Explore the real places in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island that appear in Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Green Gables, Avonlea School, Lovers' Lane, The Lake of Shining Waters, Orchard Slope and 8 more.
The Cuthbert farmhouse
Anne's beloved home with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, featuring her gable room overlooking the apple orchard. This is where Anne transforms from an unwanted orphan into a cherished daughter, studying by her window and dreaming of her future.
Cavendish was settled in the 1790s by Scottish and Irish immigrants who established farms on the fertile red soil. The area became known for its potato farming and close-knit rural communities.
The site is now Green Gables Heritage Place, part of Prince Edward Island National Park, featuring the restored farmhouse as it appeared in Montgomery's time, complete with Anne's room and the haunted wood.
Visit: Green Gables Heritage Place (historic site)
The village schoolhouse
Where Anne excels academically and forms her famous rivalry-turned-friendship with Gilbert Blythe after he calls her 'carrots.' She breaks her slate over his head and vows never to speak to him again.
Rural one-room schoolhouses were central to PEI communities, serving children of all ages. These schools were often the cultural and social centers of farming communities.
The original Cavendish School building no longer exists, but replica schoolhouses throughout PEI preserve the educational heritage that shaped Montgomery's generation.
The romantic tree-lined path
Anne's favorite walking spot where she indulges her romantic imagination and practices her dramatic recitations. She dreams of future romance while strolling beneath the canopy of maple and birch trees.
These woodland paths were created by decades of foot traffic between neighboring farms and served as shortcuts through the forested areas of rural PEI.
Preserved as part of the Green Gables heritage site, visitors can walk the same path that inspired Montgomery's descriptions, especially beautiful during autumn foliage season.
Visit: Green Gables Heritage Place - Lovers' Lane Trail (park)
Barry's pond, renamed by Anne
Originally just Barry's pond until Anne renames it for its poetic beauty. The site of the famous boat incident where Anne, playing Elaine from Tennyson's poem, gets stranded and must be rescued by Gilbert Blythe.
Natural freshwater ponds were common throughout PEI, formed by glacial activity. These ponds served practical purposes for farming communities while also providing recreation.
Campbell's Pond remains a scenic spot near Cavendish, still reflecting the sky and surrounding trees much as it did when it inspired Montgomery's descriptions.
The Cuthbert apple orchard
Anne's private sanctuary where she goes to think and dream, especially beautiful in spring when the apple trees bloom. She often sits here to study and contemplate her future, finding peace among the fragrant blossoms.
Apple orchards were essential to PEI farms, providing fruit for eating, preserving, and cider-making. The hardy apple varieties were well-suited to the island's climate.
The reconstructed orchard at Green Gables Heritage Place features period-appropriate apple varieties and maintains the pastoral beauty that captivated visitors in Montgomery's time.
Visit: Green Gables Heritage Place - Orchard (historic site)
The snowy birch avenue
Anne's poetic name for the snow-covered birch avenue that leads to Green Gables. She sees it during her first winter at the farm and is struck by its ethereal beauty, calling it her 'White Way of Delight.'
Tree-lined roads were common in rural PEI, often planted by early settlers to provide windbreaks and mark property boundaries. Birch trees were native and well-adapted to the climate.
The birch-lined approaches to heritage sites in the Cavendish area still display the winter beauty that inspired Anne's poetic naming, especially striking after fresh snowfall.
Where Matthew first meets Anne
The railway station where the shy Matthew Cuthbert goes to collect the expected boy orphan but instead finds red-haired Anne waiting with her battered carpet bag, beginning their life-changing journey together.
Hunter River was a major stop on the Prince Edward Island Railway, connecting rural communities to Charlottetown and serving as a lifeline for isolated farming areas.
The original station is gone, but Hunter River remains a small PEI community. The railway was abandoned in the 1980s, and parts of the line are now recreational trails.
The provincial capital
Where Anne goes to attend Queen's Academy to earn her teaching license, representing her first venture into the wider world beyond Avonlea. She excels academically and wins the Avery Scholarship.
Founded in 1768 and named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown became the birthplace of Canadian Confederation in 1864. It was PEI's center of government, commerce, and education.
Still the capital and largest city of Prince Edward Island, home to the University of Prince Edward Island and numerous historic sites related to Canadian Confederation.
Visit: Charlottetown (landmark)
Anne's spooky forest
A grove of spruce trees that Anne populates with ghosts and spirits from her vivid imagination. She both fears and is fascinated by the wood, eventually overcoming her terror to prove her courage.
Dense spruce and fir forests covered much of PEI before settlement. These remaining woodlots provided timber, shelter, and fuel for rural communities.
Preserved as part of Green Gables Heritage Place, visitors can walk through the 'Haunted Wood' on interpretive trails that celebrate Montgomery's descriptions.
Visit: Green Gables Heritage Place - Haunted Wood (park)
The Presbyterian church
Where Anne attends services with the Cuthberts and participates in community events. The church represents the moral center of Avonlea society and Anne's growing integration into the community.
Presbyterian churches were established by Scottish immigrants and became central to PEI communities, providing not just religious services but social and educational functions.
Cavendish Presbyterian Church still operates and contains Montgomery's grave site, making it a pilgrimage destination for Anne of Green Gables fans worldwide.
Home of Diana Barry
Home of Anne's bosom friend Diana Barry, where Anne makes her first real friend and experiences both the joys of friendship and the pain of temporary separation when she accidentally intoxicates Diana.
Neighboring farms in PEI were typically within walking distance, creating close-knit rural communities where families supported each other through farming challenges and celebrations.
The area around Green Gables still contains working farms that maintain the rural character Montgomery described, though many now cater to tourism as well as agriculture.
Seaside resort
Where Anne gives her first paid recitation performance, marking her emergence as a talented performer and her first step toward financial independence through her artistic abilities.
PEI's north shore began developing as a resort destination in the late 19th century, attracting visitors from mainland Canada and the United States to its beaches and rural charm.
The Cavendish Beach area is now a major tourist destination, with resorts, cottages, and attractions centered around the Anne of Green Gables tourism industry.
Visit: Cavendish Beach Area (landmark)
Tree-lined road to town
The tree-lined road that Anne travels to school and town, where she often walks with Diana Barry and later with Gilbert Blythe. A place of daily journeys and important conversations.
Rural roads in PEI were often lined with trees planted by settlers for windbreaks and beauty, creating the scenic avenues that became characteristic of the island's landscape.
Many of PEI's rural roads still maintain their tree-lined character, particularly around the Anne country, preserving the scenic beauty Montgomery celebrated.
More by Lucy Maud Montgomery: All Lucy Maud Montgomery books