This Sunday night, Hallmark Channel will kick off season 5 of their #1 series, When Calls the Heart. This post has been a long time coming (seriously, almost a year!) and I am excited to share with you something very extraordinary in the world of film locations; a real, working movie set that you can actually visit. Note: the screen shots featured in today’s post are a mix from seasons 1-4 of WCTH. I re-watched nearly every episode in order to get these and some came from earlier seasons.
So come, take a walk with me……….
A little over a year ago, I discovered fan fave Hallmark series, When Calls the Heart (WCTH). I realize I’m late to the #hearties party and although I had seen many adverts for the show, I had just never watched it. But once I got started, I could not get enough! I binged all three seasons in a matter of days. I wanted to know everything I could about the series, which is inspired by the books written by Canadian author, Janette Oke. And so the research began. I read that WCTH is shot just over the border from me in British Columbia and as you can guess, this totally intrigued me. Then I learned that the show is filmed on a set that I could actually visit and I cannot tell you how excited I was!!! Of course, tours of the set are only offered when production is not taking place during summer and fall. I wasn’t too keen on a winter visit due to the unpredictability of the PNW weather, so spring seemed like the perfect time to cross the border and pay a visit to Hope Valley. I reached out and scheduled a visit last April, even before I began this blog. At the time, I planned to write about it in a guest post on my friend Linday’s blog, like the one I wrote about the AOMH Farmhouse.
The area where WCTH films is referred to as the Jamestown Movie Set and is situated on a 96-acre parcel of land formally known as MacInnes Farms in Langley, BC. It is quite a site to see in person as Hope Valley has literally been constructed on this farm land, but I think the bigger story here is how it all came to be. For a film location fan like myself, it is absolutely inconceivable!!!
Rod and Wendy MacInnes purchased the farm in 1977 and began clearing the land. They built a family farm and over the years added dairy to their list of farm endeavors. By then, they had already welcomed their two children; Kevin and Melanie. As the children grew, the farm grew too, and before long the children were helping work the land. Their biggest task? Planting 12,000 cottonwood trees for the pulp paper industry!
Rod MacInnes and his daughter, Melanie
Farming can be a tough business. Days are long, work is never ending, and money can be hard to stretch. Then in 2005, totally out of the blue, the MacInnes’s were approached by a location scout named Scott, who had discovered the farm while scouting locations from an airplane. Yes, an airplane! He spotted the trees and felt the property was the perfect setting for filming and wanted to know if the MacInnes’s would be interested in allowing a film crew to shoot a movie on their land. Production crews constructed a set and the MacInnes’s were now in the movie biz!
The feature flick turned out to be Scary Movie 4 and once filming was complete, the MacInnes’s told production they could leave the newly built set rather than tear it all down. The family came up with the idea to relocate the Scary-Movie buildings to another area on the property and create a frontier town. Their thought was, “let’s build it and they will come”, meaning more film crews. Rod, Kevin, and Norm Caplette, Wendy’s brother, moved the set to where it stands today. Several other buildings were eventually added and thirteen years later, five of the original structures built for Scary Movie are still being used today. This frontier village is now known as the Jamestown set. Through the years, the MacInnes’s have welcomed over 100 crews, including student and independent filmmakers. The buildings are all on skids, easy for relocating depending on production needs.
Entrance to the mine, as it looks in real life
And how it all looks on TV
The cabin in the woods: there is a different facade on each side of the cabin
The flip side of the cabin in the woods; I was unable to locate a screen shot of this side.
Filming in B.C continues to grow and is big business in the Vancouver area. How crazy that the MacInnes farm was scouted from an airplane and a knock on the door led to a feature film! No one saw that coming. Even crazier is what happened next. In 2012, Kevin MacInnes began writing to Michael Landon Jr, telling him about the Jamestown set. Those emails eventually led to a scouting entourage, that included both Michael Landon Jr and Brian Bird, co-creators of WCTH. And as you already know, the Jamestown set became Hope Valley.
Elizabeth’s house in season 1
When I took my tour, stashed away upstairs in the building shown above were the many cans of colored paint used to doll up the structures we see on film. It was fun to look at the labels.
Legend of the structures
Saloon exterior
The interiors of the buildings are used for filming WCTH, not a studio. I love that everything is shot at the Jamestown set! The scenes involving Elizabeth’s family home in Hamilton are lensed in Vancouver, BC. I plan to feature those locations in a future post.
