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Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, Twin Peaks, is a famous mystery and horror drama series that aired in 1990 for two seasons, then had a movie prequel in 1992, and returned for a third season in 2017.
The show revolves around an FBI special agent, Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), who arrives in the small titular town to investigate the murder of a local teenager called Laura Palmer. While the show begins on an investigative note, it soon incorporated varied elements like the surreal, the supernatural, the melodramatic, and a sense of offbeat humor.
The show revolutionized the TV industry, which only had formulaic shows till that time. The series is regularly listed as one of the best shows of the century and its enigma still holds a place even after all the decades. The series is known for its beautiful Pacific Northwest scenery, which is an important plot device on its own.
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The show’s exterior shots were mainly shot in the Washington State (WA) and in the towns of Snoqualmie, WA, North Bend, WA, Fall City, WA, and Poulsbo, WA. The towns of Snoqualmie and North Bend are mere 30 miles outside of Seattle. Most of the interiors for season one and two were recreated on soundstages and in season three, the production returned to Snoqualmie. The town of Snoqualmie was chosen by Lynch and Frost upon a suggestion by a friend of Frost and Lynch immediately loved the place.
Where was Twin Peaks filmed?
Salish Lodge and Spa, Snoqualmie, Washington
One of the most important properties in Twin Peaks, which serves as the Great Northern Lodge’s exterior and is present in the opening credits of the original series and the prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, the Salish Lodge and Spa, is a historic lodge that was built in 1916 and was then called the Snoqualmie Falls Lodge.
It originally had eight rooms, but in the 1980s, it went through renovations and in 1988, it became a luxury resort called Salish Lodge. The place has since become popular and is not only featured in the opening credits, but also when Audrey leaves the Great Northern.
Kiana Lodge, Poulsbo, Washington
Avid viewers of Twin Peaks cannot forget the memorable shot of the thrush sitting on the branch in the opening shots of the pilot. This shot was captured far away from Snoqualmie and North Bend and was filmed on the grounds of Kiana Lodge in Poulsbo, WA. The lodge is a private space booked for weddings and conferences and the place has become famous because of the show. There is a giant slab engraving on its beach that reads “Laura Palmer was discovered right next to the giant log tethered before you” and the place also has the image of the bird.
The beach here is also the place where Laura Palmer’s body is found by Pete Martell in the morning. The lodge first opened in 1930s as the Edgewater Beach and Country Club and was renamed Kiana in the 1940s. The property also appears in the show and the main lodge was used as the Great Northern Lodge’s interiors. Much of the murals still remain.
Reinig Road, Snoqualmie, WA
One of the most memorable and recognizable image of the show is the Welcome to Twin Peaks sign, which is placed in front of a long winding road, with mountains in the back. It is also the road, which Agent Dale Cooper takes to reach Twin Peaks. The spot still looks the same and while the sign is no longer there, it is still a treat to visit the spot.
After the show ended, the sign would only be placed once a year during the show’s annual festival and the city later thought of installing the sign permanently due to the show’s popularity. However, it got stolen and while it was recovered, it is not erected anymore.
Twede’s Cafe, North Bend, WA
Another important landmark in the show, Twin Peaks, is the Double R Diner, that serves as the focal point for all the goings-in in the town. Even the first shot in the show, which featured Norma, Shelly, and Bobby, was filmed at the real-life Twede’s Café, which is famous in North Bend and opened in 1941. When the show was being filmed, it was known as the Mar-T Café.
The diner is the reason why the show has a huge reference to cherry pies and the reason why Agent Cooper cannot get enough of the coffee and the pies. The place was reportedly a huge hit with the cast and crew and actor Kyle McLachlan and David Lynch, loved the pies so much that it was included in the show. Like other locations, the diner is proud to have been a part of the show.
DirtFish, Snoqualmie, WA
Apart from all the locations in Twin Peaks, where the residents resided, there is another important location, which served as the main place for agent Cooper’s investigations—the fictional HQ of the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s department. The place was originally the front office of the Weyerhaeuser Sawmill but the mill and office closed in 1989.
However, Lynch was able to get some shots for the B-roll of the introduction and the place is now occupied by DirtFish, which is a rally racing driving school. While some of the exterior has changed, the interior is still the same. The receptionist Lucy’s desk is still there.
The Roadhouse Restaurant and Inn, Fall City, WA
Twin Peaks is a show about small town life and no small town is complete without a local pub, which serves as the place for all the local residents to gossip and carry on their secretive affairs. The place served as the pub for the show and not many changes were done to the name. In the show, it was shortened to The Roadhouse.
The place still looks the same as the time when it appeared on the show and the place even sells ‘Bang Bang” t-shirts, which are a nod to the show, where the characters called the pub, The Bang Bang Bar. The interior shots of the place were however, shot on a set. But the real-life interiors of the pub also give off the show’s vibe and is a cozy hangout place.
Other Locations
While the Washington towns of Snoqualmie, North Bend, Fall City, and Paulsbo, served as the principal filming locations for the stock Twin Peaks exterior footage, most of the interior shots were shot on standing sets in a San Fernando Valley warehouse.
Some of the exterior scenes were also filmed in the wooded areas of Malibu, California. The crew also used either City Studios or Calvert Studios in Van Nuys, California, for some set locations.
