Buzz
The world of film holds a special place in the hearts of many, captivating us with its creativity and immersive environments. A movie's success is often tied to its set, which helps bring the story to life. While most films are shot on sets built on backlots, many movies filmed on location leave behind remnants once the cameras stop rolling. These abandoned movie sets, sometimes only partially dismantled, can be found in remote and forgotten places, serving as eerie reminders of the cinematic worlds that once existed there. Here’s a look at ten film sets that were left behind after production wrapped.
10. Intolerance: Babylon Set
In the early days of Hollywood, the future of cinema was uncertain, and filmmakers were experimenting with new ideas. One such pioneer was D.W. Griffith, who in 1916 embarked on creating the monumental epic 'Intolerance.' To bring the ancient city of Babylon to life, Griffith allocated a significant portion of the film’s budget to constructing a massive set right off Hollywood Boulevard. Despite its grandeur, the film was a troubled production, with Griffith's perfectionism pushing the budget beyond limits. This led to a critical and commercial failure, nearly bankrupting Griffith. Once the film was released, the Babylon set remained untouched, abandoned as an eyesore in the heart of Hollywood. It stood like a strange monument to an ambitious and failed project until the city finally demolished it in 1922. Interestingly, a semi-replica of the set was constructed in 2001 in the form of a shopping mall, featuring parts of the original design including stairs, buildings, and statues that had been lost for nearly 80 years.
9. The Ten Commandments: City of the Pharaoh
Back in 1923, Cecil B. DeMille went all in with an epic set design for his film adaptation of the 'Ten Commandments.' He constructed the colossal 'City of the Pharaoh' in the arid expanse of the California desert near Guadalupe. The centerpiece was an immense 800-foot-wide temple flanked by 21 massive papier-mâché sphinxes leading to its entrance. After filming wrapped, the crew faced the challenge of dismantling and transporting the set. DeMille, however, decided to leave the set buried in the sand, where it remained for nearly 90 years. In a surprising turn of events, archaeologists eventually unearthed remnants of the set, discovering almost perfectly preserved sphinxes and fragments of buildings and pottery—all untouched since the original film's production.
Big Fish: The Spectre Set
Tim Burton's 2003 film 'Big Fish' is a testament to his flair for blending fantasy with reality. To bring the fictional town of Spectre to life, Burton's crew constructed the entire town on an island in the Alabama River. After filming ended, the set was abandoned, leaving behind a deteriorating town of decaying facades, fake trees, and rocks. Over time, the buildings fell apart, and a fire claimed many of them. Yet, six of the original structures still stand, along with remnants of the others, serving as a poignant reminder of the film nearly two decades later.
Star Wars: The Tatooine Set
When 'Star Wars' first premiered in 1977, it was far from the cultural phenomenon it would become. George Lucas, the director, didn’t anticipate the film's massive success. Nevertheless, immense effort went into creating the believable worlds of the film, with the desert of Tunisia chosen as the backdrop for the fictional planet of Tatooine. The production team built sets and props, including Ben Kenobi's house and the skeleton of a Krait Dragon. When the crew returned in the late 1990s to film 'The Phantom Menace,' they were astonished to find that while locals had salvaged a few items, the sets remained remarkably intact. The original Tatooine village, now expanded with a 'Mos Espa' set, still stands today as a popular tourist destination, marketed by the Tunisian government as a pilgrimage site for Star Wars fans.
6. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Often hailed as the greatest western ever made, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly frequently ranks at the top of many people's all-time favorite films. Much of it was shot in the striking landscapes around Almería, Spain, where numerous 'Old West' style structures were left behind and later reused in other 'Spaghetti Westerns.' In 2014, restoration efforts were launched at the site of the iconic 'Sad Hill Cemetery,' which had been built solely for the movie’s legendary final shootout. Although it had decayed after production, a close replica of the cemetery now exists at the original location, thanks to the efforts of dedicated fans of the film.
5. Popeye Village
Some movies leave you wondering how they were ever greenlit, and 1980's Popeye, starring a young Robin Williams, certainly fits that bill. Even more puzzling is that the filmmakers constructed a whole village, complete with authentic buildings, on the island of Malta for the film. Rather than demolishing such an expensive set, they decided to preserve it, with the Maltese government transforming it into a tourist attraction. The village is still open today, complete with its own website. While I’m not sure who specifically seeks out the Popeye village, it certainly offers a charming Mediterranean retreat, even beyond its connection to cinema history.
4. Patriots Day
The 2016 Mark Wahlberg film, Patriots Day, includes intense sequences recreating the real-life confrontation between the Boston Police and the Boston Marathon bombers. Filming in actual urban Massachusetts would have been both costly and potentially disruptive, given that the tragic event had occurred only three years earlier. To avoid this, sets were built on the now-closed South Weymouth Naval Base. These sets were used to replicate the Marathon finish line on Boylston Street and a residential street featured in the film’s dramatic shootout. Though these structures were just facades, they remain on site today, open to visitors who wish to see them in person.
3. Schindler’s List
Perhaps the most haunting set on this list, Spielberg’s 1993 historical drama Schindler’s List sought to portray the Nazi concentration camp 'Plazlow' with brutal realism. Since the original camp had been demolished years earlier, and filming there would have raised ethical concerns, Spielberg chose to build a replica in a nearby Polish quarry. This recreated camp included seven watchtowers, 34 barracks, and replica officer villas. After filming concluded, the replica was abandoned and left to deteriorate in the quarry. Though it’s just a set, visiting this location is an unnerving experience, given the real history it reflects.
2. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters
Although the 2013 movie Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is often criticized for its clichéd plot and poor writing, the filmmakers went to great lengths to create a physical set for the town featured in the film. This highly detailed medieval village was constructed in Augsburg, Germany, just outside Berlin, and left to decay after production. Almost entirely accessible to the public, the set remained for years, with no indication of whether the film would ever lead to a sequel. Fortunately for everyone, it never did.
1. Field of Dreams
'If you build it, they will come.' That’s precisely what occurred. Just like Ray built his baseball field at the edge of a cornfield in the 1989 classic 'Field of Dreams,' the filmmakers constructed the same set for the movie. Located in the small town of Dyersville, Iowa, this set features not only the baseball diamond but also the house of the main character. After filming, both the field and the house were left intact, quickly becoming a popular tourist destination. Today, visitors can tour the site, explore the house, and even catch an occasional baseball game. In fact, Major League Baseball chose to host a game on the site in 2020. Though it does lose some of its charm when you realize that a new field is being built on the other side of the cornfield for the game, and not on the original set.
