As you plan your next vacation, consider taking a detour to check out some of horror’s most iconic set locations across the United States.
Finding the perfect locations to shoot a film can be a challenging task — and also one of the most important ones. Often, these locations can become characters themselves, becoming permanently embedded in the hearts and minds of horror fans.
For many die hard fans, there’s nothing like visiting the location of a favorite film and seeing it up close in person. And now that it’s Summer Vacation season, it’s the perfect time to do a little horror adventuring and sightseeing. To help, I’ve put together this quick cheat sheet with addresses of some of the most popular horror movie filming locations.
FIRST STOP: CALIFORNIA
THE NIGHT HE CAME HOME: HALLOWEEN WALKING TOUR
In the fall of 2018, I went out to Pasadena for a Halloween convention celebrating the 40th anniversary of the movie. The day before the convention, I took off around town to see some of the hot spots from the 1978 classic.
THE MYERS HOUSE
First stop on my walking tour was of course the Myers house. The house became famous because it was where Judith Myers was killed by a young Michael Myers, and where the adult Michael accidentally crossed paths with Laurie. It is no longer at its original location. Instead, it’s now nestled at 1000 Mission St. in South Pasadena, CA. And it’s currently occupied by an insurance company.
HADDONFIELD ELEMENTARY
After finishing the school day, Richie runs straight into Michael Myers. Michael then follows Tommy Doyle in the station wagon as he cuts across the playground. The school still exists, and it is still in use today. We went there and took only one photo as we passed by the school because we did not want to look like a bunch of weirdos standing out there taking pictures. It takes a minute to get there on foot, so it is best to skip over it during the school week. The school known as “Haddonfield Elementary” (actually Garfield Elementary) is located at 110 W McLean St. in Alhambra, CA.
THE HALLOWEEN HEDGE
Even if I did not get to see another thing on my foot tour, I was not going to miss seeing the bushes that Michael famously hides behind while stalking Laurie. The bushes are right by Lynda’s house (1027 Montrose Ave., South Pasadena, CA) as well as Annie’s house (1017 Montrose Ave., South Pasadena, CA). The houses are occupied, and I do not think the owners like people in their yards. However, the owners of the bushes seem to accept that people will come by to recreate the famous scene, so they do not say anything. The hedge is located at 1019 Montrose Ave. in South Pasadena, CA.
THE STRODE HOUSE
When Laurie finally makes it home to the Strode residence, she looks out the window to see Michael standing in the yard watching her. Later, she seems to ignore the fact that a man in a mask was watching her, because she goes out and sits with a pumpkin while waiting for Annie to pick her up. The people that own this house are incredible. They not only welcome people coming up to the house to take pictures but also provide them with loaner pumpkins to recreate photos. The Strode house sits at 1115 Oxley St. in South Pasadena, CA.
MORE HADDONFIELD HOT SPOTS
Some of the other locations used in Halloween that are in the Pasadena area include the Haddonfield High School (1401 Fremont Ave., South Pasadena, CA), the hardware store (966 Mission St., South Pasadena, CA), and the filming location for the title sequence (corner of Oxley and Montrose Ave., South Pasadena, CA).
I never made it out to Tommy’s house (exterior: 1530 N. Orange Grove Ave., West Hollywood, CA; interior: 1542 N. Orange Grove Ave., West Hollywood, CA) or Lindsay’s house (1537 N. Orange Ave., West Hollywood, CA), but they are not part of the walking tour in Pasadena. Instead, you’ll have to head out to Beverly Hills to check them out.
I’ve seen photos, and the owners of those homes have gone out of their way to disguise the houses so that they are barely identifiable. Apparently, the owners are not fond of tourists either. So if you want photos, it is important to stay on the sidewalks.
THE BOOGEYMAN IS BACK
THE ELROD HOUSE
Switching movies, but staying in the same series, I will provide you with some of the popular locations from Halloween 2. When Michael Myers disappears at the end of part 1, he ends up at the Elrod house and reacquires a new butcher knife from Mrs. Elrod. This house is located at 716 Meridian Avenue in South Pasadena. The house is seen in the background of the scene where Ben Trammer is killed.
ALICE’S HOUSE
Once Michael Myers has his new knife, he goes across the street to kill Alice. But her house is actually located in an entirely different location, at 571 Montecito Ct. in Sierra Madre, CA.
HADDONFIELD HOSPITAL
After receiving initial medical treatment, Laurie is taken to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital. The parking lot shown was actually a mall parking lot. The mall is located at 400 S. Baldwin Avenue in Arcadia, CA at the Westfield Santa Ana Mall (outside Nordstroms). It was used to show Nurse Karen arriving late to work and Laurie’s dramatic chase scene with Michael Myers. If the parking lot looks semi-familiar, it is because it was also used as the Griswold family arrives at “Walley World” in the 1983 movie National Lampoon’s Vacation.
