Bear wanders into 'The Shining' hotel in Colorado
Bear surprised staff at the Colorado hotel that inspired Stephen King's 'The Shining.'
Love that feeling you get when you watch a scary movie — when goosebumps appear on your arms and chills run down your spine? You can get all that and more by visiting the sites of your favorite scary films.
Whether you want to see where Pennywise scared children or where Rosemary discovers something is wrong with her baby, just follow our guide and we'll take you to the places where the world's greatest monsters came to life.
“Halloween”
Despite being set in Haddonfield, Illinois, the infamous “Halloween” film was shot in Pasadena, California. Today, you can visit some of the most iconic sites like the home of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) on Oxley Street, Haddonfield High which is actually South Pasadena High School and the Michael Myers house that has been renovated to be the Century House at 1000 Mission Street.
“The Shining”
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, may have inspired Stephen King's “The Shining,” but it isn't the hotel that you'll see in the film. That hotel is found in Mount Hood, Oregon, and it's called the Timberline Lodge. The property was used for the hotel exterior shots in “The Shining.”
If you visit, don't be surprised if you can't find the maze or the interiors don't look familiar — they were both built at a studio in Hertfordshire, England.
“The Exorcist”
Your head will spin when visiting the awesome filming locations of “The Exorcist.” The Hatra temple complex in Iraq where Father Merrin confronts the demon, Pazuzu, is by far the furthest film location, however, most of the other sites are found in Washington D.C. Georgetown University's Dahlgren Chapel is desecrated in the film.
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The Tombs bar can be seen in the original film and “The Exorcist III.” The stairs that Father Karras falls down can be found in the Georgetown neighborhood — they connect Prospect Street to M Street.
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” took advantage of some creepy locations in Texas and today two of those locations are keeping the film alive. The grisly gas station of the film is now a barbecue restaurant called The Gas Station. In addition to good food, it has cabins for rent and cool memorabilia from the film including a replica of the van in the movie.
As for the Sawyer home, it was originally in Round Rock, Texas, but later dismantled, transported and rebuilt in Kingsland, Texas, where it's now a restaurant called the Grand Central Cafe.
“The Birds”
Alfred Hitchcock filmed “The Birds” in Bodega Bay, California, after seeing its treeless hills and foggy harbor. Visit Bodega Bay today and you can see the Potter Schoolhouse and the nearby Saint Teresa of Avila Church, both of which appeared in the film. You'll recognize Taylor Street as the spot where the children ran from the schoolhouse.
An image of Potter Schoolhouse, which appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's famous 1963 film "The Birds." (Google Maps)
Take time to have a meal at the Tides Wharf and Restaurant, the site of some restaurant and boat dock scenes.
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