Northern Exposure – Roslyn Cafe
Northern Exposure – Roslyn Cafe

Northern Exposure – Roslyn Cafe

Northern Exposure - Roslyn Cafe

Remember the TV show ‘Northern Exposure?’
In the opening sequence a moose meanders past this mural on the side of the Roslyn Cafe. In fact a moose did, but the directors fenced off this part of town (Roslyn WA) and turned loose the tame moose from WSU and then enticed him with food treats to come past the cafe.

Roslyn Cafe
Roslyn Cafe

The show was filmed in Roslyn, WA, a small town on the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains with a 2010 population of less than 900. Roslyn incorporated in 1886, three years prior to Washington becoming a state. A huge deposit of coal still remains under the Roslyn area, it is said that only 1/5th of the coal was mined between 1886 and the late 1920s. The last mine shut down in 1963. It remained a sleepy, out of the way small town until it was utilized as the actual set for the TV show ‘Northern Exposure.’

 

The show aired on CBS between 1990 and 1995 for six seasons. The main story line was about a newly graduated Jewish Doctor from New York City moving to Cicely, Alaska because of a clause in the scholarship he received to complete his schooling. The cultural clash between the eccentric rural townspeople and the urban doctor from the lower 48 provided the weekly fodder for the story to continue. The show was wildly popular, winning numerous awards. I’ll leave you with a quote from one episode from ‘Dr. Joel Fleischman,’ ‘I don’t like it! I hate it, and I demand to leave!…’

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28 Comments

  1. George

    I didn’t realize Northern Exposure was actually shot in Washington. I remember the show and the mural. Thanks for the information regarding it.
    Thanks, too, for visiting my site.

  2. Did you take this photo recently? Last time I saw this mural it was in poor condition. I have wanted to take a photo to replace my very old and poor quality film images. I will have to go for a drive and get a photos. Great photo opportunites in the fall along the Cle Elum R above the reservoir when the fall colors are prime. Maybe they re-painted it. I wonder why they didn’t put a moose in the mural? Yes, there has been a moose spotted in or around Rosyln, even since the show ended. I saw many episodes of the show; it was a great TV series. I believe that a developer is trying to sell lots in a housing development on top of the old coal mine area. There is an interesting cemetary in the area.

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