23 Creepiest Filming Locations Hollywood Has Ever Chosen
Hollywood may be known for glitz and glamour, but behind the bright lights and red carpets lie some of the eeriest, most unsettling filming locations ever chosen for the big screen. From abandoned asylums and haunted mansions to desolate ghost towns and cursed sets, these real-life places have brought some of cinema’s most terrifying moments to life. And sometimes, the horror wasn’t just in the script—many of these locations come with disturbing histories, chilling urban legends, and spine-tingling paranormal activity. We've updated our list to bring you the 23 creepiest filming locations Hollywood has ever used, uncovering the real-life mysteries and terrifying tales behind them. Whether they were chosen for their ominous atmosphere or ended up being the setting for real-life horrors, these locations prove that sometimes, the scariest part of a horror film isn’t just what’s on the screen—it’s where it was filmed. Brace yourself as we explore the most haunted, cursed, and bone-chilling places in movie history!
1. The Infamous Griffith Park
Griffith Park, a sprawling urban oasis in Los Angeles, is not only a popular filming location but also a site steeped in supernatural lore. Known for its scenic beauty, the park has been featured in numerous films, yet beneath its picturesque exterior lies a history of eerie occurrences. Legend has it that the park is cursed, haunted by the ghost of Don Antonio Feliz, a former owner who was allegedly cheated out of his land. Over the years, visitors have reported inexplicable sounds, ghostly apparitions, and an unsettling presence. Films like "Rebel Without a Cause" and "La La Land" have captured its allure, but the park’s haunted reputation adds an unnerving layer to its cinematic charm.
2. The Enigmatic Queen Mary
Docked in Long Beach, the Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner turned hotel, famous for its luxurious past and ghostly residents. This iconic ship has served as the backdrop for many films and TV shows, but it’s the spectral stories that captivate the imagination. During World War II, the Queen Mary was used as a troopship, earning the nickname "The Grey Ghost." Today, it’s said to be haunted by spirits of those who perished on board. Visitors and crew have reported strange noises, cold spots, and sightings of ghostly figures in period clothing. The ship’s eerie ambiance makes it a perfect setting for horror films and paranormal investigations, drawing filmmakers and ghost hunters alike.
3. The Mysterious Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, located on the Walk of Fame, is a historic landmark known for its celebrity guests and spectral inhabitants. Opened in 1927, the hotel has hosted Hollywood legends like Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. However, it’s the ghostly tales that add an air of mystery to its glamorous reputation. Guests have reported seeing the apparition of Marilyn Monroe in a mirror, and the ghost of actor Montgomery Clift is said to haunt the ninth floor. The hotel’s storied past and haunted reputation have made it a favored location for filming, blending Hollywood’s golden age with an eerie twist.
4. The Haunted Los Angeles Pet Cemetery
The Los Angeles Pet Cemetery, nestled in Calabasas, is one of the oldest pet cemeteries in the United States. This serene resting place for beloved pets has appeared in several films, including "Pet Sematary," drawing attention to its haunting atmosphere. Visitors have reported hearing the cries of phantom animals and feeling an inexplicable sadness. The cemetery’s tranquil yet eerie setting offers a poignant backdrop for films exploring themes of loss and the supernatural. Its unique blend of beauty and melancholy continues to inspire filmmakers seeking to evoke a sense of haunting nostalgia.
5. The Eerie Bronson Caves
The Bronson Caves, located in Griffith Park, are a popular filming location known for their rugged beauty and eerie ambiance. These man-made caves have appeared in countless films and TV shows, most notably as the Batcave in the 1960s "Batman" series. Despite their cinematic fame, the caves exude an unsettling aura, with visitors often reporting feelings of unease and disorientation. The caves’ dark, labyrinthine passages create a perfect setting for horror and sci-fi films, where the boundaries between reality and fiction blur. Their enduring appeal lies in their ability to evoke a sense of mystery and adventure, drawing filmmakers and thrill-seekers alike.
6. The Chilling Greystone Mansion
Greystone Mansion, a grand estate in Beverly Hills, is renowned for its opulent architecture and tragic history. Built in the 1920s by oil tycoon Edward Doheny, the mansion became infamous after the mysterious murder-suicide of Doheny’s son and his secretary. This tragic event has fueled rumors of hauntings, with visitors reporting ghostly apparitions and unexplained sounds. The mansion’s Gothic architecture and haunting past have made it a favored location for films like "There Will Be Blood" and "The Big Lebowski." Its eerie elegance and tragic history continue to captivate filmmakers, offering a hauntingly beautiful backdrop for tales of intrigue and suspense.
