... the firehouse in Tribeca that served as the exterior location for the Ghostbusters firehouse. I also saw The Dakota, the apartment building made (in)famous for being not only the location of the murder of John Lennon, but also was yet another exterior location for the apartment building in Rosemary's Baby (didn't get a picture though... dangit).
Anyway, it turns out that there are a bunch of cool places in the US and abroad that horror fans can visit and relive some of the classic scenes from their favorite films. Here are some places that I personally would like to go to - even though I'll probably never get to see any of them!
The Night of the Living Dead Cemetery
(Evans City Cemetery, Evans City, Pennsylvania)
Thanks to Christine from Fascination with Fear, whose picture of her next to that monument in the middle got me thinking about this post to begin with! On the outside, I'm sure this cemetery is not that much different than many others, but to this zombie film fan, going to the place where modern zombie movies were born would be like going to heaven.
The Poltergeist House
(4267 Roxbury Street, Simi Valley, California)
Well, duh! Of course I want to go here! And how weird is it that the house looks kinda exactly the same as it did in 1982?
The Orphanage House
(Llanes, Asturias, Spain)
This is just a still from the movie but here's a link to Flickr where a guy took a picture of the actual house: http://www.flickr.com/photos/francesco_pics/5055639398/. I don't know how to describe this house other than a monstrosity of beauty. It immediately got my attention when I first saw the movie and has stayed in my future-home-owner dreams ever since. It's in Spain, though, so that sucks.
The House on Haunted Hill
(a.k.a Ennis House, Los Angeles, California)
Okay, not only was this house (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) used as the exterior for the famous House on Haunted Hill in the Vincent Price B-movie of the same name, it was also used for the exteriors of the mansion in which Angel, Spike, and Drusilla dwelled in the second season of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. Poof! Two awesome locations for the price of one!
The Omen Church
(All Saints Church, Fulham, London, England)
Oh, the fun I would have taking pictures here. I would gladly go out and find my own metal spike or lightening rod to reenact the spectacular death of Father Brennan in The Omen. I'm pretty sure they would just kick me out and tell me that I'm going to hell or something.
The Amityville House
(112 Ocean Avenue, Long Island, New York)
Yes, I know the owners are probably sick of people gawking over their house, but they should have known what they were signing up for. And while I'm not the biggest fan of the original movie, I guess I can't deny that this is one of the most famous movie locations in the US.
The Stanley Hotel
(Estes Park, Colorado)
Though not the actual hotel that is in the movie The Shining (that's the Timberline Lodge in Mount Hood, Oregon), this is the place where Stephen King stayed way back in '73 and which inspired him to write the famous novel. While briefly living in Colorado two years ago, I seriously thought out taking a trip to see it, but Estes Park was way too far away and I never had time.
The Exorcist Steps
(M street, Georgetown, Washington, D.C.)
So I didn't even know that this very steep set of stairs that Father Karras fell down was a famous location to visit until I watched a feature on the Hot Fuzz DVD where Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost go there and play around for a while. Forget the Washington Monument or the White House - if I'm ever in DC, The Exorcist steps will be the first thing I want to do!
I know that some of these are kind of obvious ones, but whatever! That's all I got for now. So what say you? Any horror movie locations on your radar?
I've been to the steps in Georgetown, and also to the cemetery that is featured in Fulci's City of the Living Dead (in Savannah GA). Not quite a horror movie, but I've been to the Trader Joe's that is seen in Body Double. There's probably a few more but I can't think of any others right now.
ReplyDeleteAh, jealous of your going to the steps! Do you have a picture?
DeleteActually, I just happened to be in Georgetown and somebody pointed it out. I guess the whole point was that one might intentionally visit these places. I did revisit the cemetery in Savannah when I figured out that it was from that movie, but my camera was broken so I didn't take pictures.
DeleteThis is super cool! I think it would be a blast to visit all of those famous places.
ReplyDeleteAll of them would be awesome, but I'd be most excited about the Exorcist steps for some reason.... then the Poltergeist house.
DeleteDid you said Simon Pegg and Nick Frost played around in those stairs?...Take me there!
ReplyDeleteI know, right?! They made it look like so much fun!
Deleteoh, I'd LOVE to visit of all these locations, especially the Poltergeist House.
ReplyDeleteI'm adding the church of Carpenter's "Prince Of Darkness"
http://the-great-silence.blogspot.com/2010/10/church-of-prince-of-darkness-halloween.html
I'm sure I'll make a trip to Los Angeles at some point in my life, and I'm totally going to the Poltergeist house! I haven't seen Prince of Darkness yet, but it's definitely on my list.
DeleteThose would be cool places to visit.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see Danvers State Hospital where Session 9 was filmed.
Yeah, I looked up the Danvers State Hospital for this list. Sadly, it's all been torn down!
DeleteAwesome list - some great ideas for vacations!
ReplyDeleteI went to the Evans City Cemetary the last few days I was in Ohio. Some friends I worked with too me there because they knew of my love for Night Of The Living Dead. I also visited the Monroeville Mall where Dawn Of The Dead was filmed.
ReplyDeleteVery cool indeed.
Ohio? The cemetery is in Pennsylvania...
DeleteBah! I didn't even think about the mall from Dawn of the Dead! I would love to see that place!
Great post. I'd love to see the firehouse from Ghostbusters. That was my favorite movie while growing up, so I have to go visit it at some point during my life. I'd also like to see the camp they used in the first Friday the 13th film. I hear it is actually a working Boy Scout camp, and that they have to post signs telling visitors not to enter.
ReplyDeleteOne location I have been too, but didn't realize it was used in a horror film was an abandoned church in Gary, IN. My friends and I went there to take some pictures and didn't realize they filmed some scenes from the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street inside.
Speaking of film locations, while my brother was in the military he was stationed right where they filmed the greatest horror film of all time Manos: The Hands of Fate.
The Ghostbusters firehouse was indeed cool.... would have liked to go inside but I was too chicken to ask :). Camp Crystal Lake might be cool, too, but I'm wondering, since it's an actual camp now, whether or not there actually be anything to see. I guess you could just give yourself props that you've been there!
DeleteHaha, the greatest horror film of all time? Um, not so sure about that statement! :)