Have the Time of Your Life Reliving 'Dirty Dancing'

Who can forget the watermelon scene, the sultry dance moves, the coming-of-age love story, the lake lift and, of course, the pivotal final dance when no one put Baby in the corner? Though Dirty Dancing was set in a fictional Catskills resort in the summer of 1963, today, it’s easy to spend a few days exploring some of the original film sites of one of the most endearing love stories to film in North Carolina. 

Day 1: 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa

Start your walk down Dirty Dancing memory lane in the town of Lake Lure, where a handful of scenes were filmed. Check in to the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, where Patrick Swayze, portraying bad-boy dance instructor Johnny Castle, and Jennifer Grey, the beloved Frances “Baby” Houseman, stayed during filming. Settle into Johnny’s Cabin or Baby’s Bungalow, both spacious Dirty Dancing-themed cabins.

Although none of the film was shot at the Inn, the landscape at nearby Camp Chimney Rock – including its original cabins, dining hall and gymnasium – were used in the film. The cabins doubled for the film’s Kellerman’s staff housing, and the gym was converted into the banquet room where Baby and Johnny performed their epic “Time of My Life” dance routine. Today, the property is a private residential development called Firefly Cove at Lake Lure, where a few remaining ruins of the camp have been incorporated into the planned community.

Grab dinner at the Inn at Veranda Restaurant, where you can enjoy an elegant meal with mountain views.

Day 2: Chimney Rock State Park and Esmeralda Inn

Head a couple of miles west to Chimney Rock State Park and make your way to the top of the 535-million-year-old 315-foot rock outcropping. For the adventurous and bold types, take the nearly 500 steps on the Outcroppings Trail to the top. For those looking for a more leisurely ascent, check to see if the state-of-the-art elevator is running, and then climb the final steps to take in the spectacular views from the top of this peak. If you time it right, enjoy a magical sunset – and channel Johnny and Baby’s mountain romance – along the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Just a bit farther west is The Esmeralda Inn, Restaurant & Spa, where you can walk on the actual floor where Baby and Johnny showed off their legendary dance and lift at the end of the film. Although not originally at this location, the floor was salvaged after the gymnasium where the scene was shot was demolished in the late 1980s; it became part of the lobby floor in the Esmeralda Inn during a renovation in the late '90s. Enjoy a sumptuous dinner in the Esmeralda Restaurant, which takes pride in using local meats and vegetables as often as possible and features an exceptional wine list. (Please note: The Esmeralda is closed for renovations through 2023.)

Day 3: Lake Lure Tours and Bald Mountain Golf

Spend the morning enjoying the charm of the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa. Admire the antiques and artwork of the historic inn, stroll the property and lakeside, or treat yourself to a massage or facial in the Irongate Spa. Wander over to the marina and book a guided Dirty Dancing tour with Lake Lure Tours, where you'll board an open-air pontoon boat for a narrated tour of the lake. Sail past the stairs where Baby carried the watermelon up to the staff cabins and where she practiced her dance moves coming down. See the area of the original camp that served as the staff housing and banquet room in Firefly Cove at Lake Lure. Learn about the history of the area, along with the natural and cultural background of Hickory Nut Gorge.

Come afternoon, take the longer but more scenic route along the lake to Bald Mountain Golf Course, an 18-hole course at Rumbling Bald on Lake Lure. Designed by W.B. Lewis in 1968, the course was featured prominently when Baby interrupted her parents while they were practicing their swings to ask her father for money. The film was shot on the 16th hole, but it was made to look like a practice green.

Bonus Day: Lake Lure Dance Festival

If you plan your visit in mid-September, you can take advantage of a Dirty Dancing highlight: the Lake Lure Dance Festival, which is celebrating its first iteration in 2023. The Dirty Dancing Festival was originally founded in 2010, a year after Patrick Swayze’s premature death and 23 years after the film debut, but it's since evolved into a larger celebration of all things dance throughout the years. 

If you still want more Dirty Dancing in your life, head southwest to Hendersonville and Cashiers (both towns served as backdrops for the 2017 musical reimagination of the film) and book a stay at the newly remodeled High Hampton; it stood in for this version's Kellerman's Resort.