Saloon interior
In 2015, the beautiful church was added, and I’m told it has become one of the most photographed locations on set. And rightfully so; the landscape is absolutely stunning.
Photo cred: Jennifer McNeil
Setting up my tour was done very easily. Melanie handles the tours and personally escorts you around the Jamestown set, telling stories and pointing things out along the way. She answered my questions and let me take all the photos I wanted and spend as much time looking around as I needed. If you book a tour, please keep in mind that the Jamestown set is not dressed with props when the show is not in production, so it may look a little different than it does on TV. Melanie shared with me that when the season is done filming, everything from the show is carted off the premises. Crews haul everything back once the show has been renewed for another season.
The Mercantile
Abigail’s Cafe
She and her children have been extras on WCTH and if you take a tour, feel free to ask her about it. She is open and personable, very down to earth and grateful for the opportunities that have come to her family. Her brother Kevin handles all filming inquiries and schedules. This family has all the bases covered and it is exciting to celebrate their success, all of which began with a fly-by over the property. Seriously fascinating.
Inside the Hope Valley jail
The sets horse arena, where many of the actors have learned to ride.
The site of the baseball game
When I took my tour, one of the row houses was being used in another production so I was unable to photograph both of them side by side.
And the interior
Row houses from the back; in real life, there are only two
And as “scene” on WCTH: Movie making magic; a row of row houses!
The MacInnes family continues to farm on their land. To learn more about their farming efforts, check out this great in-depth article here. To purchase products from the MacInnes farm, go to their website here. To book your own WCTH set tour, click here. Don’t forget to tune in this Sunday, February 18, 2018, for season 5 of When Calls The Heart. Check your local listings for time. Edited to add: The cost of the tour is donation based, with 100% of your donation put towards farming efforts, which you can read more about here. For suggested donation guidelines, inquire at booking. Thanks!
Elizabeth’s bench
Special thanks to Melanie for showing me around the Jamestown set and answering all of my questions. I had an awesome time!!! I wish you and your family all the best with your farming endeavors. And remember, if at some point you need a tour guide, call me…..I’m all over it. 😉
EDITED TO ADD: FOR INFORMATION ON TAKING A TOUR AT THE FARM, PLEASE CONTACT MELANIE, WHO SCHEDULES ALL THE TOURS. HER EMAIL IS MELANIE@BEINGREDIENTS.COM THANK YOU!
Want to buy the DVD’s? Please consider purchasing through the links below, which helps to support this site. By clicking on ANY Amazon link on this site, and purchasing ANY item on Amazon, it helps to offset the cost of this site. THANK YOU!
One more reminder for this weekend. On Saturday, February 17, 2018, The Hallmark Channel will air The Wedding March 3. I wrote about Rowena’s, the inn that was used in this movie. It’s a gorgeous place…..check it out! This is the third installment of this movie series. Originally, I got confused by the name, thinking it was going to air on March 3. DO NOT make that mistake……it is on THIS Saturday evening, February 17. Check your local listings for time. Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today. I’ve received some very sweet emails over the last couple of weeks and I am thrilled that you are enjoying learning about these locations so much! Your support means a lot……my heartfelt thanks to you, reader! Feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or story ideas at kerry@ivesceneitonhallmark.com
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Thanks for this fabulous promotion of the Jamestown set, the MacInnes Farm and WCTH! I planned my tour last year for my birthday and it was such a joy to share the experience with my whole family. Can’t wait for Sunday night!!
Thank you SO much Deanna! I’m so happy you were able to visit the MacInnes Farm. What a fantastic way to celebrate your birthday! DVR is all set and ready to go!!! 🙂
What a fun fun adventure. Glad they let you out of jail. 🙂 I love the farm story. I hope that the extra cash for being the location helped them out.
Isn’t that just the greatest “how it began” story? And it couldn’t have happened to a nicer family. 🙂
Kerry, a thought. I would LOVE to see a list of “what you are watching” on your sidebar. Sometimes I don’t know which movies I should make sure I see. I have a limited time for viewing, so I want to be sure to watch the right thing!
A GREAT idea, Terri!!! I’ve got some tech stuff I want to do and will add this to my list. Thanks for the suggestion!!!
I love your blog! Keep them coming. Thank you!
