Roslyn the Northern Exposure Town
Do you remember the Northern Exposure comedy-drama TV series from 90′ about the eccentric residents of a fictional town in Alaska? Well, the series was shot in Roslyn, in Washington State. So, if you are in the Seattle area, it is worth visiting this small, charming Roslyn town. Time stopped there, and you can still find traces of your series characters.
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Introduction to Visiting Roslyn, the Northern Exposure Town
My partner, Chris, and I like to visit places that serve as movie scenery. That is why we love Monument Valley in Arizona, where the best westerns of all time were filmed.
We visited the famous Timberline Lodge during our Oregon road trip, where “The Shining” with Jack Nicholson was shot.
During our Colorado road trip, we also visited the Stanley Hotel. This hotel is where many scenes for the movie Shining were filmed. More importantly, Stephen King stayed at this hotel, which inspired him to write a thrilling novel that became a bestseller.
We also love series. One of our favorite series of the 1990s was Northern Exposure. While watching this series, we dreamed of seeing Alaska. But we were surprised that Washington State got a lot of TV time in the early 1990s.
So, during our several days in Seattle (check our ready 3 days in Seattle itinerary), we reviewed the movie plans for two great TV series from the 90s, “Northern Exposure” and “Twin Peaks.” All photos presented in this article are ours.
Northern Exposure
If you’re planning a road trip through Alaska and want to see the lovely Cicely town, where the action of the Northern Exposure series was taking place, you need to change your plans.
The famous series was shot in Roslyn, in Seattle, Washington state, not in Alaska. So, within around a two-hour drive from Seattle, you can traipse the streets of Roslyn. And imagine that you are in Cicely, Alaska, in the CBS series “Northern Exposure.” From 1990 to 1995, Joshua Brand and John Falsey created 110 episodes.
The storyline of Northern Exposure
The main character of “Northern Exposure” is a young doctor, Dr. Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow), who comes to Alaska after his medicine study. His modern New York view of the world collides with the natural, free way of life of the inhabitants of Cicely. Joel Fleischman is a neurotic Jewish from New York City.
He is legally contracted to practice medicine for four years in Alaska according to the terms of a student loan underwritten by the state. Expecting to work in a relatively large, modern hospital in Anchorage, he is unexpectedly reassigned to the small town of Cicely. His struggles to adjust to his very unfamiliar new environment drive the plot in many episodes.
Roslyn
When you get to Roslyn town you immediately recognize it as the setting of “Northern Exposure”. First of all, you will see the camel painting on the side of the Roslyn Cafe. However, it was renamed Roslyn’s Cafe for the TV in the show’s opening credits.
The population was 893 in 2010. Roslyn is located in the Cascade Mountains, about 80 miles east of Seattle, and 4 miles off Interstate 90. The town has amazing charm and it is worth spending a few hours in it.
Most of the series’ familiar locations can be found in the one-block business district, including The Brick (Holling’s tavern), Central Sundries (Ruth-Anne’s store), and the Northwest Mining Company storefront (Dr. Fleischman’s office).
Moreover, Central Sundries and Northwest Mining Company, now Cicely’s Gift Shop, offers “Northern Exposure” souvenirs for sale.
So, it is worth walking around the town’s streets looking for traces of the series’ heroes: Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow), Maurice Minnifield (Barry Corbin), Maggie O’Connell (Janine Turner), Holling Vincoeur (John Cullum), Chris Stevens (John Corbett), and Ed Chigliak (Darren E. Burrows).
Roslyn’s Cafe – Mural From the Intro
It’s the iconic spot from Roslyn, the Northern Exposure Town. The mural from the intro of “Northern Exposure” is one of the most characteristic places in the town. Do you remember a moose walking along the town’s main street, passing a wall with a vast mural titled “Roslyn’s Cafe—An Oasis?”
Moreover, the moose in the opening title was named Mort and was provided by Washington State University. To film the opening sequence, the crew fenced off Roslyn, set Mort loose, and lured him around with food.
The painting is still on the same wall as in the 1990s. However, careful observers will notice that the inscription on the series was different—instead of Roslyn Cafe, there was Roslyn’s Cafe. Moreover, it is worth going inside for a tasty lunch and a local beer. The Roslyn Cafe features dishes such as burgers, pulled pork sliders, a Salmon La Sac omelet made with house-smoked sockeye salmon, and much more.
