On the trail of the Truman Show in Seaside
Nice? Pretty? No, the little village of Seaside on the Emerald Coast in the Panhandle is really cute. The retort vacation village served as the filming location for The Truman Show in 1998. We still remember Truman Burbank’s, aka Jim Carrey’s, unforgettable morning line: “Good morning. Oh, and if we don’t see each other again, good afternoon, good evening and good night!”
And the whole place, which lies between Panama City Beach and Destin, is just as friendly as this sentence. It still has the charm of the movie set, only the trees and bushes have grown accordingly and sometimes block the occasional view of the lovely houses. What is portrayed in the movie as an unbearable small-town idyll once became known as Florida’s first planned community. In 1981, architects had the place built according to a “New Urbanism” model.
Seaside as a vacation village
Today, Seaside is more of a vacation village, consisting of summer houses for the wealthier people of the south. While it is quite crowded in the season, the place can seem deserted in the off-season. Here you are often the only person on the street on an evening stroll and can let yourself be carried away by the Hollywood feeling.
Some of the more than 300 houses are available to rent. Many of them are located directly on the white sandy beach. There are many nice restaurants and shops on the beach promenade and Central Square. Behind white fences are pastel-colored, lovely wooden houses with verandas and lovely gardens. The many cycle paths still bear witness to the American idea of not always having to travel by car.
Information & route planner Seaside
| Opening hours | 24/7 |
| Highlights | New Urbanism style, beach, Farmes Market |
| Children | ✅ with playgrounds and events |
| Parking | ✅ with costs |