Many fans do not realize that Haddonfield Memorial Hospital was actually filmed in three locations. The exterior was filmed at 16111 Plummer St. in Sepulveda, CA. It is currently being used as a veteran’s hospital. Some of the interior shots were filmed at Pasadena Community Hospital which is located at 1845 N. Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena, CA. Currently, it is being used at the Pasadena Public Health Department. The other interior shots were filmed in Ingelwood, CA at Morningside Hospital. Unfortunately this building no longer exists.
HAPPY HAPPY HALLOWEEN
THE GAS STATION
Next we travel to the fictitious town known as Santa Mira, CA (which was home Silver Shamrock Novelties) in Halloween 3. As Harry Grimbridge is chased by men is suits, he ends up in a gas station seeking help. The gas station still exists, but is no longer being used as a gas station. Instead, it is being used to store heavy equipment and sell cars. It is located at 22124 Sierra Highway in Slymar, CA.
THE BAR
Tom Atkins, aka Dr. Challis, can be seen having a beer at a bar. Not only does the bar still exist, but it also has a lot of the same décor it had during the filming. The bar is called “The Buccaneer.” It can be found at 70 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. in Sierra Madre, CA.
After Dr. Challis teams up with Ellie Grimbridge, they make the trek to Santa Mira to look for answers into the cause of her father’s death. As a side note, the hospital where Ellie’s father is killed no longer exists. On their way to the town they pass a “Welcome to Santa Mira Home of Silver Shamrock Novelties” sign. It was located out by Eel River Dr. and Copenhagen Rd. in Loleta, CA. The sign is no longer located at that location.
THE MOTEL
However, Loleta, CA (Santa Mira), still has many of the same buildings that were used in the movie. The buildings are renamed of course, but they look eerily similar. The mask store still exists, but it was used for antiques (and is now closed). One of the points of interest for any Halloween 3 fan would be the motel that Dr. Challis and Ellie stay in while investigating. The motels are still actively used. The place is called “Rafferty’s Gas Station/Rose of Shannon Motel.” It is located at 2457 Eel River Dr. in Loleta, CA.
THE SILVER SHAMROCK FACTORY
The most famous address in the town is 281 Loleta Dr. which was home to the Silver Shamrock Factory. In real life, it was home to Eel River Farms, which was a milk processing plant. It is currently for sale.
WELCOME TO ELM STREET
NANCY’S HOUSE
The Silver Shamrock Factory may be for sale. But a house that also qualifies for the horror hall of fame recently sold for about 2.1 million dollars. The house fictionally belonged to the family of Nancy Thompson. She was tormented by the nightmare killer Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street. In the movie, the address was 1428 Elm St. in Springfield, OH. The real address is 1428 N. Genesee Ave. in Los Angeles, CA. You can visit this website to learn more.
THE HIGH SCHOOL
Next you may want to visit the school used in A Nightmare on Elm Street. That was John Marshall High School located at 3939 Tracy St. in Los Angeles, CA. What also makes the school famous other than being used in this movie was that it boasts having Leo DiCaprio as a student. It was also used in the movies Grosse Point Blank, Pretty In Pink, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Rebel Without A Cause, and Grease.
CRUISE TO COLORADO
I’LL TAKE ROOM 217
Moving slightly east to Colorado, a very famous hotel exists. It’s called The Stanley Hotel. Many think that the hotel at 333 Wonderview Ave. in Estes Park, CO was where they filmed The Shining. But it was actually the hotel that inspired Stephen King to write The Shining, and he modeled what he saw at The Stanley to create The Overlook Hotel. He stayed in room 217 which was and/or is supposedly haunted.
Additionally, Stanley Kubrick actually designed interior sets at Elstree Studios in the UK that were inspired by the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park. But, if you thought the film was shot The Stanley, don’t feel bad. I did too until I read this article.
If you’re are a fan of The Shining, you will need to do a little traveling to get to the actual set. So you may want to just settle for seeing King’s inspiration in Colorado’s Stanley Hotel or Kubrick’s inspiration at The Majestic Yosemite Hotel (Yosemite National Park at 1 Ahwahnee Dr. Yosemite Valley, CA 95389).
TAKE A PIT STOP IN TEXAS
BBQ AND BLOODSHED
The next famous horror location is in its title. The movie is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. True to its name, the movie was filmed primarily in Texas. The house that Leatherface and his deranged family lived in was moved from Round Rock, TX about 60 miles away to Kingsland, TX. The original location at Quick Hill and Old Country Rd. 172 is now privately owned, but it exists at the coordinates: 30 degrees 28’45.3” N and 97 degrees 41’27.5” W.
