"Dirty Dancing" was primarily filmed at the Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia, which served as the fictional Kellerman's Resort. The picturesque setting of the lodge provided the backdrop for many iconic scenes, including the lake where Baby and Johnny practiced their dance routines.
Mountain Lake Lodge enjoys peaceful solitude in the New River Valley of the Appalachian Mountains in southwest Virginia. Off the beaten path yet easy to get to, our historic lodge might look familiar to you. After all, it was where the iconic movie Dirty Dancing was filmed.
If you've caught the Dirty Dancing fever again, it might be time to plan a trip to Southwest Virginia. While Baby and Johnny's original story was set at the fictional Kellerman Resort in the Catskills of New York State, the film was shot largely at the idyllic Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia.
Stay in Kellerman's Mountain House for one of our Dirty Dancing-Themed Weekends. Enjoy a full itinerary of Dirty Dancing-themed activities, dance lessons, dance parties in Mary's Barn, and more!
DIRTY DANCING Filming Locations THEN & NOW Shot For Shot PATRICK SWAYZE
Can you stay at a Dirty Dancing cabin?
“DIRTY DANCING” THEMED CABINS
If you are looking for privacy, book one of our spacious cabins. Featuring two “Dirty Dancing” themed cabins, the larger of the two, “Johnny's Cabin“, offers a large Jacuzzi room, wet bar and kitchenette, a large bedroom, full bathroom, and a front porch.
Where was the beach scene in Dirty Dancing filmed?
Firefly Cove is a picturesque community located on the shores of Lake Lure, North Carolina. Known for its natural beauty and serene atmosphere, Firefly Cove is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Recently, Grey has spoken more about her experience working with Swayze. She says they had a lot of tension and didn't really get along... but that's what led to their sizzling on-screen chemistry.
If you go. Mountain Lake Lodge is about a five-hour drive from Washington, D.C. Accommodations include the historic lodge building and cottages located around the property. Nightly rates begin at $199, and prices for the all-inclusive Dirty Dancing weekends start at $499 a night per person.
Reminiscent of summer camp, the Whiteface Lodge is built in a charming and rustic log cabin style. The camp atmosphere doesn't end with the decor- guests can swim in the lake or ride around on boats, canoes and paddleboards.
What scenes of Dirty Dancing were filmed at Lake Lure?
The golf scenes where filmed on the 16th hole of Bald Mountain Golf Course at Rumbling Bald on Lake Lure. If you play golf, you will be playing right on the scene location.
It's (loosely) based on screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein's real life. Emphasis on "loosely." Bergstein did spend her summers in the Catskills, her father was a doctor, she did go by "Baby" and, naturally, she loved to dirty dance.
In the early 21st century, the lake levels diminished due to a prolonged drought in Southwest Virginia and the geology that makes up the bottom of the lake. In October 2008, the lake receded to a pond status, and remained mostly or completely dry until refilling in 2020.
A major fire burned down the remaining pieces of the Grossinger's Hotel property, a former vacationing spot in the Catskills and inspiration for the 1987 hit film Dirty Dancing.
More Details. "Dirty Dancing" was primarily filmed at the Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia, which served as the fictional Kellerman's Resort. The picturesque setting of the lodge provided the backdrop for many iconic scenes, including the lake where Baby and Johnny practiced their dance routines.
The fictional Kellerman's resort was supposedly located in the Catskill Mountains of New York. The real-life Mountain Lake Lodge that provided much of the movie backdrop is located in the Appalachian Mountains of southwest Virginia.
Step into Johnny and Baby's dancing shoes at Mountain Lake Lodge. Visit the real film locations from the movie such as Kellerman's Mountain House, Baby's Cabin, and the location of the lift. Join us for an in-depth self-guided tour through 11 original locations from the movie.
During the conversation, Baby learns that Robbie, who is supposedly dating her sister, is responsible for Penny's pregnancy. The next day, Baby confronts Robbie and tries to get him to give Penny $250 for an abortion.
Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey did all their own dancing in this movie. This is different from Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Beals who used body doubles for their dance scenes in Footloose (1984) and Flashdance (1983), respectively.
Patrick Swayze almost wasn't casted as Johnny Castle. Billy Zane and Val Kilmer were up for the role before Swayze, but Billy Zane couldn't sell it as a dancer and Val Kilmer turned down the opportunity when it was offered to him.
"Patrick had similar issues with his dialogue, and strenuously resisted saying the now-famous line, 'Nobody puts Baby in a corner,'" Grey wrote. Swayze's character, Johnny Castle, says the iconic line in the film's climactic scene before he and Baby, played by Grey, wow her family with their dance routine.
How old was the baby meant to be in Dirty Dancing?
Some reports have suggested that Baby is supposed to be 18 or even 19 years old. However, based on a 2017 interview with Grey (via Closer Weekly), it seems that Baby was presumably born in 1946 and is supposed to be 17 years old.
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.
One night, when she had complications during an illegal abortion, Baby sent for Jake, her father who is a doctor, to help Penny. Jake later mistakenly infers that Johnny got Penny pregnant, but finally realizes that it was actually Robbie, and forgives Johnny towards the end of the film, during his dance with Baby.
Since the film aired, the levels of water in the lake have risen and diminished, as approximately every 400 years, it drains and becomes completely dry. It has mostly been empty between 2008 to 2012, and scientists have been working on it to identify and remediate holes in the bed and sides of the lake.