Thank you so much Malia! I am so glad you are enjoying it! Anything particular you are interested in seeing? 🙂
What an incredible visit to the “When Calls the Heart” set, Kerry! Your pictures are all so beautiful! The church is my favorite, too… I can see why it is photographed the most! It was built in such an ideal, picturesque setting, looking peaceful by the water, yet majestic!
I just love knowing that everything is filmed right there on location- exterior and interior shots. It makes the stories seem even more real and possible, just knowing it was all filmed there, and not partially on stages elsewhere. I’m so glad they are actual, real buildings, and not false fronts, like some western town sets. What a truly beautiful place! I’m mesmerized by every detail!
Plus, the MacInnes family sound so wonderful, how nice of them to give tours and welcome in fans of the show. I’m so glad you shared this fantastic trip/tour with all of us! Can’t wait to see the premiere of “When Calls the Heart” Season 5 Sunday night – along with you & all the Hearties!
Blessings, Net
Thank you so much, Net! What is really great about this one is it not only speaks to fans of the show but to film location fans too. And the fact that you can book a visit is incredibly cool! The MacInnes family could not be any more gracious and I am so happy for their success and the “seeds they are planting” to ensure the future of the farm.
I was very excited when I saw that these were actual building too, not just facades, and that filming took place inside the building.s I was able to walk into Abigail’s cafe, go upstairs at the saloon, and as you saw, check out the jail cell. Seriously, it is incredible as a fan of the show, and the film location fanatic in me.
This one took a LONG time to put together due to so many photos and screen shots, but in the end, I think it turned out well and I am happy I am able to share these photos and the MacInnes’s story. As always, thanks for your kind thoughts Net. 🙂
great article!! thanks for sharing the story and your adventures there! 🙂
Thank you so much Sharon! I’m glad you enjoyed. Perhaps you can take a tour of your own??? 🙂
thank you for the pictures do you know when they will start filming season six thank you love the show
Hi Debra, thanks for stopping by and for your comment. Season 6 will begin shooting this summer. 🙂
This is beautifully put together and after touring the set July of ‘17, this brings back great memories. Love all the pictures with all the views and your information. Melanie is the best. Her parents were wonderful to visit with and share farming stores, also. It’s a great tour so I hope all that are able to visit and see the set get in touch with Melanie.
It really does look different when it’s empty. There’s a lot of work that goes into this series. I loved that the stagecoach was there and we got to get up into it, also. Thanks, again, for this great presentation.
Thank you for your kind words Betty! I am so glad this has brought back such fond memories from your visit to the farm. And I am thrilled that you still found it interesting and informative, even though you had been there! That means a lot. Thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Is it expensive to get a tour?
Hi Andrew. Thanks so much for your question. No, it is not expensive to take a tour. It is donation based and 100% of the money from your tour is used towards the families farming efforts, which you can read about in the link provided in my story. Let me know if you end up booking and your thoughts on what you saw. Thanks again! 🙂
Thank you so much for this detailed “tour” and history of the Jamestown set and how it transformed into the site of “When Calls the Heart”. I loved reading about the land, it’s owner family and how the transgression into Hope avalley occurred, you continue to take your readers along with you on your location travels!
Hi Susan! Nice to hear from you as always! I’m so happy you loved reading this post. This is such a cool location because we viewers have the opportunity to visit it!!! Thank you, as always, for your continued support. 🙂
A good article. One error though…Hope Valley happened in the second season of WCTH. The first season it was Coal Valley because of the mine. I was on the set quite a few times that season as my granddaughter was an extra…or background as it is now known. She did a bit of season 2, but I ended up with medical problems, so she didn’t get back until the beginning of season 4, only to lose the job when she got braces in November. We thoroughly enjoy watching the show and keeping an eye out for “our” Elizabeth.
Hi Teri! Thank you for you comment. Yes, the town was called Coal Valley in season 1 and changed to Hope Valley in season 2. It wasn’t left out in error, I just didn’t include it because it wasn’t significant to this film location, which is the focus of this blog and this story.
How exciting for your granddaughter to have worked on the show! And although she lost the job when she got her braces, how neat that you can all gather and re-watch those early seasons and look for her. That is a keepsake you will have for always! Thank you so much for stopping by and for your comment. 🙂
I really appreciated Season 5; Episode 1 (aired on SC2 Feb. 18, 2018) However, I am really waiting for the Episode 2 of Season 5 which is supposed to air on SC2 at 3:00am and 9am Feb. 24, 2018 = is this true? I would love to finally see Jack’s dream of marrying Elizabeth Thatcher come true.??