The final scene of the movie is in the same situation (on private property). Its coordinates are: 30 degrees 28’43.6” N and 97 degrees 41’32.2” W. Both of the original locations are very close to one another.
The original Sawyer family house now sits at 1010 King Court in Kingsland, TX. It has been converted to a restaurant. The interior is still similar to the original movie, but the owners really do not promote the fact that the house was used in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The restaurant is on the grounds of the Antlers Hotel and is called the Grand Central Cafe.
The gas station that was used in the original film is now a store and resort. You can stay the night in a cabin or get some movie swag at the store. The building is called “The Gas Station.” It used to be a BBQ place before becoming a store/resort. The names have changed over the years, but the address is still: 1073 SH 304 Bastrop, TX 78602.
The above info was gained from a fan’s website.
NAVIGATE TO NEW JERSEY
KILLER SUMMER CAMP
For our next film, we have to travel northeast. The place is called Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco. Its address is 11 Sand Pond Rd., in Hardwick, NJ. Still have no idea what the place is? Maybe you know it better by its fictional name Camp Crystal Lake.
CAMP CRYSTAL LAKE
Yes, the home of mass murderer Jason Voorhees. Although if you are truly a fan of the original, then you would know that the original killer of the Friday the 13th movie was Mrs. Voorhees. Either way, if you want to gain access to this little gem, then you will need to go to their website and enter a lottery. If selected, then and only then can you purchase tickets for a trip.
The property is owned by The Boy Scouts of America. It is illegal to be on the property without a ticket and only on the designated dates. From what I have read, if you are able to do the tour, it is supposed be awesome. The guides take you to several spots that were used in the original, and sometimes surprise guests are present from the original movie.
MIGRATE TO MASSACHUSETTS
THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE WATER
Saving the best for last, here is a list of some of the key locations from Jaws. These were taken from “The Ultimate Jaws Filming Location Map of Martha’s Vineyard” by Jasmine Hogan Donaldson.
THE INFAMOUS OPENER
First up, the opening scene with Chrissy. Remember she tries to get the drunk guy to go skinny dipping with her, but he passes out. She gets naked, goes swimming, and becomes fish food. This location was on South Beach in Edgartown, MA 02539.
AROUND AMITY
Next up, Chief Brody’s house. It is at 265 E. Chop Dr., Vineyard Haven, MA 02568. From what I read, the house no longer exists, but the address is correct.
The Amity Police Department sits on the corner of South Water St. and Davis Lane in Edgartown, MA 02539. There are lots of locations like this that you can find on the website. They are all part of Chief Brody’s walk through Amity. There is also the bicycle shop, ferry, and the hardware store.
Through photo match, you can easily identify the Amity Town Hall at 70 Main St., Edgartown, MA 02539. In real life, the Amity Town Hall is actually the Edgartown Town Hall. The inside has been greatly remodeled, but the desk in the current town hall is the same as the one used in the movie.
Then there’s the site of one the most famous graffiti jobs ever performed. At 35 Aquinnah Circle in Aquinnah, MA once stood the “Amity Island Welcomes You” sign. After the islanders caught on that there was a shark in the waters, someone painted a shark fin coming up behind a girl on a raft. The person then had her yelling for help. The sign no longer exists.
To see the beach where Alex Kinter (the boy on the yellow raft) was killed, you would need to go to the Joseph Sylvia State Beach. It is located in Oak Bluffs, MA and is actually a popular swimming beach.
The bridge that Brody runs across when the shark is entering the lagoon still exists. It is connects Edgartown and Oak Bluffs. Although frowned upon, many people use the bridge for jumping off and into the water.
Quint’s Shop was located at Menemsha Inn Rd. in Chilmark, MA, but it no longer exists. The area is a fishing village. There are many shots from this area that were used for the Orca departure scene.
I could go on and on with providing you with filming locations for these films and many more. After my trip to Pasadena, I was hooked. I wanted to see every location, no matter how insignificant. It is cool to see how the director selected certain spots and locations for just one shot. My hope is that this article inspires the reader to get out there and document these locations before they are gone or become private property. Sets and locations are just as important to the success and memorability of horror films as the actors, killers, and stories.
Note: The physical addresses that I used for Halloween movies 1-3 were taken from this website, which is loaded with both former and current locations with descriptions of what happened in the movies. The authors of the site really did their homework and consulted other diehards for hard to find locations. Before trying to find the sets on your own, study this site and keep it ready when looking for addresses.
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