Whether your cinematic tastes tend more toward spine-tingling suspense, bloody gore, cheesy horror, or light-hearted fantasy, watching spooky movies is one of the best ways to get into the Halloween spirit. Since we can’t quite hop aboard flying broomsticks of our own and travel directly into the worlds of such films, visiting halloween movie filming locations in real-life is the next best thing. Although these destinations can be visited any time of the year, planning your “location vacation” during October often comes with special seasonal perks, like film screenings and even whole town transformations into their on-screen counterparts.
From creepy cabins to haunted hotels, these 10 halloween movie filming locations all have something to offer. Since some of these movies were filmed in part in private homes and businesses or small, off-the-main-tourist-path communities and landscapes, set-jetting cinephiles should remember to respect locals and follow “Leave No Trace” principles. Happy h(a)unting!
East Corinth, Vermont
Nestled among the rolling hills of eastern Vermont, the village of East Corinth is as quaint and picture-perfect as its on-screen miniature model in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice. A small hamlet within larger Corinth, this quiet community became the fictional town of Winter River, Connecticut for the 1988 film and again in 2023 for the sequel. Sorry, no sandworms or Maitland house (it was only built for the films), but fans can see landmarks like the white-steepled East Corinth Congregational Church, the building that housed Maitland Hardware, and the old Masonic Lodge which stood in as Miss Shannon’s School for Girls. This is a teeny-tiny town, albeit one of great beauty, best visited as a stop on a larger leaf-peeping New England road trip—perhaps on an arcing drive between Woodstock and Burlington.
St. Helens, Oregon
Used in both the Halloweentown films as well as Twilight, St. Helens, Oregon has some major Halloween movie cred. Luckily for fans of both franchises, it happily leans into its reputation. Each fall, the Spirit of Halloweentown festival takes over this riverside town with themed decorations like the Halloweentown Square with a giant jack-o-lantern statue, a haunted house, and pumpkin lighting ceremonies.
For New Moon, St. Helens stood in as Port Angeles in scenes including when Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan goes book shopping at the Thunderbird & Whale bookstore (which is actually a private residence). It’s also the site of Bella’s house, which can be booked as an Airbnb and is furnished to resemble the film sets. Apart from St. Helens, Twihards will find plenty of filming locations around the Portland area, like Forest Park and its rich foliage, home to the Cullen’s contemporary residence (in reality the private Hoke House). You can even grab a bite at the same table as Bella and Charlie in the Carver Cafe in Damascus. Kalama High School in Kalama, Washington, is another key filming spot for its use as the exterior of Forks High School.
Timberline Lodge, Oregon
Instead of the Colorado Rockies—where Stephen King first envisioned The Shining at the Stanley Hotel—Kubrick’s film adaptation looked northwest and found its Overlook Hotel in Oregon’s Timberline Lodge. A remote mountain lodge on the slopes of Mount Hood roughly an hour from Portland, Timberline’s rustic facade was used in establishing shots of the Overlook, introducing audiences to the hotel’s eerie exterior and isolated locale. The property gives nods to its on-screen fame with memorabilia, souvenirs, and occasional film screenings, but unlike the Overlook, Timberline does stay open all winter for ski season. The architect behind Timberline was also responsible for the hotel that inspired the film’s lobby and lounge design, Yosemite National Park’s Ahwahnee Hotel.