Hi Judith! My website focuses on film locations in Canada from Hallmark movies & series. WCTH is on Sunday nights where I live in Washington State. I would check your local listings for times and schedule. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Thanks for telling me about your blog! I’m going to be a BIG FOLLOWER NOW! Love that church!!!
You are so welcome!!! And yes, that church is gorgeous! 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by and checking it out.
When Calls the Heart film-set:
Google Maps URL:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/MacInnes+Farms/@49.1310858,-122.5346001,357m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xd382c3d1d00f7a5a!8m2!3d49.1313043!4d-122.5334783
Looks about right…..thanks! 🙂
I think the second log cabin one appears in the episode when Elizabeth looks after the little girl and boy while their father is away. I think Jack comes to her rescue when she can’t do something. I hope that’s clear enough as to which episode I mean! I’ll try and track it down if it would help.
Hannah, thanks for stopping by! Yes, the “nice” side of the cabin in the woods is where Elizabeth watches the kids while their father is out of town. 🙂
You have it as well at the bieginning of season 3 (ep2) for the family of a dad plus his daughter. She is “not allowed” to do arts or have fun since her mother passed away…
My husband and I are planning a visit in early June. Do you know if anyone has done or does photo shoots there? Thanks for the info we are so excited!
Hi Edythe, I’m excited for you!!! I would contact Melanie, who handles the tours. She could tell you about photo shoots/photographers since she books every tour. Thanks for your comment and for stopping by! 🙂
i love wcth iwatch it every sunday night it gives me hope in life
Hi Debra, so glad you love the show! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Kerry, what an excellent and thorough job you did on this site and series! Goodness girl, you’re quite the pro and talented one! Your pictures, captions and explanations are fantastic. You caught it all. And what an amazing story it is. Can only imagine how long this took you to do and learn about. Thank you for sharing all this knowledge. Wonderful job! I enjoyed every word. 🙂
Nancy, thank you so much for your kind words! I am so happy you enjoyed this post. The story is pretty amazing and it could not have happened to a nicer family! You should come take a tour at the farm sometime! If you liked reading about it, believe me, you would LOVE seeing it in person. There is nothing like it!!! Thanks for stopping by and for your sweet comment. 🙂
Thank you for the background for my absolute favorite show and the best hour of my week.
Hi Joe, you’re welcome! Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment. Get ready for season 6!!! 🙂
Hello,
I would absolutely love to visit the set with my daughter. Can you let me know how you reached out for a tour? I’d love some tips as I’ve never done anything like that before. Thanks!
For tour info, please contact Melanie at melanie@beingredients.com. FYI: tours will not be available again until 2019. Enjoy!!! 🙂
My congratulations for the very important informations I did read about WHTH tv serie. I was in Canada three times (from Toronto to Ottawa and Montreal) and I really intend to go together my Family to the west area of Canada to be visiting new places (as Calgary and Vancouver). So, I will includ a visit to your area. We are watching the tv serie now here in Brasil, and we love it. Thanks a lot for all the details concerning the tv serie. I will look for the best roads to be there, starting in Vancouver.
From EUGÊNIO
Brasília – DF – BRASIL
Thanks SO much for your comment, all the way from Brazil. So neat that you found my site. I hop you will be able to visit Hope Valley when you come to Vancouver one day. It will really bring the show to life for you. 🙂
Hi Kerry…I love your site!!! You have done an amazing job with it. My husband & I are from Ontario & will be visiting Abbotsford & surrounding areas from July 10-17. I just emailed Melanie & we’re hoping a tour will be available. Thank you for all the beautiful pictures & information you have shared.
Tours are finished for the season as filming of season 7 will begin soon. But there is still plenty to see if you are a Hallmark fan! Be sure to check out Fort Langley, Deep Cove, and while in Abbotsford, stop by Clayburn Village. Have a wonderful vacay!!! 🙂
Was this set used in the show Heartland, season 5 Over the Rise?
Sabrina, not that I am aware of.
Is their any photos for sale of Hope Valley’s church, as well as downtown. Would love to have a few pics to hang in my house. My husband and I are on our second time around watching all the series, it’s our favorite all time show period. Beginning to feel like we are all family, but sure would love either prints or canvas pictures. Thanks
Betty, thank you for your comment. Not sure what all they carry but here is a link to a website that offers a bunch of WCTH merch. Hope your find what you’re looking for. 🙂