Visiting filming locations can be like a religious experience for film fans, letting them step into the worlds they’ve watched again and again. For horror fans, this means scoping out haunted houses, murder scenes, cemeteries, and other grisly places. So if you’re looking to make a few horror movie road trips to see Where the Bodies Are Buried, check out our list of some of the most prominent real-life locations in horror.
Night of the Living Dead Cemetery
Location: Evans City Cemetery, Evans City, PA 16033
One of the quintessential horror locations is easily accessible for fans in the Midwest or along the east coast. Like many of George A. Romero’s films, Night of the Living Dead was filmed within his adopted state of Pennsylvania. Sadly, the farmhouse location no longer exists, as the house has since been demolished. But fans can visit the cemetery made famous by the early scenes of the film. Stop by for some quick pictures, but beware – someone may just be coming to get you.
The Exorcist Stairs
Location: 3600 Prospect Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 PHOTO – Dmitry K
The steep, deadly stairs that Father Karras and Pazuzu meet their end on has become something of a tourist trap in Washington, D.C., so much so that the city has now incorporated a plaque marking its location. So cue up some Tubular Bells on your iPod, head out to our nation’s capital, and let the power of Christ compel you to take a trip down the stairs, but best use the handrail.
Rosemary’s Baby Apartment Complex
1 West 72 nd Street, Manhattan, NY 10023 Photo – Ajay Suresh
The Dakota has some interesting history attached to it. Not only is it the former home of John Lennon and the site of his tragic murder, but it served as the exterior location for The Bramford, the fictional home of Rosemary Woodhouse, her husband, and a bunch of old witches.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Gas Station
1073 Sh 304, Bastrop, TX 78602, Image Copyright – Legendary Pictures
The ramshackle gas station that the ill-fated kids from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre visit has been spruced up and turned into a barbecue restaurant (aptly named The Gas Station), something sure to make the Sawyer family proud. Not only that, but the owners lean into the connection, offering up plenty of horror movie merchandise on site. Avoid the long pig, though.
Halloween’s Michael Myers House
1000 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA – Image Courtesy Compass International Pictures
Though now a chiropractic practice and adorning a new color, the Myers home immortalized in Halloween is still going strong. But the fictional Haddonfield, Illinois isn’t where you’ll find it, of course, as you’ll have to head out to southern California for this leg of Where the Bodies Are Buried. Worth the trip, though, if you’re in the neighborhood and looking to kill some time.
Nancy’s House from A Nightmare on Elm Street
1428 N Genesee Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046 – Image Courtesy Warner Bros.
This is a bit of a two-for-one. Not only is this Los Angles dwelling the fictional home of Nightmare’s Nancy Thompson, but it almost certainly served as the interior for the homes of Laurie Strode and Annie Brackett from the original Halloween’s television scenes. With that kind of cache, this is a spot any horror fan has to visit.
Ghostbusters Locations
506 S Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90071
There are plenty of places around Los Angles and New York that get featured in the Ghostbusters franchise, but a few stand out from the rest. The Sedgewick Hotel, for instance, where the boys in gray first encounter Slimer, is represented by the real-life Millennium Biltmore Hotel with its ornate interiors.
55 Central Park West, New York, NY 10023
The Shandor Building, or Spook Central as it’s been called, is actually 55 Central Park West, a beautiful Art Deco apartment complex built in 1929.
14 N Moore Street, New York, NY 10013 – Image Courtesy Chris6d
Last but certainly not least on the Ghostbusters leg of Where the Bodies Are Buried is the famed firehouse, represented by Hook & Ladder Company 8 in Manhattan. Though the film’s interiors were shot in a decommissioned firehouse in L.A. along with a sound stage, all exteriors were shot at this New York staple.
Dawn of the Dead Mall
200 Mall Circle Drive, Monroeville, PA 15146 – Image courtesy of Avicennasis
While on your trip to the Night of the Living Dead cemetery, you might also want to swing by the mall in Monroeville where the sequel was shot. Shamble along with the other patrons and stop in at the food court for a quick bite. Best yet, you can even take part in some zombie lazer tag!
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Mansion
Oakley Court Hotel, Windsor Road, Water Oakley, Windsor SL4, 5UR, UK – Image Courtesy Maypm
Dr. Frank N. Furter’s sprawling estate is actually an 1859 mansion later turned into a hotel and used for a variety of filming locations, including many from Hammer Films. Getting to this location takes some doing, however, as it’s across the pond and is found in Windsor. Still, a great place to stop for any Hammer or Rocky fan to see what’s on the slab.
The Shining Hotels
27500 E Timberline Road, Government Camp, OR 97028 – Image Courtesy Warner Bros.
You read that right – hotels. There are numerous Where the Bodies Are Buried locations to visit for any fan of the classic Stanley Kubrick film or the original Stephen King novel. First up is the Timberline Lodge, used for exteriors for the Overlook. Sadly, there is no hedge maze, but you can get some great pictures before hitting the slopes.
333 E Wonderview Avenue, Estes Park, CO 80517 – Image Courtesy The Stanley Hotel
The inspiration for King’s Overlook, meanwhile, comes from The Stanley Hotel, the imposing structure he and his wife stayed at alone in the 1970s. King even returned to the hotel to film it as the Overlook for the 1990s miniseries.
The Ahwahnee Hotel, Yosemite National Park, 1 Ahwahnee Drive, Yosemite Valley, CA 95389
When Stanley Kubrick and his team were preparing the look for the film version of The Shining, they took inspiration from a lot of real-life hotels throughout America to make the Overlook feel authentic. Most notable, perhaps, is The Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park which served as the basis for the sitting room, hall, and elevator doors prominently featured in the film. Any Shining fanatic should stay the night there – but avoid Room 237, just in case.
Enjoy your many journeys courtesy of Where the Bodies Are Buried: A Look At Horror’s Famous Locations and have a happy Halloween season!
