Photography at Borderland

Borderland is a popular photo location: DCR's management plan found more than 40 commercial photographers using it as a backdrop for engagement, maternity and family photos. Taking your own photos needs no permit, but a paid or commercial shoot needs a DCR photography permit, which costs $45. The classic backdrops are the stone Ames Mansion and its gardens, the stone lodge on Leach Pond, Lily Bay and the open fields along the Pond Walk.

Do You Need a Permit?

• Snapshots and personal photos: no permit.
• Paid portrait, engagement, maternity, family or product sessions: yes, a DCR photography permit ($45 per permit). DCR's 2017 management plan named getting commercial photographers permitted as one of its priorities for Borderland.
• Film or video production: DCR charges $100 per project for schools and students and $250 per production day for commercial productions.
• Photos during a permitted wedding ceremony: DCR says no separate permit is needed (see weddings).

Apply through DCR's online ePLACE portal at least 7 days ahead (DCR says the 45-day notice for events doesn't apply). Like every DCR special use permit, it requires a certificate of liability insurance with at least $1,000,000 in coverage naming DCR as additional insured. Details are on DCR's photography permit page.

Where the Classic Shots Are

The Ames Mansion and Gardens

The three-story stone house is the park's symbol; DCR's management plan opens with it. DCR's map labels a Front Lawn, Back Lawn, Rock Garden, Old Pool and Oak Grove around it, and the picnic area south of the visitor center looks straight across at it. The interior is open only on guided tours, so plan exterior shots. See the mansion.

The Stone Lodge on Leach Pond

The Ames shooting lodge stands on the western shore of Leach Pond, with the water behind it. The Friends of Borderland say it was used for many scenes in Shutter Island. DCR's winter route to it is simple: from the visitor center, follow the signs to the Lodge.

Lily Bay

A shallow inlet off Leach Pond that DCR describes as full of water lilies, painted turtles and birds, near the Smith farmhouse. There's a bench where the Pond Edge Trail meets the Bay Road carriage road. Directions are on the hiking page.

Fields, Stone Walls and Woods

The open fields along the Pond Walk and the old stone walls from the 1700s and 1800s farms give simpler, quieter backdrops. North of the ponds, the Split Rock boulder and the granite ledges of the Ridge and Granite Hills trails suit adventurous sessions, though they're a longer walk with gear.

Tips for a Smooth Shoot

• Mind the crowds. The lots often fill by late morning on spring-through-fall weekends; weekday sessions are calmer. See parking.
• Watch the clock. The park is open 8 am to 6 pm (winter 8 am to 4 pm), and the lots are locked overnight, which limits sunset sessions for part of the year.
• Share the space. The lawns are public; walkers, families and disc golfers will be around. Don't block paths or the course.
• Leave it as you found it. Stay off the dams and stone walls, carry out all props and trash, and don't move plants in the mansion gardens.
• Clients without a DCR parking pass pay the daily fee: $5 for Massachusetts plates and $20 for others, by app or card.

Borderland on Screen

DCR's management plan says park buildings have appeared in major films, naming Shutter Island and Ghostbusters, and that the Ghostbusters producers paid the park $10,000 to film in the mansion library. The Friends of Borderland add Knives Out, filmed in the library in 2019.