9 Spooky filming locations you can visit from your favourite Halloween movies
9 Minute Read
Step through the screen and potentially into your nightmares by visiting the real-life filming locations of these iconic Halloween movies. As the autumn colours change and there is a crispness in the air, it’s time to watch your favourite spooky season flicks.
Take your fall adventures one step further by travelling to the filming locations of popular Halloween and horror movies such as Beetlejuice, Hocus Pocus, Sleepy Hollow, Halloween, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and more.
Here are nine top Halloween movies to watch and their filming locations that you can visit.
Halloweentown
Location: St. Helens, Portland and Scappoose, Oregon, USA
Kids who grew up in the ’90s (and their parents) won’t forget the lightheartedly spooky movie Halloweentown and the sequels. This witchy film was filmed around Oregon, including the towns of St. Helens, Portland and Scappoose. Two locations are used as Aggie Cromwell’s (Marnie’s grandmother) house. Some scenes were filmed at Nob Hill Riverview Bed & Breakfast in St. Helen’s, and you’ll also recognize the farmhouse at 3814 SE Martins Street in Portland from clips of her home.
The beginning shots of the movie, when trick-or-treaters are roaming the streets, were filmed in Scappoose. Specifically, Marnie and her family’s home was on Sequoia Street.
You don’t need to be a secret witch waiting for your thirteenth birthday to experience the same magic. The town of St. Helens, Oregon – the main set for the film, transforms into a real-life Halloweentown each October. Take your photos with the giant pumpkin in front of city hall, where you’ll also find Benny’s cab, and participate in festival activities on the weekends.
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Location: Port Hope, Oshawa, Ancaster and Toronto, Ontario, CAN
Set in the fictitious town of Derry, Maine, Stephen King’s It was filmed primarily in the small town of Port Hope, Ontario. You can follow the town’s digital walking tour guide and discover more than ten places that appear in the movie.
The Capitol Theatre on Queen Street is one such spot you’ll recognize, appearing multiple times in both the original and the sequel. At 7 and 8 Queen Street are the building the was used at Derry Scoop ice cream shop in the film, next to the alleyway where many scenes were shot. Much filming also took place in Memorial Park where the prop statue of Paul Bunyan stood. The Derry Library is the real-life Port Hope town hall, and you’ll recognize Walton Street as downtown Derry, among other filming locations in the town.
One of the most iconic moments in the film, however, was shot in Toronto. The storm drain where Georgie gets his arm ripped off by Pennywise was filmed near Springmount Avenue and William Street, with a special sewer grate added for this scene. Derry High School isn’t a school at all, and you can find the real-life building, the Mount Mary Retreat Centre in the town of Ancaster.
Beetlejuice (and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice)
Location: East Corinth, Vermont, USA
Those familiar with the introduction to the 1988 film Beetlejuice, and its 2024 sequel, can picture the scenes of small-town streets as the credits roll. The aerial town views and other exterior shots for the Tim Burton movies were filmed in the quiet real-life town of East Corinth, Vermont in the United States.
Arguably one of the most iconic sets of the Beetlejuice films is the Maitlands’ home that the Deetz family moves into. This home was merely a facade, not a real house, and it was reconstructed on the same piece of property for the second movie. You can look for the hill on which it once sat, however, on the farm property off Jewel Lane.
The house may be gone but there are many movie locations in the town that you can see. The bridge where the Maitlands get in the car accident that ends their lives can be found on Chicken Farm Road near the intersection on Village Road, but it is not a red covered bridge in reality. The red cover has been repurposed and is at the Northeast Slopes ski area on Route 25. This bridge cover was also rebuilt for the second movie.
The town’s general store was renovated to be the hardware store that the Maitlands visit before their death in the first film. The same building is turned into a hip coffee shop for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, highlighting the changes the fictional town of Winter River has undergone. You can also visit the town’s Mason Hall which stood as the exterior for Lydia Deetz’s school.
For other real-world spots in the sequel, you’ll have to leave Vermont and head to London, England. The graveyard and church were constructed in a little valley in West Wickham and Delia’s New York art studio is actually London’s Protein Studios.
Hocus Pocus
Walk in the footsteps of the Sanderson sisters, and of the real-life women who were accused of witchcraft, some of whom were executed in the 1690s. If you’re looking for a travel destination that has the ultimate witchy Halloween vibes, Salem, Massachusetts is the city to see.
Part of your Hocus Pocus tour of Salem should include Pioneer Village on West Avenue, which you’ll recognize especially from the beginning of the film when Binx is searching for his sister, before he is turned into a cat. The Ropes Mansion on Essex Street is Allison’s house in the movie and the Phillips Elementary School building (no longer a school or open to the public) acts as the set for Max and Allison’s school.
The Halloween party where Winifred Sanderson sings Put a Spell on You was shot in the Old Town Hall on Essex Street. You can also see Max and Dani’s house on Ocean Avenue from a distance but be respectful as it is a private home. You’ll have to leave the city to visit the movie’s town cemetery, as the real-world cemetery is Old Burial Hill in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
Surprisingly, while the sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, was still set in Salem, much of the movie was shot in Rhode Island. Visit film locations such as Washington Square in Newport, La Salle Academy in Providence and Carpenter Cemetery in East Providence.
Sleepy Hollow
Location: Greater London, England, U.K.
While the real-life town of Sleepy Hollow is in the United States, Tim Burton’s 1999 film of the same name was filmed primarily in the UK. The eerie outdoor village scenes were filmed in the small town of Hambleden in Buckinghamshire, England. Filled with quaint cottages and medieval buildings, this is a picturesque place for a stroll as you step into the movie.
