Whether it is for celebrating Halloween or just for spending a cozy night at home with family and friends, horror flicks come in handy. The combined excitement of watching a great film and feeling scared makes for a unique experience. But why not take the thrill even further by exploring actual locations used in some of history's top-rated horror movies?
If you want to make your heart beat faster, just pay a visit to the real-life haunted houses we have for you!
Happy Halloween!
Guess what? Unlike many of his fellow directors, the scary-flick whiz John Carpenter decided to use a real house while filming his now-classic 1978 breakthrough movie "Halloween." What's even better is that the iconic house of the fictional serial killer Michael Myers is still standing!
If you're a big fan of slasher movies, you cannot miss the opportunity of visiting this one. It's located at 1000 Mission Street in South Pasadena, California. In 2022, David Gordon Green directed "Halloween Ends," the latest sequel to Carpenter's classic.
Rosemary's Apartment Building
Known either as The Bramford or The Dakota, the cooperative apartment building in the picture was featured in many media works—including the highly controversial Roman Polanski masterpiece "Rosemary's Baby." While Polanski didn't film in New York City, this building has nonetheless become an essential part of horror-flick history.
Interestingly enough, The Dakota has been home to countless celebrities, including the composer Leonard Bernstein, the actress Judy Garland, the football coach John Madden, and the musician John Lennon—who was assassinated at the building's entrance in 1980.
Paradise on Elm Street
It was used in the 1984 horror classic "Nightmare on Elm Street," but it's a dreamy abode that was sold for nearly $3 million in October 2021. This lavish property sits in an exclusive Los Angeles neighborhood and is hardly as ghostly as one would assume. After all, there's even a Whole Foods nearby!
NPR described it as a "Dutch Colonial with a modern twist," and we think that's a fitting account of this paradisiacal family abode. It features three bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, a pool, and a guest house.
The Real Texas Chain Saw Massacre Farmhouse
Many of the filming locations used in the classic horror movie "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" still exist and can be visited in Texas. These include the gas station (located in Bastrop), the cemetery (located in Leander), and, most importantly, the famous farmhouse—which can be found in Round Rock.
The famous farmhouse was later moved from Round Rock to Kingsland (also in Texas) to serve as a restaurant, meaning movie buffs can visit the place while enjoying some local food.
The Just-Sold Exorcist House
The 1973 cult film "The Exorcist" is arguably one of the most-beloved horror flicks of all time. The movie was filmed in many locations around New York City, and the facade of the house where all the action went down still exists. It belongs to a humble brick-covered home sitting at 3600 Prospect Street.
The house was only used for exterior scenes, and, according to NPR, it was unknowingly bought by a local couple—Danielle Witt and Ben Rockey Harris—in 2021.
The Shining Stanley Hotel
The exterior images of the hotel featured in Stanley Kubrick's thrilling classic "The Shining" were captured at Mount Hood, Oregon's Timberline Lodge. However, the inspiration for the hotel featured in the movie was the historic Stanley Hotel in Colorado.
The Stanley Hotel is a 140-room structure next to the Rocky Mountain National Park that's part of the National Register of Historic Places. The fictional Overlook Hotel, introduced in Stephen King's novel "The Shining," was modeled after this former all-American health retreat.
Architectural Wonder on Haunted Hill
One of the most extraordinary things about the 1959 crime-horror classic "House on Haunted Hill," starring Vincent Price and Carol Ohmart, is the hip exterior facade used for the haunted house itself. This impressive architectural wonder is real and still stands in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The actual building is known as the Ennis House and was designed by the late architect Frank Lloyd Wright. In 2019, it was sold to a couple of cannabis-industry investors for a whopping $18 million.
Screaming... For Fine Wine
"Scream" has got to be one of the most popular scary-film franchises of all time, and we bet every horror fan out there can recognize the house in the picture. Confirmed to return in the 2022 installment of "Scream," this property sits in Tomales, California, and is used routinely in guided tours.