7. The Ghostly Millennium Biltmore Hotel
The Millennium Biltmore Hotel, located in downtown Los Angeles, is a historic landmark known for its grandeur and ghostly legends. Opened in 1923, the hotel has hosted numerous celebrities and dignitaries, but it’s the spectral tales that intrigue visitors. The Biltmore is said to be haunted by several ghosts, including a nurse in a white uniform and a woman in black. The hotel’s opulent interiors and haunted reputation have made it a popular filming location for movies like "Ghostbusters" and "The Italian Job." Its blend of elegance and mystery continues to inspire filmmakers, offering a perfect setting for stories of glamour and the supernatural.
8. The Spooky Old Los Angeles Zoo
The old Los Angeles Zoo, located in Griffith Park, is a forgotten relic of the city’s past. Abandoned in the 1960s, the zoo’s crumbling enclosures and eerie atmosphere have made it a favorite location for horror films and urban explorers. Visitors often report feeling a sense of unease, as if being watched by unseen eyes. The zoo’s haunting ambiance and decaying structures offer a chilling backdrop for films exploring themes of isolation and fear. Its unique blend of history and decay continues to captivate filmmakers, providing a perfect setting for tales of suspense and terror.
9. The Sinister Linda Vista Community Hospital
Linda Vista Community Hospital, located in Los Angeles, is a former hospital known for its haunted reputation and chilling history. Once a bustling medical facility, the hospital closed in the 1990s and has since become a popular location for horror films and paranormal investigations. Visitors have reported seeing ghostly apparitions, hearing disembodied voices, and feeling unexplained cold spots. The hospital’s eerie corridors and abandoned rooms offer a perfect setting for films exploring themes of death and the supernatural. Its haunting past and spectral tales continue to inspire filmmakers, offering a chilling backdrop for stories of fear and mystery.
10. The Bewitching Vasquez Rocks
Vasquez Rocks, located in Agua Dulce, is a natural rock formation known for its striking beauty and cinematic history. The rocks have appeared in numerous films and TV shows, including "Star Trek" and "Blazing Saddles," but it’s the eerie legends that add an air of mystery to their allure. Local folklore tells of ghostly apparitions and strange lights, with visitors often reporting feelings of unease. The rocks’ otherworldly landscape and haunting tales offer a perfect setting for films exploring themes of adventure and the supernatural. Their unique blend of beauty and mystery continues to captivate filmmakers, providing a stunning backdrop for tales of intrigue and wonder.
11. The Macabre Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery, located in Los Angeles, is a historic resting place for many of Hollywood’s legends. Known for its beautiful grounds and celebrity graves, the cemetery has also been the site of numerous ghostly sightings. Visitors have reported seeing the spirits of famous actors and hearing unexplained noises. The cemetery’s haunting beauty and spectral tales have made it a popular location for films and events, offering a perfect setting for stories exploring themes of mortality and the afterlife. Its unique blend of history and mystery continues to inspire filmmakers, providing a poignant backdrop for tales of life and death.
12. The Foreboding Elysian Park
Elysian Park, located in Los Angeles, is a sprawling urban park known for its scenic beauty and eerie legends. The park has been featured in numerous films, yet beneath its picturesque exterior lies a history of ghostly tales. Visitors have reported strange occurrences, including ghostly apparitions and mysterious lights. The park’s haunting atmosphere and spectral stories offer a perfect setting for films exploring themes of mystery and the supernatural. Its unique blend of beauty and fear continues to captivate filmmakers, providing a chilling backdrop for tales of suspense and intrigue.
13. The Creepy Point Dume
Point Dume, located in Malibu, is a beautiful coastal promontory known for its stunning views and eerie legends. The area has been featured in numerous films, including "Planet of the Apes" and "Iron Man," but it’s the ghostly tales that add an air of mystery to its allure. Visitors have reported seeing ghostly figures and hearing unexplained sounds, with local folklore telling of shipwrecks and lost souls. The area’s haunting beauty and spectral stories offer a perfect setting for films exploring themes of adventure and the supernatural. Its unique blend of beauty and mystery continues to captivate filmmakers, providing a stunning backdrop for tales of intrigue and wonder.
