The Real Location of ‘When Calls the Heart’s’ Hope Valley—And How You Can Visit the Town!
The beloved frontier town isn't real, but the filming location is—and you can tour it!
When you tune in to When Calls the Heart each week, do you ever find yourself wishing you could spend a day in the idyllic Hope Valley? Between the warm and inviting inhabitants and the charming feel of the small town, there’s something that draws us to this frontier community. That being said, you might be curious as to whether Hope Valley is a real place you can visit, or, if it was inspired by a real city you can see for yourself. Here, we dive into the place we’ve found comfort in for 13 seasons.
Where is Hope Valley located?
When the show starts out, the small mining community of Hope Valley was originally called Coal Valley. This quaint town that Elizabeth Thornton (originally Elizabeth Thatcher) comes to live in is in western Canada, and life on the Canadian frontier comes with its own set of trials and tribulations over the course of the show. However, community, faith and ultimately, hope, turn this place into a home for Elizabeth.
Is Hope Valley a real place?
Unfortunately, the delightful community of Hope Valley is not real, nor is it based on a real frontier town. However, that doesn’t mean that the setting of the show didn’t take inspiration from real Canadian frontier communities and the real lives of people who lived during the era that the show takes place.
“I was born on the Canadian prairie,” said Janette Oke, the author of the books that When Calls the Heart is based on, in conversation with Dove. “I was actually born at home. This sounds really like old, old west. I was born in a little log house. The doctor came out to our place to deliver me. So it sounds really, really old fashioned. I went to a one room country school. So a lot of what I write, it’s very much a part of my background—as a teenager, and even younger than that, I was very into the west and the pioneer days. So I read everything I could find on the pioneers. I felt they were a very hearty group of people with a lot of bravery to come out and start making a life on a new frontier.”
Where is ‘When Calls the Heart’ filmed?
While Hope Valley might not be a real town, it is filmed in Canada on a set you can visit! Macinnes Farms, located in Langley, British Columbia, is a 100-acre property that’s been used as the backdrop for When Calls the Heart for years, and the picturesque scenery, vast land and quaint shops are all located on the grounds of this establishment. Want to book your trip for some When Calls the Heart photo ops? Macinnes Farms offers tours! For between $35 and $50 per person, you can feel like you’re standing amongst your favorite characters from the show! For more information, visit their website here.
Whether you’re planning a pilgrimage to British Columbia or simply enjoying Hope Valley from your living room, there’s something truly special about knowing this beloved community has real roots—in history, in one author’s prairie childhood, and in a beautiful corner of Canada where the magic comes to life. Hope Valley may be fictional, but the hope, community, and warmth it represents? That’s as real as it gets.
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