According to HelloSydney, though, the experience of anyone who visits is much different from the experience of the characters in the movie. Why? Because, against all odds, guided tours end with a fine-wine tasting... Classy!
The House of the Seven Gables
The Nathaniel Hawthorne novel "The House of the Seven Gables" inspired many movies with the same name, including a 1940 classic featuring George Sanders and a 2022 TV movie. The mansion used in the filming is an actual location that serves as a colonial museum in Salem, Massachusetts.
The Tudor-styled mansion is for this reason open to the public, and the best part is that it has seven gables! A gable is defined as "the triangular part of a wall at the end of a ridged roof."
The Renovated Amitvylle House
"The Amityville Horror" is a 1979 movie directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder. Set at a haunted house, the horror flick made such a fuss among fans that the actual house used in the filming was not only entirely renovated but changed to a different address.
Due to the constant curiosity of moviegoers, the owners of the actual house used in "The Amityville Horror" decided to get rid of its classic quarter-round windows and change the address from 112 Ocean View to 108 Ocean View.
The House from Walt Disney's Hocus Pocus
Remember Ocean View in Salem, Massachusetts? The street is home not only to the house used in "The Amityville Horror" but also to the famous cupola house used in the filming of the 1993 movie "Hocus Pocus." Not exactly a scary flick, "Hocus Pocus" is nonetheless a Halloween classic for the whole family to enjoy.
Now a private residence, this Ocean View property was renewed by its current owners, who have decided to keep the recognizable exterior intact. It was initially constructed in 1870.
The Rocky Horror Hotel
Remember the 1975 cult movie "The Rocky Horror Picture Show?" The property that served as Frank N Furter's castle in the film was sold by an undisclosed sum in 2013 (as per BBC News) and currently serves as a hotel.
It's quite the hotel as well! The classic Windsor structure is the stuff of British Royalty and is now a perfectly bookable luxury attraction known as Oakley Court. Described as a "quintessential country house," Oakley Court features 118 bedrooms and was once visited by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The House From Psycho
The 1960 thriller classic "Psycho" is one of Alfred Hitchcock's finest works and is primarily set in the disturbing Bates Motel. It's one of the most recognizable buildings in the history of American cinema, but, as it turns out, it's not a real house.
According to Slate, the famous Bates Motel is nothing but "a set made of propped-up flats." However, it's still up and can be visited at Universal Studios Hollywood. Pieces from a real barn were used in the set's structure.
Listed Under the Stairs
Directed by Wes Craven, the 1991 movie "The People Under the Stairs" is a pretty scary one. However, that's no reason to be afraid of checking out the house used in the film. It's a real building, and according to Realtor.com, it hit the market in 2020 with a generous price tag of $2.4 million.
If you have the money, don't forget to check under the stairs before signing the papers! Who knows what you may end up finding there...
Sleep Like a Silent Lamb
The house used in "The Silence of the Lambs" is now a rental, which means anyone can pay to spend the night in one of the most iconic locations of '90s cinema. The New York City investor Chris Rowan couldn't believe it when the property was listed for $290K and decided to buy it immediately.
He transformed the place into a tourist site that, according to The Washington Post, features Hannibal Lecter-inspired dinner parties and other objects related to the movies.
Insidious Location
Another Californian landmark, the house used in the filming of the 2010 horror flick "Insidious" can be visited at 4350 Victoria Park Dr., Victoria Park. It should give any movie buff the chills! But scary as James Wan's 2010 masterpiece is, this 1909 suburban slice of heaven is quite the property.
For his outstanding work in modern-day horror classics such as "Insidious," Wan landed the opportunity of directing major Hollywood blockbusters such as the 2023 movie "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."
The Palace of Stoves... And Others!
The 2001 thriller "The Others" is a suspenseful movie with a big plot twist at the end. While almost entirely set in one location, the movie was filmed in a combination of three different places, including Oheka Castle in New York City and Penshurst Place in Kent.
