Nine Halloween Filming Sites You Can See, From Japan to Vermont

Watching spooky movies is one of the finest ways to get into the Halloween spirit, regardless of your preference for lighthearted fantasy, cheesy horror, graphic gore, or spine-tingling tension. The next best thing is to visit the real-life places where Halloween movies are filmed, because we can't exactly go on our own flying broomsticks and enter the worlds of these movies. While many locations are open throughout the year, scheduling your "location vacation" for October frequently offers unique seasonal benefits, such as movie screenings and even town-wide transformations into their fictional counterparts.

These ten Halloween movie filming sites, which range from eerie cottages to scary hotels, all have something to offer. Set-jetting moviegoers should keep in mind to show locals respect and adhere to the "Leave No Trace" philosophy, as several of these films were partially shot in private residences and businesses or in small, off-the-main tourist path communities and landscapes. Cheers to h(a)unting!

East Corinth, Vermont

As charming and idyllic as its smaller version in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, East Corinth is a town tucked away among the undulating hills of eastern Vermont. This sleepy neighborhood, a tiny hamlet inside the bigger Corinth, was transformed into the made-up town of Winter River, Connecticut for the 1988 movie and the 2023 follow-up. Fans may visit iconic locations including the white-steepled East Corinth Congregational Church, the building that housed Maitland Hardware, and the former Masonic Lodge that served as Miss Shannon's School for Girls. Alas, there are no sandworms or Maitland house—it was only constructed for the movies. The ideal way to see this tiny, yet incredibly beautiful, hamlet is as a stop on a longer road trip through New England, maybe on an arcing drive between Woodstock and Burlington.

St. Helens, Oregon

St. Helens, Oregon has a lot of Halloween movie notoriety because it was used in both the Twilight and Halloweentown movies. It eagerly capitalizes on its reputation, which is fortunate for fans of both franchises. With themed decorations like the Halloweentown Square featuring a large jack-o'-lantern statue, a haunted house, and pumpkin lighting ceremonies, this riverfront town is transformed every fall for the Spirit of Halloweentown celebration.

In sequences such as when Kristen Stewart's character Bella Swan shops for books at the Thunderbird & Whale bookstore (which is actually a private home), St. Helens was used to represent Port Angeles in New Moon. Additionally, it is the location of Bella's home, which is furnished to mimic the movie scenes and is available for rent as an Airbnb. In addition to St. Helens, Twihards will find a lot of places to film in the Portland region, such as Forest Park with its lush vegetation, which is the location of the Cullens' modern home (actually the private Hoke House). In Damascus, you can even eat at the same table as Bella and Charlie at the Carver Cafe. Another important location for filming is Kalama High School in Kalama, Washington, which serves as the backdrop for Forks High School.

Timberline Lodge, Oregon

In Kubrick's film adaptation, the Overlook Hotel was located in Oregon's Timberline Lodge, looking northwest rather than the Colorado Rockies, where Stephen King originally had the idea for The Shining at the Stanley Hotel. The Overlook's creepy appearance and secluded location were introduced to viewers through establishing shots of Timberline, a rustic mountain lodge on the slopes of Mount Hood about an hour from Portland. The Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park, which served as the model for the lobby and lounge design in the movie, was designed by the same architect who created Timberline.

Salem, Massachusetts

Despite Salem's lengthy history of suspected witchcraft, three of its most well-known witches—the fanciful Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus—only appear on screen. Some of the filming locations for this 1993 cult hit are accessible for visits, while others are private homes, such as Max and Dani Dennison's mid-Victorian mansion at 4 Ocean Avenue. Visit Allison Watts' residence in the magnificent Ropes Mansion, designed in the Georgian Colonial style, and travel back in time to Salem in the 1600s, as depicted at the beginning of the movie, at the Pioneer Village living history museum. The statue of actress Elizabeth Montgomery in Lappin Park is another destination for Bewitched fans.

Whidbey Island, Washington

Filmmakers chose Coupeville on Washington's Whidbey Island to bring the magical, burnt-orange autumn world of Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic to life in their 1998 film of the same name because it is a perfect replica of a seaport in Massachusetts, with its historic waterfront on the shores of Penn Cove. Enjoy the Haunting of Coupeville's seasonal events, which include costume competitions, pumpkin races, and Practical Magic screenings with midnight margaritas. You can also take a self-guided walking tour of downtown Coupeville and Front Street to see filming locations, such as the building used for Sally's Verbena Botanicals. What about the cherished Owens residence? Although the actual house was only a shell that was taken down after filming, you can still see the location of the house in San Juan County Park on neighboring San Juan Island and take in other Victorian-style treasures, such as the charming John and Jane Kineth House in the Coupeville area.

Prague, Czech Republic

The Czech Republic was the ideal location for director Robert Egger's eagerly awaited remake of the 1922 horror classic Nosferatu, with its medieval villages and about 2,000 castles. Based on Bram Stoker's Dracula, this eerie tale of supernatural evil and deadly obsession allows horror fans to follow in the footsteps of the film's characters, from eerie Gothic landmarks like the 13th-century Rožmitál pod Třemšínem castle to prestigious Baroque buildings like Prague's Invalidovna complex. Start with a visit to Invalidovna, a former war veteran dormitory constructed in the 1730s, before traveling an hour southwest to the small, lakeside town of Rožmitál pod Třemšínem, whose name will appear onscreen. The film is set in Prague, the capital city, which also served as the location for a large portion of the filming at Barrandov Studios.

Scottish Highlands

There are more Harry Potter filming locations than you can swing a wand at in the United Kingdom. However, every Potterhead should have a particular place in their heart for the Scottish Highlands, which are both the mythical and actual location of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Visitors can schedule a return journey from Fort William to Malaig on the Jacobite steam train to make the journey themselves, or head to the summit of Loch Shiel to witness steam trains rolling across the magnificent arches of the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which was featured in multiple movies as a section of the Hogwarts Express' route. After that, take a fifteen-minute journey to Loch Eilt to see the island with trees that was Dumbledore's final resting place.

Oakley Court, England

Fans of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Hammer Horror films will recognize Oakley Court's Victorian Gothic exterior as it rises majestically over the River Thames in Windsor, England. The ornate exterior of this 1859-built stately country mansion turned opulent hotel has appeared in numerous movies, most notably as the castle of Dr. Frank N. Furter in the 1975 camp classic. But Hammer Film Productions, well renowned for its series of cult-favorite Gothic horror films from the mid-twentieth century, also regularly used it as a background or set for films like The Brides of Dracula.

Okutama, Japan

The lodge in the woods is one of the best clichés in scary movies, and J-horror lovers can experience the thrills and chills of cursed videotapes and TV-escaping spirits by staying in the cabin used to film the original Ring in the highlands about an hour outside of Tokyo. Many of the key sequences in the film were filmed in Cabin L-6 in the America Camp Village campground and outdoor leisure area, which is surrounded by maple, Japanese beech, and Japanese Judas forests in the Okutama Mountains. Sika deer and Asian black bears can be spotted during hikes in the nearby Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, though you should be happy not to see Sadako.