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It’s been an exciting, but a little rough, two years or so to be a Twin Peaks fan. Since the revival was announced in October 2014, there’s been a lot of speculation about the series—but information was hard to come by until recently. And earlier this week, we finally got a premiere date: May 21 at 9 p.m.
Showtime also announced a really tempting bid to get people on board with their standalone subscription service: After the two-hour premiere, superfans that subscribe to Showtime Anytime or Showtime On Demand can watch the third and fourth hours immediately.
Now that there can’t be any doubt that this is happening, the other burning question: Where is it being filmed? Twin Peaks is kind of the crown jewel of Northwest filming locations—few series that take place in Washington are actually filmed here, and when they are, we tend to see more glossy Seattle landmarks than our trademark fog and forests.
The original series was largely filmed in North Bend and Snoqualmie, where many notable landmarks still stand for all your Twin Peaks tourism needs, like the R&R (otherwise known as Twede’s), The Great Northern Hotel (officially, Salish Lodge and Spa).
In a behind-the-scenes video release in October, we can clearly see some of the old and local filming locations, including what remains of the old Weyerhaeuser mill:
North Bend, for the most part, embraces its alter-ego as the titular town of Twin Peaks and seems to welcome all your tourism dollars that it brings in. A 1990 New York Times feature on North Bend and its residents paints a picture of the reception at the time of the original series—then and now, the attitude in the area is largely positive. Decades of Twin Peaks success has led the town to incorporate bits of fiction into their reality.
Scott Guthrie, Salish Lodge & Spa general manager, said in a statement that “the interest and awe of the Great Northern Hotel is still there,” and that they’re “looking forward to showcasing the quirky Northwest legacy that ‘Twin Peaks’ provides.” They’re even offering a Great Northern Hotel package that includes thematic cocktails, a take-home cherry pie kit, a Twin Peaks map, and “a fire log with something to tell you.” (Their gift shop has also been optimized for fan tourism.)
City Administrator Londi K. Lindell, speaking with the fan blog Welcome to Twin Peaks back in August 2015, said reception of the new series has been largely positive: “I personally have not heard a single negative comment about the show returning. People are excited to welcome David Lynch and his team back.”
“The City is hopeful that Twin Peaks returning after 25 years will create a whole new set of fans who will want to visit North Bend and enjoy our beautiful natural resources and stimulate tourism and the local economy,” she continued, adding that North Bend just got a 200-room Marriott.
This article has been edited with clearer reference to a 1990 New York Times article and with comments from Salish Lodge and Spa.