A horror movie travel guide across America

Stuck for something to do? Feeling restless? Ready to show some respect to some of the greatest American horror movies ever made? Then we’ve got the guide for you. Of all the classic American horrors that have graced the big screen over the past few decades, there’s a surprising amount of incredible shooting locations still standing and worth spending some time gawping at, visiting, or taking a tour of.

Though the horror of these locations will be long gone by the time you turn up, we’d like to think they’re all still ever so slightly haunted by the presence of whatever film was shot there all those years ago. And if not, we’re sure your overactive imagination will fill in the blanks for you. Here are twelve must-visit horror movie locations across America that every fan of the genre needs to jump in a car and check out pronto.

Drink a really strong coffee outside Nancy Thompson’s house from A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

1428 North Genesee Ave, Los Angeles, California, 90046

The wholesome suburban residence from Wes Craven’s sleepless nightmare of a movie was in disrepair until 2006 when it was renovated. The exterior remains very similar to how it looked in the original film, although now the door is blood red instead of blue (which oddly seems more fitting).

The building is now a private residence, so you’ll have to be good and keep your distance while you loiter outside and try and spot Freddy (Robert Englund) in Nancy’s bedroom window.

Resist having premarital sex at Camp Crystal Lake from Friday the 13th (1980)

11 Sand Pond Rd, Hardwick, NJ 07825

The shooting location for Camp Crystal Lake is actually Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco in Hardwick, New Jersey and it’s still an active boy scouts camp. Thankfully for fans of the slasher movie franchise, the camp runs a thorough three-hour walking tour of all the major filming locations made famous in Friday the 13th and other TV & film productions.

The tour is so popular that tickets sell out almost immediately and you have to enter a ticket lottery to win one. They also beg fans not to turn up brandishing a knife and a hockey mask, for obvious reasons. Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco also occasionally holds overnight stays for about $175, but you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled for them.

Successfully avoid room 237 at The Overlook Hotel from The Shining (1980)

Timberline Lodge, 27500 E Timberline Road, Government Camp, OR 97028

Timberline Lodge was used for the exterior of The Overlook Hotel from Stanley Kubrick’s much loved adaptation of the Stephen King novel – and no, it doesn’t have a Room 237 so stop damn well asking. You can still book a totally non-haunted room in the lodge where you can either drive yourself crazy working on your novel or go and make your trip all play instead.

Let the power of Christ compel you down the stairs from The Exorcist (1973)

3600 Prospect St NW, Washington, DC 20007

The most famous steps in horror history that Father Karras (Jason Miller) is thrown down at the end of William Friedkin’s The Exorcist are located close to the Potomac River in Georgetown. Appropriately, they’re steep and scary as fuck.

Investigate an ancient witch at the Black Hills Forest from The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Seneca Creek State Park, 11950 Clopper Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878

It isn’t exactly a forest, but you can still bring your finest video camera and most annoying chums along to explore witchcraft within Seneca Creek State Park where Daniel Myrick (The Objective) and Eduardo Sánchez (V/H/S/2) filmed their low-budget indie hit.

Hopefully you won’t need a map to get around and you won’t start finding those bastard little twig dolls all around the place. The infamous Griggs house used for the harrowing cinematic climax of the movie has since been demolished, so you can’t go there and scare yourself and your friends silly by standing in a corner for no apparent reason.

Put the lotion in the basket at Buffalo Bill’s house from Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The property was sold in 2016 for $195,000 reportedly to a fan of Jonathan Demme’s award-winning movie. The house still looks like the sort of place a woman would be locked in the basement of, so feel free to do your best Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) and judge its eerie statue from afar while pontificating over its many mysteries.

Go shopping at The Monroeville Mall from Dawn of the Dead (1978)

200 Mall Circle Drive, Monroeville, Pennsylvania, 15146

It’s still a legitimate mall, folks! So shuffle about with the rest of those consumerist zombies and maybe buy yourself a pretzel and a slushie from the food court while you’re at it – it’s probably what Romero would want, right? The mall occasionally runs some tours including one on the weekend of June 2 held to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the film.

Enjoy a family reunion at The Myers house from Halloween (1978)

1000 Mission Street South Pasadena, CA 91030

The filming location for John Carpenter’s festive horror hit was previously located at 707 Meridian Avenue, South Pasadena, but has since been moved to the east side of the city where it’s now preserved as a California Historical Landmark. If you’re taking this road trip on the rails, it’s also conveniently located right next to the South Pasadena train station.

Pay your respects to the living dead at the Evans City Cemetery from Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Evans City Cemetery, 8600 Franklin Road, Evans City, Pennsylvania 16033

The unforgettable opening sequence from George A. Romero’s game changing zombie flick was filmed in this actual cemetery that you can still visit to this day. As it’s a legitimate place for people to pay respects to their late loved ones, we’d hold off on wailing “They’re coming to get you, Barbara!” at your bestie.

Sing a lullaby outside The Bramford from Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

The Dakota, West 72nd Street, New York City, NY 10023

Though the building was only used for exterior shots of The Bramford, The Dakota still cuts an eerie figure for fans of Roman Polanski’s satanic masterpiece. As well as being iconic for Rosemary’s Baby, the building is also renowned for having boasted occupants including Judy Garland (The Wizard of Oz), Lauren Bacall (The Big Sleep), and Boris Karloff (Frankenstein) and for being the final home of John Lennon who was tragically shot at the entrance to The Dakota in 1980.

Say hello to Norman at The Bates Motel from Psycho (1960)

100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608

Probably the most accessible horror movie shooting location on the list, the iconic location for Alfred Hitchcock’s seminal slasher can be found on the Universal Studios backlot. You can visit it as part of the Universal Studios tour where Norman himself (or an actor depicting the lunatic) can sometimes be seen loitering outside the building and posing for pictures.

We recommend checking out the shooting location while enjoying the Terror Tram attraction at Halloween Horror Nights.

Enjoy a sleepless night at the farmhouse from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Grounds of The Antlers Hotel, 1001 King Ct, Kingsland, TX 78639, USA

Thankfully you won’t find human flesh, rotten animal carcasses, or hundreds of unnerving attempts at homemade taxidermy at this converted farmhouse anymore. The Antlers is now a hotel and restaurant that’s available to hire for all the macabre weddings, parties, and board meetings of your dreams.

The premises will be immediately recognizable to fans of Tobe Hooper’s horror masterpiece, even without Gunnar Hansen’s Leatherface prowling the grounds with his chainsaw.