Buzz
Film lovers often seek out famous filming spots from their favorite movies, whether it's the Ghostbusters firehouse in New York City or the Rocky steps in Philadelphia. This list, however, is for the horror film fanatics. We've compiled 10 of the most memorable sites from terrifying films that are open to the public. Fortunately, the creepy monsters and spirits seen on screen won’t be present.
10. Lord Summerisle’s Castle from The Wicker Man (1973)
The iconic folk horror film The Wicker Man, directed by Robin Hardy, is set on the fictional Summerisle Island in Scotland, filmed in various quaint villages along the west coast. Culzean Castle serves as the exterior for Lord Summerisle’s (Christopher Lee) grand residence. Perched on a cliff with stunning sea views, the castle’s vast grounds are open for tours year-round, and visitors can explore the interior from April to October.
However, the interior shots of Lord Summerisle’s castle were filmed at Lochinch Castle, located an hour away at Castle Kennedy. While Lochinch Castle itself isn’t open to the public, the beautiful gardens of Castle Kennedy are, and they were also featured in the film, particularly in the May Day celebration and the scene where naked women dance and jump over a fire in the stone circle.
9. The Cemetery from Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The legendary horror film Night of the Living Dead begins in a cemetery, where siblings Johnny (Russell Streiner) and Barbara (Judith O’Dea) are visiting their father's grave. It’s here that Johnny famously taunts Barbara with the line, “They’re coming to get you, Barbara!” This iconic moment was filmed at Evans City Cemetery, located about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Pittsburgh, where director George A. Romero spent much of his life.
The gravestone for Johnny and Barbara’s father actually belongs to Grace and George H. Cole. The tall column-shaped marker Barbara clings to in terror while watching her brother meet a gruesome fate is that of Nicholas Kramer. Every year in October, Evans City hosts The Living Dead Weekend, organized by The Living Dead Museum. The cemetery is part of the filming locations tour, and in October 2023, it will even host a brunch meet & greet with actors, including O’Dea and Streiner.
8. Count Orlok’s Castle from Nosferatu (1922)
F.W. Murnau’s iconic 1922 silent film Nosferatu is set in Transylvania, but it was filmed in both Germany and Slovakia. The picturesque German cities of Lübeck and Wismar represented the town Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) passes through en route to Count Orlok’s (Max Schreck) castle. The eerie 13th-century Orava Castle in Slovakia, dramatically perched atop a jagged cliff, was used as Orlok’s residence and is open for tours year-round. Slovakia’s High Tatra Mountains and the Vah River also make appearances in the film.
Orava Castle made such a lasting impression as a vampire’s lair that it was cast in the role once more: It appears as Dracula’s residence in the 2020 three-part Dracula TV series by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat.
7. The Steps from The Exorcist (1973)
At the conclusion of The Exorcist, Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller), now possessed by the demon, jumps out of a window. He falls down a steep stone staircase and dies at the bottom. The scene was shot in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., but special effects were required for this particular sequence. The MacNeil family’s house was set further from the stairs, so a false front was constructed to ensure the right angle for stuntman Chuck Waters to perform the dive.
To protect Waters during the fall, special effects supervisor Marcel Vercoutere lined each step with a half-inch thick rubber layer to slightly cushion his descent, a stunt he performed twice. It’s said that Georgetown University students charged $5 to spectators wanting to watch the daring stunt from the nearby rooftops.
The steps have become so popular with fans that an official plaque was added in 2015. Mayor Muriel Bowser remarked, “It is important that all the tourists know exactly what these steps mean to D.C. history, and they are indeed an icon in our town.”
6. The Overlook Hotel from The Shining (1980)
Stephen King’s inspiration for writing The Shining (1977) came during a stay at The Stanley Hotel in Colorado, which he found eerily deserted at the end of the season. For Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film adaptation, The Overlook was created by combining two hotels, both designed by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood.
Exterior shots of The Overlook were filmed at The Timberline Lodge, located on Mount Hood in Oregon. The interior scenes were filmed on soundstages at Elstree Studios in England, but the sets were made to resemble The Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park, California. The main hall and staircase of The Overlook are especially reminiscent of The Ahwahnee.
Filming was temporarily halted due to a fire that destroyed several soundstages. Set photographer Murray Close recalled that the fire damaged “the stage that had the set of the Overlook Hotel with the lounge set where Jack typed and he chased Shelley Duvall around with a baseball bat.” The cause of the fire was never determined, but Close managed to capture a rare photograph of Kubrick laughing amidst the wreckage while taking photos for insurance purposes.
