Wilmington has stood in for Anywhere, USA since the 1980s. So where in town could you see the costume James Van Der Beek wore in the Dawson's Creek pilot, or the Fisherman's raincoat from I Know What You Did Last Summer? Until September, nowhere in Wilmington.
That changed at 1202 Market Street. Hollywood East Brewseum is a restaurant, taproom and memorabilia museum in one, about a mile east of the Riverwalk, and admission is free. Its owners built it as a public place for a local industry that, by most measures, had one of its slowest years on record. That timing explains the building as much as the props do.
A former ice and coal building, rebuilt as a movie palace
The Brewseum sits in the old Rose Ice & Coal building. Co-owners Tyler Christensen and Patrick McCarthy worked with contractor DAE Building to turn the former convenience store area into an Art Deco lounge modeled on a vintage movie theater. The seats are 1920s originals from a Los Angeles theater, and the door handles are made from an old film reel.
Behind the lounge, a former warehouse is now the taproom. It keeps the building's original barrel ceiling, and parts of the original brick walls show in the lounge. In early September, the owners were still converting a former garage into a seating area with roll-up doors at both ends and landscaping the front for outdoor seating.
The soft opening was scheduled for Sept. 18. That was the first day of "Hey 23: A Call Back to Tree Hill," the One Tree Hill reunion held Sept. 18 to 20 at the Wilmington Convention Center for the locally filmed series' 23rd anniversary. The News & Observer confirmed in early October that the Brewseum had started welcoming visitors at a September soft opening.
What's in the cases, and why it all comes from here
The display cases follow one rule. Everything in them comes from productions shot in the Wilmington region. WilmingtonBiz listed some of the pieces on display at opening:
- A costume James Van Der Beek wore in the pilot episode of Dawson's Creek, which was filmed in Wilmington
- Scream masks signed by Skeet Ulrich and Mikey Madison, from the 2022 Scream installment shot in the area
- The raincoat worn by The Fisherman in the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer, which was filmed in Southport
Both owners work in the film industry. Some pieces came through friends tied to local productions, and others the owners already had or bought at auction. They plan to rotate the displays from time to time. So a single visit won't show you everything, and the collection can grow as new local productions wrap.
A concession stand, rebranded by local breweries
Christensen told WilmingtonBiz the kitchen serves "an elevated version of anything in a movie theater concession stand." That means popcorn, hot dogs and soft pretzels, plus hot honey cheese pretzel bites, pickle bombs, cheese curds, sweet potato waffle fries and donut holes.
The beer list is where the local tie-in shows most. Hi-Wire Brewing makes a Blueberry Velvet for the Brewseum. Other local breweries white-label beers named after productions shot here, including One Tree Pils, Under the Foam, I Know Wheat You Did Last Summer and IPA Records. The News & Observer's list of North Carolina beers on rotation adds The Sour I Turned Pretty and Talladega Nights The Lager of Ricky Bobby. Wine and non-alcoholic drinks are also on the menu.
Published hours don't agree. The October News & Observer story and the Brewseum's own site list different days and closing times. The official hours page is the one to check before you go.
Why a gathering place matters more in 2026 than it would have in 2024
The Brewseum opened just as the local crews whose work fills its cases had less work than they'd had in years.
In February, Wilmington Regional Film Commission director Johnny Griffin told WECT that about $30 million was spent on local productions in 2025, compared with $200 million the year before. He noted the 2025 figures were not final, and said earlier years ran higher still. In that same report, the only show filming in the Wilmington area was "R.J. Decker."
Statewide, the 2025 numbers looked better. The N.C. Department of Commerce estimated $185.5 million in direct production spending across 38 productions in 45 counties. That total covers the whole state, so it doesn't line up neatly with the preliminary Wilmington estimate. Still, it shows that production was happening in North Carolina in 2025, with only a small share of it here.
Cameras haven't stopped entirely. In August, WECT reported that "R.J. Decker" season 2 had filming scheduled at Eden Village, with Cinespace as its base camp. Cinespace is the former EUE/Screen Gems lot, renamed after Cinespace bought it in 2023. The N.C. Film Office's current productions page now shows "R.J. Decker" season 2 as recently wrapped and "JoJo and the Freaks" filming in the Wilmington region.
So the Brewseum opened during a lean period on purpose. Christensen told WilmingtonBiz he hoped it would be a gathering place for film professionals during the local slowdown. "It's a small industry town, but (it) doesn't have like that hub where everyone can just talk movies and talk TV, and so I can't wait to just be the meeting place for those conversations," he said. He described the gap more simply to The News & Observer: "There was nowhere in town that sort of celebrated all the cool TV shows and iconic movies and all those things that have shot here over the years."
The November vote that could shape what lands in those cases next
New pieces for the rotating displays need new local productions, and part of what brings those productions here gets decided in Raleigh. On Oct. 6, state lawmakers gathered at Cinespace Studios and announced plans for an extra $31 million for new film projects in fiscal year 2026-2027, if the legislature approves it. They want the money "prioritized for qualifying projects" in the region that includes New Hanover County and surrounding counties, WilmingtonBiz reported.
Sen. Michael Lee, the Senate majority leader from New Hanover, said action would come "probably the middle of November," when the General Assembly returns. Jonas Pate, the North Carolina native who co-created Netflix's Outer Banks, spoke at the announcement. He said it tells the industry "we're back open for business." For now it's a pledge, and the vote hasn't happened yet.
A film-town calendar for the next five weeks
The Brewseum, the legislative session and Wilmington's biggest film festival all land between now and Thanksgiving:
- Today, Thursday, Oct. 22. New Hanover County's senior day trip visits Hollywood East Brewseum for a guided tour and lunch. Lunch is paid by each participant, and registration is by phone through the county calendar listing.
- Mid-November. The General Assembly is expected to take up the $31 million film funding pledge, based on Sen. Lee's timeline.
- Nov. 19 to 22. The 32nd annual Cucalorus Film Festival runs with its hub at the Coastline Center at Aloft. Screenings and events also take place at Jengo's Playhouse, Thalian Hall, CFCC's Wilson Center, Hi-Wire Brewing, The Rift and The Pointe 14.
The owners also plan movie screenings, trivia nights and a grand opening event at the Brewseum, but haven't published dates yet. Hi-Wire, which brews the Blueberry Velvet, is also one of the Cucalorus venues. That makes it easy to pair a festival screening with a pint of the beer it makes for Market Street.
Wilmington's film history is part of what makes its streets, river and historic blocks recognizable to people who have never visited. At Angela Drum, we follow the local businesses and events that shape how this city lives and how it presents itself. If you'd like a conversation about what that local identity means for a home here, request a complimentary market strategy and home valuation from our team.