Dr Joel Fleischman office – Cicely’s Gift Shop
In Roslyn, you can visit Dr. Joel Fleischman’s office. Right now, it is Cicely’s Gift Shop. It now houses a props museum and gift shop. On the walls are hanging photos from the movie set and portraits of the actors. In the center of the room stands a real treat for fans – the original desk of Joel’s serial assistant – Marilyn.
The place is run by Steve, who has a vast knowledge of the series. After completing the movie photos, a woman repurchased the building and began purchasing souvenirs from the series to create a museum there.
The Brick
The Brick is a place you absolutely can’t miss—Holling’s bar. Interestingly, the pub in the series is called the same as in reality: “The Brick.” It is a restaurant, bar, place of meetings, talks, and essential events in the series. The Brick is distinguished by its distinctive neon sign out front and a massive wood-burning stove.
Established in 1889, the heart of town offers pub fare, live music, and a great atmosphere. It is Washington’s oldest continuously operating bar. They serve delicious burgers and a great local beer. It is worth coming here in the evening to meet the locals and feel the spirit, like from a movie.
KBHR Radio Station
KBHR—The Voice of the Last Frontier—is our favorite stop in Roslyn, the Northern Exposure Town. It is the home of “Chris in the Morning” broadcasts. It is in the window of the Northwestern Improvement Co. building, 101 E. Pennsylvania Ave. Cicely’s radio station played a big role in Northern Exposure.
Some of the scenes were shot right here, and you can look through the glass to see the “on location” set. It looks like Chris Stevens (John Corbett) is about to sit on his chair and read poetry to Minniefield’s rage. One of my favorite characters is a radio host with a philosophical flair and vast historical and cultural knowledge.
Rooth-Ann Shop & Village Pizza
You can still visit the Ruth-Anne shop. The local shop served supplies to all residents and was also a post office. You can buy food and souvenirs here.
However, it is a great idea to visit Village Pizza. This storefront appeared in the opening credits of the show. Inside, tables come equipped with bottles of honey as well as boxes of cards from old games of Trivial Pursuit.
The most popular pizza is Village Combo – with Canadian Bacon, pepperoni, sausage, olive, onion, and mushroom. Our favorite place in Roslyn for lunch & coffee is part bookstore, part coffee shop, Basecamp Books and Bites, next to Roslyn Yard.
Roslyn Museum & Roslyn Theatre
Next to the Roslyn Cafe, you will find the Roslyn Historical Museum. The museum is a reflection of Roslyn. It’s a love of life and the richly seasoned ethnic mix that once represented more than 20 nationalities. The town was founded in 1886 as a coal mining company town.
Roslyn quickly became a bustling mining camp-turned-company town. When coal was king, immigrants from all over Europe came here for work. During the 20th century, the city gradually transitioned away from coal, and today, its economy is primarily based on forestry and tourism after the Northern Exposure series. So, it is worth stopping in this museum for a while.
However, don’t miss the mural at the Roslyn Theatre during your walk. The Roslyn Theatre is located in a historic 1890s clapboard building that once served as the town mortuary. It was converted into a movie theatre in the late 1970s and now shows films.
The building is hard to miss on the Roslyn Yard. One side of the building is decorated by a huge mural depicting Marlon Brando in his iconic role in “The Wild Ones.”
Where to stay while visiting Roslyn, the Northern Exposure Town?
If you plan to stay in Seattle, check out our ready Seattle itinerary, where we also present the most interesting and the best lodging options in Seattle.
However, there are small inns, bed-and-breakfasts, and rooms for rent in the charming Roslyn area.
A luxury hotel in the area offers a world-class resort experience. It is The Lodge at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum. The hotel offers a bar, shared lounge, garden, free WiFi, a 24-hour front desk, a restaurant, a water park, and an outdoor pool. The resort also features an indoor pool, fitness center, evening entertainment, and room service. Cle Elum and Cle Elum Lake area also offer many hiking trails.
It is always quite interesting to visit a place that is used for a movie or tv set. We found it felt so familiar yet different than we were expecting. I would not have expected a town just outside of Seattle to be the setting for Alaska. So good to get a view of Roslyn in the day and at night. I bet a bed and breakfast would be good in this place with so much great sounding food. I have never seen the series Northern Exposure. But interesting to see so many of the spots still there.
This is so cool! I never watched Northern Exposure even though I know a little bit about it. No doubt if you’re a true fan like you are, this is a cool little town to explore. That cafe mural is huge and such a cool photo you took. Such a quaint little place. Did you see a Moose on the streets?
