Horror Movie Locations You Can Visit
A good scary movie will keep you on the edge of your seat. An even better one will have you itching to book a flight or hit the road to explore its world more deeply. We’re sharing the filming locations and settings that inspired some of our favorites, so you can visit in real life.
The Ring (2002)
Filmed in Washington and Oregon
Anyone who’s seen The Ring knows that the movie would not be the same without its moody Pacific Northwest setting, where the dreary weather and dramatic scenery create the perfect sense of doom to match the dreaded warning, “Seven days…”
While some scenes were filmed in Los Angeles, much of the film was shot on location in Washington and Oregon. Seattle’s Central Business District serves as the setting for Rachel’s apartment she shares with her son Aidan, while Whidbey Island’s Deception Pass Bridge and the local ferry also feature prominently.
But perhaps the most striking location is the Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport, Oregon, which stands in for the fictional Moesko Island Lighthouse. It’s a wonderful stop if you’re road-tripping the Pacific Coast Highway, as it’s right off the 101 and offers daily tours. Plus, it has some real-life ghostly tales of its own.
Sinners (2025)
Filmed in Louisiana
Ryan Coogler’s recent vampire flick is getting a lot of buzz, in part because of how masterfully it transports viewers to 1930s Mississippi. But Sinners was actually filmed on location in Louisiana.
The small town of Donaldsonville, between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, was transformed into Clarksdale for the town scenes, while the production team built the juke joint that serves as the most pivotal location of the film in an unincorporated community called Braithwaite.
Although you can’t visit the sets that were constructed (and deconstructed) for the film, road-tripping the area will absolutely give you the Sinners vibe. Plus, where better to sink your teeth into vampire lore than New Orleans? Take a late-night vampire-themed walking tour or wander the neighborhoods that originally inspired Anne Rice’s many supernatural novels, like Interview with the Vampire (which spawned its own film and TV adaptations).
The Witch (2015)
Set in Massachusetts
Despite being filmed entirely in Ontario for financial reasons, this unsettling 1630s-set period piece owes its inspiration to Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts.
In an interview with Wicked Local, director Robert Eggers explained, “The film would not have been possible without spending a lot of time in Plymouth. Plimoth Plantation is certainly the best resource for this period. It took copious field trips there and many, many photos… I think this film owes a lot to what I experienced in Plymouth when I was a kid. It really felt like a time machine.”
If you’d like to travel back in time to The Witch era yourself, you can visit the Plimoth Patuxet Museums, a complex of living history museums in Plymouth, about 40 miles southeast of Boston. Keep an eye out for Black Phillip…
Us (2019)
Filmed in Santa Cruz, California
It’s no surprise director Jordan Peele chose the iconic Santa Cruz Boardwalk as a filming location for his 2019 film Us, which has previously appeared onscreen in over 20 movies (including another Halloween favorite, The Lost Boys): because the Boardwalk opened in 1907 and has kept its vintage feel over the years, it was easily able to pose as 1986 for the film’s prologue.
A fun fact that makes a visit even more worthwhile? The Santa Cruz Boardwalk is currently the only oceanside amusement park on the West Coast. So hop on the 1924 Giant Dipper wooden rollercoaster, dip your toes in the sand, and remember, that’s just your reflection looking back at you in the house of mirrors, not your doppelganger. Hopefully.
The Descent (2005)
Set in North Carolina
If you’ve ever been interested in exploring underground caves, there’s nothing like the nightmare fuel of 2005’s The Descent to make you reconsider for good. While the story takes place in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, it was filmed in the United Kingdom—partially on location and partially on an elaborate set built at Pinewood Studios.
But if claustrophobia (and those unforgettable creatures in the movie) aren’t stopping you, North Carolina offers plenty of natural caves, caverns, and dens to explore on a much smaller scale, including some in beautiful state parks like Hanging Rock and Chimney Rock. Bring a flashlight!
Nosferatu (2024)
Filmed in the Czech Republic
Thanks to Dracula, vampire legends will forever be associated with Transylvania. So it’s fitting that director Robert Eggers sought out Romania as a shooting location for the 2024 retelling of horror classic Nosferatu.
However, aside from some exterior castle shots in Romania, the movie was primarily filmed in Prague at Barrandov Studios, as well as on location at Rožmitál pod Třemšínem Castle and Pernštejn Castle.
If you loved the Gothic vibe of Nosferatu, then Czechia belongs on your list. Plan your trip around touring castles and wandering winding medieval streets that offer the same atmosphere.
The Exorcist (1973)
Filmed in Washington, DC
Although most interiors were filmed in New York City, this notoriously fraught production used the streets of Georgetown in Washington, DC, as a backdrop for its terrifying tale of demonic possession.
Many scenes were filmed on the Georgetown University campus, including Healy Hall, the library, and Dahlgren Chapel. You can also visit the MacNeil family house at 3600 Prospect St NW (it’s listed as a tourist attraction on Google, but it’s actually a private residence).
But the real draw for horror movie buffs is just a few steps away: the famous “Exorcist steps” from the climactic scene are right there for a photo op. Just don’t try to recreate it—the 75 steps were padded with rubber for the stunt!
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Filmed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
To film his twisty 1999 supernatural hit, director M. Night Shyamalan took to the streets of his hometown. Whether or not you want to “see dead people,” you can spot many of the streets and buildings from the movie on a walk through Philadelphia.
Snap a photo of Dr. Crowe’s townhouse at 2006 Delancey St. in Rittenhouse Square, then walk 15 minutes southwest to 2302 St Albans Place where Cole lives.
Another notable site is St. Augustine’s Church, where exterior and interior filming took place. Fans of atmospheric graveyards will want to stop at the Old Pine Street Church Graveyard, which Cole passes on his bus ride. Visit during autumn for the full Sixth Sense experience.
The First Omen (2024)
Filmed in Rome, Italy
Building on the lore of 1976’s The Omen (and subsequent sequels and remakes), The First Omen is an artful and creepy prequel from debut director Arkasha Stevenson that beautifully showcases Rome and the surrounding area.
Villa Parisi, just southeast of the city, stood in for some of the orphanage buildings, while other scenes were filmed on soundstages at Lumina Studios or on location in the timeless streets of the Eternal City.
In an interview with Decider, star Nell Tiger Free said, “It’s cool, because there is so much religious iconography all over Rome—so many statues, and they have all of these eyes that are watching you, following you. You can get paranoid there! But it’s a fantastic place to make a movie, that’s for sure.”
Italy makes an excellent location for a horror movie, but it’s also just lovely to visit. For horror buffs, viewing The First Omen is a must before your trip.
The Shining (1980)
Filmed in Oregon and Montana
Stephen King was inspired to write The Shining during his stay at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. But despite the strong association with the hotel, it ultimately did not serve as a filming location for the 1980 movie.
What you see onscreen is more of a hodgepodge: the foreboding opening driving sequence was filmed along Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park in Montana. The exteriors of the “Overlook Hotel” are actually Timberline Lodge in Oregon’s Mount Hood National Forest. And the hotel interiors were created entirely on soundstages in England.
So while sadly there’s no real Overlook to tour, you can get a similar vibe at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park, which served as the inspiration for the Overlook’s interiors. Film fans will find the resemblance uncanny, especially in the Great Lounge.