5. Louis’s Plantation from Interview with the Vampire
The 1994 film Interview with the Vampire, adapted from Anne Rice’s 1976 novel, takes place partly at an opulent plantation outside New Orleans, which is owned by the character Louis (played by Brad Pitt). Much like the Overlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick's *The Shining*, the plantation was brought to life by filming multiple buildings for both exterior and interior scenes. These plantations, situated along the Mississippi River, are located just over 30 miles (48 kilometers) from each other.
The Oak Alley Plantation, with its iconic Greek-style columns, serves as the exterior of Louis's mansion in the movie. Its grounds are also featured in scenes depicting a graveyard and dock. In addition to Interview with the Vampire, Oak Alley was used as a filming location for Knight Rider and Days of Our Lives. Meanwhile, Louis’s lavish parlors and bedroom were filmed at the Destrehan Plantation, and its barn made an appearance in 12 Years a Slave (2013). While no vampires lurk at these locations, both buildings have dark histories tied to slavery.
4. The Colonial Theatre from The Blob (1958)
The 1958 horror film The Blob features a memorable moment where the creature slithers into the Colonial Theatre, sending the theatergoers into a panicked flight. This very theater is located in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and each year it becomes the focal point of Blobfest, a celebration of the film that takes place every July. The festival includes movie screenings, costume contests, a street fair, and even a reenactment of the famous scene where the audience runs for their lives.
Irvin Yeaworth, the director of The Blob, was a local to the Phoenixville area. According to Drew Boardman, Blobfest’s events engagement manager, Yeaworth negotiated a surprisingly low fee with the theater owners, promising them that the film would make the theater 'iconic.' His instincts were spot on, as the Colonial Theatre has since become a beloved landmark thanks to its role in the film.
The diner featured across the street in the film, where several characters seek refuge, is actually located about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the original filming location. However, it currently doesn't showcase any Blob-themed memorabilia.
3. Camp Crystal Lake from Friday the 13th (1980)
To shoot Friday the 13th, the cast and crew made their way to Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco (short for North Bergen Boy Scouts) in Hardwick, New Jersey. The camp is still in use by the Boy Scouts of America today. In 2011, official tours began, though they are limited, and tickets tend to sell out quickly. Occasionally, special guests like Adrienne King, who portrayed Alice, and special effects artist Tom Savini, have joined the tours.
Tour guides note that the producers paid $25,000 to film at the camp, which is referenced in the movie itself when a truck driver remarks that the camp’s owners must have spent that amount to prepare it. The tour takes guests through key locations from the film, including the cabins, generator shed, and bathrooms—infamous for their gruesome kills. Additionally, props are placed around the site, including the famous canoe on the lake. A gift shop is also available, stocked with Jason Voorhees-themed merchandise.
The Blairstown Diner, which served as the Crystal Lake Diner in Friday the 13th, is located just a short drive from Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco. However, it has been remodeled since its appearance in the movie.
2. The Gas Station featured in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Before the horror ensues in Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, a group of travelers stop at a dilapidated gas station, which, according to its sign, also serves barbecue. This very gas station still exists in Bastrop, Texas, and has been transformed into an authentic barbecue spot known as The Gas Station.
In 2014, Roy and Lisa Rose, both fans of the film, purchased the building and worked to preserve its original charm while renovating it. The place now features a replica of the green van and vintage gas pumps from the '70s. ‘We aim for authenticity, so visitors won’t be let down,’ says employee Ben Hughes. ‘If you’re going to do something, do it right.’ There are also rentable cabins and a gift shop full of movie merchandise.
Another famous horror movie gas station stands in Province de Ouarzazate, Morocco. This station was constructed for the shooting of Alexandre Aja’s 2006 remake of Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes (1977). After filming wrapped, the set was left behind along the highway, featuring old furniture and rusty cars.
1. KAB Lighthouse from The Fog (1980)
The most iconic spot in John Carpenter’s The Fog is without a doubt the lighthouse situated on Spivey Point, home to KAB radio DJ Stevie Wayne (Adrienne Barbeau). From this humble lighthouse, she warns the citizens of Antonio Bay about the impending supernatural fog. The exterior shots of this eerie location were filmed at Point Reyes Lighthouse in California.
Visitors can descend the 308 steps to reach the lighthouse, where they’ll find a small visitor center that offers a glimpse into the structure's history. However, the filming didn’t actually take place inside the lighthouse. Instead, a set that mimicked the lighthouse's interior was constructed at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. The nearby town of Point Reyes Station also provided exterior shots for the fictional Antonio Bay. Carpenter was so taken by the town's visuals that he returned 15 years later to film his remake of Village of the Damned (1995).
