Laura Linney and Jason Bateman have their lives changed forever after Marty (Jason Bateman) was forced to relocate with his family to a mountainous area called the Ozarks after getting involved in a money-laundering fiasco with a drug dealer.
I was a huge fan of Breaking Bad and Ozark has filled a void I’ve missed since that show ended. Plus, living in Atlanta, I recognize so many of the spots where Ozark is filmed, having been there myself.
Interestingly, even though the show’s name takes inspiration from the famous Ozark mountain in Missouri, most episodes in the show were not shot in Missouri, you will only see a few shots of the famous town in the pilot episode, but a majority of the episodes of Ozark are shot in Atlanta, Georgia because of the amazing tax breaks the state offered.
Ozark filming locations include in the state of Georgia: Canton, Woodstock, Norcross, Marietta, Savannah and Braselton.
The scenery of the set in Ozark is stunning and fans of the show can testify to this, the set location was greatly inspired by Alhonna Resort in Missouri. If you are a fan of Ozark and you are interested in knowing all about the filming locations of the show, here are some eye-catching set locations you need to know about:
The Bryde Family House in Ozark
The Byrde house from Ozark, courtesy of Netflix
The stunning house owned by the Bryde family in Ozark is located at the south edge of Lake Lanier in Flowery Branch, Georgia. For a lot of viewers, this lakeside house is a ‘house goal’ as it has its pier, you get to wake up to a beautiful view and is surrounded by deep pine woods.
Read about our boat tour on Lake Lanier which included some filming locations for the Ozark show.
Lake of Ozarks
Lake Lanier and Lake Allatoona both in Georgia are used as Lake Ozark, image courtesy Netflix
The lake of Ozarks, Missouri was featured sparingly in the series. You get to see the lake in the initial season and some other episodes of the show, but the two most featured lakes in the show were Lake Allatoona and Lake Lanier, in Georgia.
Lake Allatoona (Northwest, Atlanta, Georgia)
But Lake Allatoona is the most seen lake in Ozark. The 365,500-acre reservoir is located in the northwestern part of Georgia. The lake has eight private marinas, two yacht clubs, and fifteen public boat ramps and if you love camping it has about seven campgrounds. The most popular one you should consider visiting is called ‘Sweetwater campground’. Sweetwater has over 150 campsites and it is quite close to Blue cat lodge (more on that below).
Lake Lanier (Northeast, Georgia)
A shot was taken in the North Atlanta area of lake Allatoona where Ozark is filmed, courtesy of Netflix
Lake Lanier is the second lake that was constantly featured in Ozark. The lake is a popular hot spot for boaters, tourists and jet skiers, especially during the summer.
A glimpse of the Ozark family house can be caught from Van Pugh North Park, which is located on the south edge of the lake. Lake Lanier is surrounded by various parks, resorts, and beaches that are open to the public and it is also the perfect place for camping trips.
Chateau Elan Resort (Northeast, Atlanta, Georgia) as Mexican drug lord’s home
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Chateau Elan is the home of the Mexican Drug Lord, Navarro in Ozark. The incredibly stunning resort is in Braselton, Georgia, which is just under one hour north of Atlanta’s downtown. It is meant to sort of replicate Versailles in France and the grounds are certainly gorgeous. I visited for an overnight stay and found the food average and the wine, not as good as Two Buck Chuck, so heads up.
The 3,500-acre luxury resort has a winery (yes, you can walk in the vineyards), a spa, eight restaurants, four golf courses, an equestrian show centre, a tennis centre, and a residential community. If you are interested in knowing what a day in the life of Del is like, then you should book a room in this resort, which has recently undergone a remodel.
The Blue Cat Lodge (Northwest, Atlanta Georgia) from Ozark season 1
The Blue Cat Lodge filming location is actually about 20 miles north of Atlanta, courtesy of Netflix
A fixture in season one of Ozark was The Blue Cat Lodge in Ozark is in Cherokee County, Georgia. The lodge was formerly an abandoned bar called ‘The Little River Grill’. It was later turned into a modern lodge specifically for the show.
The Blue Cat Lodge is close to the banks of Lake Allatoona and it is currently open to the public, but under the name ‘JD on the lake’. It was reopened to the public due to the popularity of the show. If you are a fan of Ozark you can stop by at the amazing restaurant to enjoy the scenery, throw a party, grab a bite to eat and even take a picture with the blue cat lodge signage.