The exterior, though, was shot in sunny Spain, in a Cantabrian palace known as the "Palacio de Los Hornillos" (or "Palace of Stoves" in English). Curiously enough, the property is currently used for hosting private events.
Ghoulies Mansion
Constructed in 1907, the Wattles Mansion in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles is perhaps best known for being the property used in the 1985 movie "Ghoulies." The beautiful historic house was also featured in the music video for Diana Ross's "Eaten Alive."
Known affectionately as "Jualita," Wattles is considered to be such a fine sample of Hollywood's golden age that's now owned by the city and open to visitors. It's surrounded by Wattles Park, a beautiful garden covering roughly 50 acres.
Private Poltergeist
A fan-favorite thriller, the 1982 classic "Poltergeist" helped to turn Steven Spielberg (then the movie's writer) into one of Hollywood's most celebrated filmmakers. Part of the flick's charm comes from the house where most of the action is set. But is it a real home?
According to CBS News, it is! Sitting in Roxbury Street, a small neighborhood north of Los Angeles, the "Poltergeist" house is now a regular family home. So please: respect their privacy and don't try to go in.
The Conjuring's Million-Dollar Farmhouse
While the '70s and '80s were the golden age of horror, James Wan's 2013 movie "The Conjuring" is considered to be one of the best recent examples of the genre. The house that inspired the movie is an authentic Rhode Island farmhouse, and according to Forbes, it was sold for $1.25 million in May 2022.
Important disclaimer: this location wasn't used for filming! Instead, it's the actual house where the Perron family (whose story inspired the events in "The Conjuring") was haunted during the '70s.
The House from... House
A mix of horror and comedy, the 1985 movie "House" was directed by Steve Miner and is set in a haunted house. Despite the film's light approach to horror, the place from "House" is relatively creepy-looking and has been sitting in the city of Monrovia, California, since the late 19th century.
Described by Patch.com as one of Monrovia's "premier mansions," this exquisite property is also known as Mills View and is one of the original 125 buildings built the same year Monrovia became an incorporated territory of the United States.
Drag Me to This House!
As one of Hollywood's top directors, Sam Raimi hit the bullseye with his 2009 horror flick "Drag Me to Hell." Part of the movie's charm comes from the beautiful house selected for the filming, which is a real property sitting at 1031 Everett Street, Echo Park, California. It was reportedly acquired by an unknown buyer for $1.3 million.
Due to its unique appeal and proximity to big movie studios, this Echo Park stunner was used in other movies too, including "Training Day" and "Blue Streak."
The Fake & Real Entity Houses
Inspired by a true story, the 1982 movie "The Entity" was based on a 1978 novel with the same name and used what now looks like a regular family home sitting in El Segundo, California for the filming. This interesting location can be found at 523 Sheldon Street.
As for the discreet home where the real Doris Bither was haunted by a demon, it's also still standing! You can visit it in Culver City, California, and it's even part of some tourist tours.
The Twilight House
The 1983 movie "Twilight Zone: The Movie" combines horror and science-fiction and stars the likes of Dan Aykroyd and Albert Brooks. The film features several short segments, one of which ("It's a Good Life") was directed by Joe Dante.
The house used in Dante's segment is a gorgeous Victorian property that's still standing today. The exterior used in the filming can be spotted by any movie buff who's willing to visit the Granada Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles. It was initially constructed in 1887.
The Rosenheim Mansion
The famous Rosenheim Mansion sits in Los Angeles and has the reputation of being a haunted house. Perhaps for that reason, it was used in several TV shows, in and outside the horror genre. The most famous examples include productions such as "Dexter," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Six Feet Under," and, more recently, "American Horror Story."
This notoriously creepy-looking mansion belongs to private owners but has been used for filming since the days of the Charlie Chaplin movies. It's a Los Angeles landmark!