When Johnny Depp’s character Ichabod Crane arrives in Sleepy Hollow, he visits and stays with the Van Garretts in their mansion. In England, you can visit the real-world Hatfield House, a historic home situated on 40 acres of park and gardens filled with antique treasures. The American streets near the end of the movie when Ichabod Crane and Katrina Van Tassel are in New York City were filmed in England’s Somerset House. You can stroll the outdoor Strand around Somerset House and visit inside for free as well. Add Middle Temple to your Sleepy Hollow tour in England where other scenes were filmed.
Halloween
Location: South Pasadena, California, USA
The 1978 horror slasher film Halloween, featuring the iconic Michael Myers character, is still a spooky season favourite to watch. Take it one step further by walking through movie scenes in South Pasadena and Los Angeles, California. The opening scene in the film includes a six-year-old Michael murdering his sister and walking out of their home with a bloody knife. Find this house at 1000 Mission Street in South Pasadena. Head to Montrose Avenue to see Annie's house at number 1017, Lynda's house at 1027 and the infamous hedge scene shot at 1019 Montrose.
You can also see Laurie Strode's house at 1115 Oxley Street, South Pasadena, Wallace's house at 1537 Orange Grove Avenue and Doyle's House at 1530 Orange Grove Avenue. Keep in mind that these are private residences, so admire the buildings from afar and do not trespass. The nearby Garfield Elementary School was used as the set where Michael is watching Tommy at school and the scene where Dr. Loomis visits the cemetery was filmed at the Sierra Madre Pioneer Cemetery just east of Pasadena.
Friday the 13th
Location: Blairstown, New Jersey, USA
What many now consider a classic horror film, Friday the 13th revolves around a group of young counsellors who visit Camp Crystal Lake to update the facilities as they plan to reopen the camp to the public. The counsellors split up as they do chores and have some fun, when one-by-one they are singled out and killed.
Naturally, the main event on your filming locations tour is the camp, real-life Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco in Hardwick Township. The Scout camp has been operational since 1927, and as they want to protect the young campers, you cannot visit outside of official tour dates. Crystal Lake Tours visits all the filming locations where most of the movie was filmed, and you’ll find the event schedule online.
You can also visit recognizable spots from the beginning of the movie as the character Annie makes her way to the camp. When Annie asks for directions at the diner and general store, she’s at the real-world Hope Junctions Antiques and the graveyard she passes is Moravian Cemetery in Hope, New Jersey. You can also visit the Blairstown Diner which is featured in the film with its red sign (that has since been removed). At the end of Friday the 13th when Alice floats on the lake in a canoe, this lake is at Turkey Swamp Park in Freehold, New Jersey.
28 Days Later
Location: Greater London, England, U.K.
Featuring both capital city and countryside locations in this 2002 horror drama, many landmarks make it clear that the film was shot around London, England. So, head across the pond to step into the movie 28 Days Later. One of the most obvious London backdrops is seen when Jim is walking across the deserted Westminster Bridge with Big Ben and Palace of Westminster in the background.
The hospital where Jim wakes up is a mix of the exterior of St. Thomas’ Hospital and interior from Central Middlesex Hospital. As he continues walking down Whitehall and through the city he passes Horse Guard’s Parade with the London Eye in the background, the steps by Duke of York Monument, continuing along Waterloo Place, briefly by St. Paul’s Cathedral, the old Royal Exchange building, through Piccadilly Circus and by St. Anne’s Church.
As the movie proceeds, you’ll spot the Canary Wharf area, Trellick Tower on Golborne Road, the Blackwall Tunnel via the Southern Approach, Waverley Abbey in Surrey, Trafalgar Park in Salisbury, interior scenes in Badminton House and land on Ennerdale Water. If you continue travelling through Europe, the first scene of the horror flick was filmed at Schwabenpark in Kaiserbach, Germany which acts as the Cambridge Primate Research Centre.
The sequels 28 Weeks Later and 28 Years Later were also filmed primarily in the UK.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Location: Round Rock, Leander and Kingsland, Texas, USA
It may seem on-the-nose but the 1974 horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was indeed filmed in the state of Texas, primarily around Austin, Leander, and Round Rock. The majority of the film was set around the dilapidated rural farmhouse that acted as home to Leatherface and his family. During filming the building stood in Round Rock on Quick Hill Road, but the structure was moved to Kingsland and was named Grand Central Cafe, part of the Antler’s Inn complex. This restaurant at 1010 King Court has since been renamed Hooper’s, in honour of the director of the film Tobe Hooper. Quite the transformation from the scenes with hanging roadkill.
The opening grave robbing scene in the film was shot at Bagdad Cemetery in Leander. The roadside gas station and barbecue where Sally and the group stopped can be found at 1073 TX-304, Bastrop. You can be found at 1073 TX-304, Bastrop where you can grab a bite at We Slaughter Barbecue and browse horror-themed memorabilia in the gift shop.
The dirt road scene at the end of the film, when Sally jumps into the back of a truck, and Leatherface wildly wields his chainsaw, was filmed on County Road 172 near Round Rock. While the road is less rustic and has changed significantly since filming, you may still spot landmarks like trees and telephone poles.
Embark on a spooky getaway
Contact a CAA Travel Consultant and book an online appointment to start planning your Halloween movie-themed trip. Our travel experts can help you plan your ideal itinerary so you can visit your favourite film set locations worldwide.