Fun fact, a friend of mine drove up there early one morning just to walk around (she loves the water), plus it isn’t that from where she lives in Woodstock, GA), and found money lying around! It wasn’t much, only about $20 or so, but it is interesting that this was where Marty Byrde stashed all that money in season one of Ozark.
Bobber’s, Alhonna Resort, Missouri
If you loved dining at JD on the lake you can also visit the delightful Bobbers, a bar, and grill located in Alhonna resort, Missouri. This bar is where Bill Dubuque, the screenwriter of Ozark drew inspiration for the Blue Cat Lodge and Alhonna resort in Missouri is a perfect tourist destination. With its lakefront houses and cabins, there’s so much to do in this dreamy resort.
The Missouri Belle from Ozark is located at Stone Mountain Park, Georgia
The Missouri Belle from Ozark was actually from Stone Mountain Park in Georgia
The Bryde’s famed boat casino, the ‘Missouri Belle’ the hot spot of illegal gambling in season 3 of Ozark, was actually located in Stone Mountain, Georgia. The casino was covered with FBI agents as they looked for any wrongdoing with how the casino was run. If you’d like to see the casino just hop on a boat at Stone Mountain in Georgia and you might get lucky.
Stone Mountain Park is a tourist attraction that features a carving of confederate soldiers into a huge granite rock. There are year-round outdoor activities and festivals. Hiking up to the top of the mountain, you’ll get beautiful views of Atlanta, but make sure to take a ride on the boat that played a part in Ozark. Stone Mountain is about 45 minutes from Atlanta.
The Big Muddy Casino from Ozark was filmed in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is about a four and half hour’s drive from Atlanta. So it was surprising that they made the Missouri Belle filming in Stone Mountain but the Big Muddy Casino all the way in Savannah for Ozark.
The ship is docked along River Street, the most popular spot for tourists visiting Savannah. That huge building you see across the river is The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa. I have stayed there and it is a beautiful hotel if you ever are visiting a historic city.
The Eagle Rock Studios (Norcross, Georgia) interior shots of Ozark
This studio was used to shoot most of the interior scenes of Ozark. It served as Lickety Splitz’s strip club and Buddy’s basement. The Eagle Rock studio is in Atlanta, Georgia however, they have another studio in Norcross.
It is popularly known as the largest stage complex in America as the studio has about 465,00 square meters of space. I don’t believe that you can visit the studio as it is a closed set.
Starlight Drive-In (Atlanta, GA) in cash drop in Ozark season 3
The abandoned drive-in where Ruth escapes death in Ozark, courtesy of Netflix
Remember that scene in season 3 where Ruth is at the cash drop off and Jonah and his uncle Ben follow her with Jonah’s drone? That was filmed in the heart of Atlanta at the Starlight-drive in the theatre. It is actually a fully-functioning drive-in movie theatre you can visit.
The Silver Skillet (Midtown, Atlanta, Georgia)
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Although this diner was not seen as much as Blue Cat Lodge, it’s still an incredible place to visit. Plus, it is located in the heart of the city, in the popular Midtown part of town. So, if you are visiting Atlanta, you can easily make it there via a quick ride share.
The Silver skillet made a cameo in the first season of Ozark. The restaurant is known for its mouth-watering breakfast menu however you can just walk in to try out their equally tasteful lunch menu or desserts and if you are feeling reminiscent, you can order something similar to what Agent Petty had. Besides being featured on Ozark, the Silver skillet has also made appearances in magazines, movies and shows such as Taken 3 and Survivor’s remorse.
I don’t know about you but I really enjoyed Marty and Wendy Byrde’s therapist this season. It was hilarious how they were both bribing her to be on their side. She did a good job playing them against one another in Ozark, but my gosh, that would have been stressful. Here’s why you should pay for mental health help if you are interested.
How to plan your visit to these Ozark filming locations?
If you plan on a trip to Georgia to visit the sites of Ozark that allow fans, allow about three or four days, depending on how aggressive you want to be. If you really want to enjoy yourself, I’d allow five or six days. Start on the north end and knock out Chateau Elan and Lake Lanier.
Then head south and have a meal at the Silver Skillet then check out Starlight Drive-In before heading to Stone Mountain and spend the remainder of the day there (there’s a lot to see)! The next day, head south to Savannah which is about 4.5 to 5 hours south of Atlanta. It is quite a historic city so I’d spend at least two days there, just soaking everything up!
There you have it, all of the filming locations for the Ozark television show. So, what episode are you currently on? Also, if you plan on visiting these filming locations in Georgia, plan about three to five days to see it all.
Check out the gang deciphering southern slang in this Video
