Up for a spooky trip? Here are 21 sites of iconic horror films that you can actually visit — no exclusive backlots or soundstages. We’ve got fully operational hotels, scenic trails, charming towns, iconic photo ops, and plenty of events that bring horror fans together, all across the US.
Salem, Massachusetts
"Hocus Pocus'" (1993) wicked Sanderson Sisters are resurrected in Salem, Massachusetts, which turns into a Halloween haven all October. Locations include living history museum Pioneer Village and Old Town Hall, where Bette Midler’s character sang “I Put a Spell On You.” The Ropes Mansion, the Georgian Colonial estate where teen protagonist Allison lived, is open for tours.
Visitors can also learn about the true history of the 1692 witch trials via numerous tours and museums.
Washington D.C.
Built in 1895 to connect two streets, a long staircase in Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood is famous for a climactic scene in 1973’s "The Exorcist". Though the next-door residence where the possessed Regan MacNeil lived is privately owned, the stairs are available for photos — you’ll even find a plaque referencing the film.
Estes Park, Colorado
Stephen King wrote "The Shining," in which malevolent spirits haunt a family acting as winter caretakers for the isolated Overlook Hotel, after his 1974 stay at the supposedly haunted Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. Today, the sprawling hotel offers a Shining tour, replete with a replica of the green bathroom from the 1980 Stanley Kubrick film — though that film used the Timberline Lodge in Mount Hood, Oregon, for its exterior shots.
Leighton, Pennsylvania
In the found footage series "Hell House LLC," documentarians explore several mysterious deaths at a Halloween event staged in the Abaddon Hotel. The film used Waldorf Estate of Fear in Leighton, Pennsylvania, an operational haunted house attraction. This year’s thrills include a haunted house, a spooky walking trail, and a zombie experience.
Santa Cruz, California
This seaside amusement park founded in 1907 offers a bevy of family-friendly entertainment, but has also appeared in horror movies "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" (1988), Jordan Peele’s "Us" (2019), and, most famously, "The Lost Boys" (1987). It’s where the vampires — and the shirtless saxophone guy — roamed, inspiring an annual free screening right on location.
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
In 1958’s "The Blob," residents of a small town are terrorized by a blob from outer space that, at one point, absorbs the projectionist at a late-night screening at the Colonial Theater, a real theater in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. It hosts an annual Blobfest where fans can recreate the scene where panicked movie-goers flee the theater.
Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
Stephen Spielberg shot "Jaws" (1975) on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, where the American Legion Memorial Bridge, which connects towns Edgartown and Oak Bluffs, is featured in a shark attack scene. Though details are scant, the community is planning a 50th anniversary Jaws fest for 2025.
Ulster County, New York
One of the most harrowing scenes in "A Quiet Place" — the horror franchise where monsters are attracted to sound — occurs when a young boy activates a noisy spaceship toy. It’s shot on the Springtown Truss Bridge, located on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail in Ulster County, New York, a scenic 22-mile trail open to walkers, joggers, cyclists, and horseback riders.
Asheville, North Carolina
This historic, 250-room, 19th-century estate in Asheville, North Carolina, has appeared in several films, including its own Hallmark Christmas movie and the 2001 thriller "Hannibal," where it plays the home of villain Mason Verger. Today, it operates as a hotel but also offers restaurants, shops, holiday events, a winery, and more.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco’s Hotel Vertigo was once called the Empire Hotel, but changed its name to honor its appearance in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 thriller, "Vertigo." It’s featured only briefly as the exterior of Kim Novak’s character's home, but guests will find an orange lobby — a nod to the film’s poster — and the film playing on loop.
Kingland, Texas
The house where a family of cannibals terrorized teen road trippers was once located in Round Rock, Texas, but was taken apart and moved about 60 miles to its current home in Kingland, in 1998. Today, it’s Hooper’s, a family restaurant named in honor of late "Texas Chain Saw Massacre" director Tobe Hooper. Meanwhile, the Bastrop, Texas, gas station that appears in the 1974 slasher is now a BBQ restaurant with rental cabins.
