was filmed in Lunenburg Waterfront.
Image courtesy of Hallmark and Netflix - Map
There is a real Christmas Island in Nova Scotia, a small rural community known for its scenic beauty and tranquility, nestled along the Bras d'Or Lakes.
As Heavy.com noted, the movie also reflects the tradition of the real Christmas Island post office.
The local postal service receives thousands of postcards and packages a day during the peak holiday season to be hand-stamped with the town's special postmark.
Image courtesy of Hallmark - Map
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7 comments:
1- Anonymous - Nov 16, 2023, 4:46 PM
You missed the Shore Club in Hubbards for the town meeting when they first arrived!
Reply
2- Ra Moon - Nov 16, 2023, 19:42 PM
Thank you, updated!
3- Anonymous - Nov 17, 2023, 6:23 PM
I also figured all of these out except this: what building did they use for the "Christmas Island Post Office"?
4- Anonymous - Nov 18, 2023, 8:10 AM
The movie was nice. Nova Scotia Lunenburg county is the Balsam Fir Christmas tree capital of the world. It would have been nice to see a Christmas tree cut in one of the Christmas tree yards in Lunenburg.
5- Anonymous - Nov 23, 2023, 5:26 AM
The building that was used in the series Moonshine, at Hubbards Beach (part of the Shore Club property and Hubbards Campground) doubled as the Post Office.
6- Anonymous - Aug 4, 2024, 5:31 PM
The post office looks exactly like the Cape May, NJ, post office.
7- Anonymous - Nov 12, 2024, 6:01 PM
It IS definitely the Cape May, NJ, post office.
1- Anonymous - Nov 16, 2023, 4:46 PM
You missed the Shore Club in Hubbards for the town meeting when they first arrived!
Reply
2- Ra Moon - Nov 16, 2023, 19:42 PM
Thank you, updated!
3- Anonymous - Nov 17, 2023, 6:23 PM
I also figured all of these out except this: what building did they use for the "Christmas Island Post Office"?
4- Anonymous - Nov 18, 2023, 8:10 AM
The movie was nice. Nova Scotia Lunenburg county is the Balsam Fir Christmas tree capital of the world. It would have been nice to see a Christmas tree cut in one of the Christmas tree yards in Lunenburg.
5- Anonymous - Nov 23, 2023, 5:26 AM
The building that was used in the series Moonshine, at Hubbards Beach (part of the Shore Club property and Hubbards Campground) doubled as the Post Office.
6- Anonymous - Aug 4, 2024, 5:31 PM
The post office looks exactly like the Cape May, NJ, post office.
7- Anonymous - Nov 12, 2024, 6:01 PM
It IS definitely the Cape May, NJ, post office.
Ra Moon
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