14. The Haunted Masonic Lodge – A Hidden Hollywood Secret
Tucked away in the heart of Hollywood, the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery is one of the most enigmatic and eerie filming locations that few people know about. This historic building, originally used by the Freemasons, is filled with strange symbols, secret passageways, and an unsettling energy that lingers long after the cameras stop rolling. Over the years, the lodge has been used as a setting for horror films, supernatural thrillers, and music videos, all taking advantage of its gothic architecture and shadowy corridors. What makes this place truly unsettling, however, are the reports of ghostly whispers, unexplained cold drafts, and flickering lights—phenomena that both visitors and production crews have experienced firsthand. Given its location within Hollywood Forever Cemetery, it’s no surprise that the lodge is rumored to be haunted by restless spirits. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, one thing is certain: the Masonic Lodge’s eerie ambiance adds an unmistakable air of mystery and dread to any film shot within its walls.
15. The Infamous Sowden House – L.A.'s Real-Life Horror Mansion
Lurking in the heart of Los Angeles, the Sowden House is a place that exudes an unsettling aura, making it one of Hollywood's most notorious filming locations. Designed by architect Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright) in a Mayan Revival style, the house’s imposing structure and shadowy corners have made it a go-to setting for horror films and psychological thrillers. Its menacing, temple-like facade and labyrinthine interior were even used as the home of the twisted protagonist in The Black Dahlia (2006), which is eerily fitting—because the house has a real-life connection to one of the most infamous unsolved murders in history. Dr. George Hodel, a wealthy and eccentric physician, once lived in the Sowden House, and many believe he was the true killer behind the brutal 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short, aka the Black Dahlia. Some investigators claim that Short was tortured and killed within these very walls, with the house's unique design helping to muffle any screams. The rumors, combined with its eerie aesthetics, have made the Sowden House a chilling backdrop for Hollywood productions, where fiction and real-life horror blend into one.
16. The Winchester Mystery House – A Labyrinth of Haunting History
Few places in America are as mysterious and unsettling as the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California. Built by Sarah Winchester, the widow of the famous gun magnate, this sprawling mansion is an architectural oddity filled with secret passages, staircases that lead to nowhere, and doors that open into brick walls. Winchester, haunted by guilt over the deadly legacy of her family’s firearms, allegedly built the house in a never-ending state of construction to appease the spirits of those killed by Winchester rifles. The mansion’s bizarre, maze-like design has been featured in horror films like Winchester (2018) and has served as inspiration for countless haunted house stories. Film crews often report strange occurrences—from doors slamming shut on their own to whispers echoing through empty hallways. Whether you're filming a supernatural thriller or just visiting, the Winchester Mystery House remains one of the creepiest and most puzzling locations in Hollywood's history.
17. The Abandoned Rockhaven Sanitarium – A Forgotten Asylum for Hollywood's Elite
Rockhaven Sanitarium, located in La Crescenta, California, was once an exclusive mental institution for Hollywood’s troubled starlets and wealthy women during the early 20th century. This eerie, crumbling institution housed patients like Marilyn Monroe’s mother, Gladys Pearl Baker, and other forgotten figures of Hollywood’s golden age. Though abandoned for years, Rockhaven’s decaying walls and forgotten medical rooms make it an unsettling and hauntingly cinematic location, drawing filmmakers in search of authentic asylum horror aesthetics. The building has been used in several paranormal investigation shows, and people who visit claim to hear phantom voices, see shadowy figures lurking in doorways, and feel an eerie sensation of being watched. A few horror films have secretly shot scenes within its halls, but given its dark history and lingering spirits, Rockhaven remains one of Hollywood’s most haunted and unsettling film locations.
18. The Ancient Ram Inn – A Gateway to Darkness
Though located in Gloucestershire, England, the Ancient Ram Inn has become a favorite for horror films and is widely considered one of the most haunted buildings in the world. Dating back to the 12th century, this eerie inn was reportedly built on an ancient pagan burial ground and has a history filled with ritual sacrifices, ghostly apparitions, and demonic activity. The inn’s chilling reputation has attracted numerous film productions and paranormal investigation crews. People who have stayed there—including actors and directors—have reported being pulled from their beds, hearing disembodied screams, and even witnessing shadowy figures lurking in doorways. Filming here is said to be so unsettling that some crews have refused to return, making it one of the creepiest locations ever chosen for a horror movie backdrop.