This place is absolutely unique and vintage. I never saw that movie but I got the feeling they chosen a good location. Every business here tells a good story, especially that gift shops, with so many interesting items.
It’s so cool that you get to visit this place. I’m always interested in visiting a destination that was in a movie. I’ve never watched Northern Exposure but I can learn so much from your post. Love the Roslyn Historical Museum and all the street arts here.
It’s always exciting to visit a place which you have seen in a movie or in a television series because you can start relating with the scenes. We found Dubrovnik in Croatia similarly exciting where the ever famous Game of thrones was shot. Roslyn has such a vintage feel and I found a lot of similarities with the countryside of London. Would love to spend some time in Roslyn cafe. It looks so cool.
I too have that small thing for visiting places that served as a movie location. Good to know about Arizona’s Monument valley. Sadly I don’t know about ‘Northern Exposure’, it wasn’t popular in side of the world, but good to know 110 episodes of it were shot here! I can imagine Rosyln’s Cafe as something similar to Central Perk in NY! Cicely’s Gift Shop is adorable with all those vintage souvenirs.
Just like you, my husband and I also loves to visit places that served as a movie scenery. I was able to catch a couple of episodes of Northern Exposure and would love to see their site. Thank you for sharing this itinerary. Will surely consider a road trip in Alaska when things are better. 🙂
I must admit I have never thought of planning a road trip through Alaska but I would have expected to see only snow in your photos – which proves to me that I was totally wrong in my way of thinking. Cicely town looks so peaceful and it would be a great place for me to spend a summer (if there’s no snow in Alaska!) and watch that Northern Exposure series which I haven’t done until now. Thanks for all this complete information. I have learned something new.
The original town chosen for the series, and from which the show was modeled, was Talkeetna, Alaska. Unfortunately, the area was considered to be too cold by the cast for filming, and Roslyn, WA was selected instead. Both towns are similar in size and charm.
We just visited Roslyn in June. The TV show was one of my all time favorites! It was a dream come true getting my picture taken in front the Roslyn Cafe mural, eating dinner at the Brick, shopping in Fleischmann’s ‘office’…the town was adorable. We’ll worth the visit!
I used to live there. My parents bought the Roslyn Cafe in the late 90’s and ran it for a few years. The lady that ran the museum next door, Mary used to run operate it when it was a freezer shop and soda bar. She had many great stories to tell about the town.
This looks so fun. We love visiting towns that were used as filming sites. I would definitely have to visit the Roslyn Cafe and try a pulled pork slider!
That would be quite a trip to visit a place that is used for a movie or tv set. I always find such places familiar and fun to see what I recognize and remember. It’s fascinating that this is recreating Alaska but really just outside of Seattle to be the setting for Alaska.
Roslyn looks like a fun place to visit since it was used for a movie set! I especially like the murals in featured in town.
Believe it or not, I’ve never seen Northern Exposure. Sure, I heard of the show, but I don’t really watch that much TV. This post has me searching for it on Netflix and Amazon to see if I can watch it now!
Oh my! We were there! We loved Nortgern Exposure so we went to Roslyn, too!
Was a huge Northern Exposure fan before moving to Washington . Roslyn is a cute little community and worth the drive and Trek through the area. For years I’ve waited to see when they would release Northern Exposure on video, to my delight it is now on Amazon Prime! For those who haven’t watched the series, it might seem a little slow paced the first few episodes but quickly all the characters and story lines, the quirkiness and the fantastic writing of the show will become a favorite that warms your heart. The background and scenery, is but one natural element, but what made the show very special was that most of the actors were unknowns and they brought their own brand to also unknown territory in TV show series making. Northern Exposure is a One of a Kind Show. When you like even the background extras and look forward to seeing them in different scenes, you know it’s got to be a winner.
Regarding Kubricks The Shining, nothing was shot at the Stanley hotel.
The interior “Kubrick had sets constructed on soundstages at EMI Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England. Some of the interior designs of the Overlook Hotel set were based on those of the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park.”
The exterior “ While most of the film was shot on interior sets and the full-scale exterior facade replica at Elstree Studios, a second-unit crew headed by Jan Harlan shot some sequences on location in the American West. Saint Mary Lake and its Wild Goose Island in Glacier National Park, Montana were featured in the aerial shots of the opening scenes, with the Volkswagen Beetle driving along Going-to-the-Sun Road. The Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood in Oregon was filmed for a few of the establishing shots of the fictional Overlook Hotel.”