Where was Practical Magic filmed?

One of the earlier scenes in the movie sees the Owens sisters make a blood pact while chanting “my blood, your blood, our blood.” Gilly had just decided to set off to Los Angeles. That meant that she was leaving the small town behind and her aunts’ house, where she grew up with her sister.

It’s one of the memorable Practical Magic scenes filmed outside the old Victorian-style mansion that was specifically constructed for the production in San Juan Island, Washington. Stephen Alsch and Robin Standefer from Roman and Williams constructed the set.

The production team reportedly spent $80,000 to lease the burial ground where they set up the Owens residence. It took six months to landscape and construct the set.

The production team wasn’t allowed to dig the grounds, and therefore, they set up the residence on giant platforms.

Barbara Streisand is the Hollywood starlet who called the producers inquiring about the property. Much like fans of the film, she was heartbroken to learn that the residence was nothing more than an architectural shell. It took just over a day to dismantle the empty shell once filming concluded.

When Gilly leaves town, Sally also marches forward with her life. She settles down with a man called Michael (Mark Feuerstein), and they welcome two daughters.

The cycle repeats itself when the family curse claims her husband’s life. Sally moves back into her aunts’ house with her daughters only after establishing a few conditional rules.

She tells her aunts that she doesn’t want her daughters “dancing naked under the full moon.” One of her aunts responds that if memory should serve her right, nudity is optional.

Given that the Practical Magic film set on San Juan Island was just an empty shell, the production team shot the interior scenes on a soundstage in Los Angeles. Standefer and Alesch also worked on the interior set design.

They used wood paneling for the staircase and foyer to give the home a Victorian feel. Standefer explained that the Aga functioned more or less like the Owens’ shrine, given that it's where they placed the cauldron and cooked up most of their spells.

Even the wallpaper had a significant meaning to the story. The aunts being nature lovers inspired the set designers to go for a design depicting birds entangled in vines.

Sally had it rough since losing her parents but at least she always had her sister to rely on. That’s until Gilly moved away, and it didn’t get any better after she got hitched.

The kind man she met and married fell victim to their family’s centuries-old curse and died. It doesn’t help that the town has always ostracized the family because of their connection to the occult.

Blaming herself for her misfortunes, she tells one of her aunts, “Sometimes I feel like there’s a hole inside of me. An emptiness that at times seems to burn.”

It’s one of the scenes set at Sally’s Verbena Botanicals shop, and during filming, the Sedge Building stood in for the store. The Practical Magic location now stands as the Little Red Hen Bakery.

Located at 4 NW Front Street the Bakery is your one-stop-shop for all your baked goods ranging from fresh bread to pastries and pies. It’s worth a visit if you find yourself in Coupeville.

Just after the sisters moved in with their aunts, they soon found out that the household was precisely the kind of environment any kid would dream of. As they were told, “In this house, we have chocolate cake for breakfast, and never bother with silly little things like bedtimes or brushing our teeth.”

It doesn’t mean that the Owens didn’t stop by the farmer’s market for some fresh produce. Several scenes depicted them interacting with the townsfolks as this common ground.

Downtown Coupeville provided the setting for the farmer’s market seen in the film. The Penn Cove Gallery, at the corner of Front and Grace Street, currently sits on the empty lot that served as the Practical Magic film set.

The producers teamed up with the local farmers to spring the market to life. They sourced real produce as props, and the Penn Cove Shellfish reportedly donated seafood for those scenes. On top of that, they collaborated with local laborers for the prep work.

The cooperative art gallery opened its doors in 1994 and the artist members administer and staff the establishment. You’ll find selections of wood carvings, handwoven scarves, and stained glass at the gallery that make the perfect gifts or home décor.

Get to the Penn Cove Gallery via the 1 SB bus line from the Clinton Ferry Terminal or the 1NB or 6 buses from the Harbor Station Transfer Center at Bayshore Drive.

Toby’s Tavern remains a local favorite watering hole, known for serving beer and Cove Mussels by the water. When the Practical Magic production team was in town, Toby’s served as the filming location for “The Catch and Fry” scenes.

In between filming, the film’s stars enjoyed hanging out on the spot. Speaking to King 5 for a piece about the film’s 20th anniversary, John Rodriguez recalls playing a friendly game of pool with Bullock. The star reportedly asked him to call her “Sandy.”

Though not filmed at the Tavern, the Tavern brings to mind the drinking scene. The Owens all woke up for a late-night drink accompanied by dancing. While mixing margaritas, one of the aunts delivers one of the film’s iconic lines.

“My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage.”

In the DVD commentary, Bullock said that Kidman was the one who supplied the “very bad tequila” they drank while filming that scene. It wasn’t just great acting, but the actresses got sloshed, and perhaps that’s why the insults they were slinging around flowed.

Several buildings in Coupeville were painted white, and after filming, a number decided to keep the new paint job. Most businesses on Front Street got a fresh coat of paint, and false fronts were placed on some structures to create the magical on-screen town.

The Benson Confectionery building, now occupied by Kingfisher Books, was amongst the Practical Magic locations that weren’t modified for the shoot. The premises stood for Lesher’s Hardware Store scenes.

That brings us to one of the film’s other iconic scenes when Sally falls in love again. After losing her husband, she wasn’t exactly looking for love when it found her. Gary Hallet (Aidan Quinn), an investigator from Tucson looking into the disappearance of Gilly’s abusive boyfriend, ends up being the man who wins her heart.

Having a heart-to-heart, Sally explains, “There are things I know for certain: Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck, and fall in love whenever you can.”