Hardwick, New Jersey
In the "Friday the 13th" franchise, camp counselors meet their grisly end at Camp Crystal Lake. It was shot at Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco, a still-operational Scout camp founded in Hardwick, New Jersey, in 1927. It’s only open to the public during its Friday the 13th tours, featuring camp activities, celebrity guests, authentic props, and more. The nearby Blairstown Diner, featured in the first film, also hosts fan gatherings every Friday the 13th.
Grand Marais, Minnesota
In the 2009 horror-comedy "Jennifer’s Body," an aspiring indie rock band sacrifices Jennifer (Megan Fox) to Satan next to a waterfall known as Devil’s Kettle, for which Jennifer’s hometown is also named. The real Devil’s Kettle is a popular hiking destination in Grand Marais, Minnesota. The waterfall splits, with half mysteriously vanishing into a hole, endpoint unknown.
Bodega Bay, California
In Alfred Hitchcock’s "The Birds" (1963), vicious birds attack residents of Bodega Bay, California, a real seaside town. Notable filming locations include the Potter Schoolhouse in nearby Bodega, now privately owned, and the Tides Wharf & Restaurant which, while remodeled, contains a replica of its original facade. Scenes from John Carpenter’s "The Fog" were also shot here.
Point Reyes, California
Speaking of "The Fog,' the lighthouse where Stevie (Adrienne Barbeau) broadcasts her evening radio show is in Point Reyes, California. Visitors can climb down 313 steps — added in 1939, 69 years after the lighthouse was built — from the visitor’s center to the lighthouse unless it’s too windy … or under siege by vengeful mariners, obviously.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles’ The Rosenheim Mansion, built in 1908, is most famous for its role as the titular “murder house” in “American Horror Story,” but it’s also been featured in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.” The owners were once so frustrated with tourists that they sued a realtor and previous owners before giving in and playing up its haunted lore with a live-streamed seance and a stint on Airbnb.
Monroeville, Pennsylvania
The Monroeville Mall in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, feels like your average shopping mall save the Living Dead Museum, an homage to everything zombies. That’s because this mall was featured as a zombie refuge in George Romero’s "Dawn of the Dead" (1979). Roadtrippers can also head to Evans City Cemetery, about a 2.5 hour-drive north, which appears in Romero’s first zombie flick, "Night of the Living Dead."
Los Angeles
You might recognize this 1924 Frank Lloyd Wright home’s Mayan Revival exterior in films including "House on Haunted Hill" (1959), where the wealthy Frederick Loren (Vincent Price) offers guests $10k if they can last the night, and "Blade Runner" (1982), or as a vampire haunt in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Located in Los Angeles, it’s privately owned, but there are occasional tours.
New York
Built in 1884 the Dakota in Manhattan’s Upper West Side has been called New York City’s most famous apartment building. On screen, it’s where Rosemary’s (Mia Farrow) home in "Rosemary’s Baby" (1968), though the movie calls it The Bramford — author Ira Levin chose the name for Dracula author Bram Stoker. In real life, resident John Lennon was tragically murdered outside the Dakota in 1980.
South Pasadena, California
"Halloween" (1978) is set in Haddonfield, Illinois, but shot in South Pasadena, California, where you’ll find the homes of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, plus the hedges Myers infamously ducked behind while stalking her. Next-door to the Myers house is the Sugarmynt Gallery, featuring horror exhibits, art, film screenings, and even a “ScareBNB.”
Southport, North Carolina
Summer slasher "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (1997) was largely filmed in Southport, North Carolina. Locations include the Amuzu Theater, now a music venue, and restaurants American Fish Co., which served as Ollie’s Oyster Bar, and Fishy Fishy Cafe, which stood in as a gym. You can also follow this guide if you want to recreate Sarah Michelle Gellar’s frantic attempt to escape the killer.
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