19. The Abandoned Six Flags New Orleans – A Real-Life Post-Apocalyptic Theme Park
Once a bustling amusement park, Six Flags New Orleans has stood abandoned since Hurricane Katrina devastated the area in 2005. Left to decay, the park has transformed into a hauntingly eerie ghost town, with rusting roller coasters, flooded attractions, and nature slowly reclaiming the land. The park’s eerie emptiness and crumbling rides have made it a prime filming location for post-apocalyptic and horror films, including Jurassic World (2015), which used its dilapidated setting to create a dystopian atmosphere. Filmmakers aren’t the only ones drawn to this creepy urban ruin—urban explorers who sneak inside report strange noises echoing through the empty park, shadowy figures moving in the distance, and a heavy sense of unease. Once a place of joy and laughter, Six Flags New Orleans is now one of the most unsettling film locations Hollywood has ever chosen, proving that nothing is creepier than a theme park frozen in time.
20. The Desolate Salton Sea – A Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland
Once a thriving vacation hotspot, California’s Salton Sea is now a decaying, abandoned wasteland, making it a perfect filming location for post-apocalyptic and horror films. The eerie landscape is filled with decaying houses, rotting boats, and thousands of dead fish littering the shoreline, creating an otherworldly and unsettling atmosphere. Movies like The Salton Sea (2002) and Into the Wild (2007) have taken advantage of its ghost town vibes, but locals claim the area carries a strange, heavy energy. Some believe the high salinity and toxic air have caused hallucinations, while others report shadowy figures wandering through the abandoned buildings at night. If you're looking for a film location that feels straight out of a dystopian nightmare, the Salton Sea delivers.
21. The Overlooked Spahn Ranch – A Place of Cultish Horror
Spahn Ranch, once a humble Western movie set in Los Angeles County, became infamous when Charles Manson and his followers moved in during the late 1960s. While it was originally used to film classic Westerns and TV shows, it became synonymous with one of the most notorious cult murders in history—the Tate-LaBianca killings. Despite its horrific past, Spahn Ranch has continued to be a sought-after filming location for eerie and historical thrillers. Today, the land is mostly deserted, but people who visit claim to hear disembodied voices, distant chanting, and even see ghostly apparitions lurking among the ruins. The energy here is palpably dark, making it one of the most chilling film locations Hollywood has ever utilized.
22. The Abandoned Old L.A. County Hospital – A Forgotten Medical Nightmare
Perched in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, the Old Los Angeles County General Hospital is a relic of the past—one that exudes an eerie presence long after it shut its doors. Built in 1933, this towering, Art Deco-style hospital once housed thousands of patients and served as the backdrop for decades of Hollywood productions, from Halloween II (1981) to Bates Motel. However, what makes this place truly terrifying is what lingers inside. Once one of the busiest hospitals in the country, it was also one of the most overcrowded. Thousands of patients, including victims of violent crimes, tuberculosis, and the mentally ill, spent their last days in these dimly lit halls. After its closure in 2008, the hospital was abandoned—leaving behind empty operating rooms, rusting gurneys, and forgotten medical records scattered on the floor.
23. The Waverly Hills Sanatorium – The Most Haunted Hospital in America
Located in Louisville, Kentucky, Waverly Hills Sanatorium is one of the most famous haunted locations in the world, used for countless paranormal films and documentaries. Originally a tuberculosis hospital, thousands of patients died in agony within its walls, and their spirits are said to still linger. Film crews who have shot inside Waverly Hills often experience unexplained activity—disembodied voices, shadow figures, and sudden temperature drops. The most infamous part of the building is the "body chute", a tunnel used to transport the dead without disturbing the other patients. Even the bravest filmmakers admit Waverly Hills is one of the most terrifying places they’ve ever worked.
Embracing the Shadows
As our journey through Hollywood’s 23 eeriest filming locations comes to an end, we are reminded of the allure of the unknown and the power of storytelling. These sites, each with their own haunting tales, offer a glimpse into the darker side of Hollywood, where reality and fiction intertwine. From the ghostly corridors of the Queen Mary to the eerie beauty of Vasquez Rocks, these locations continue to inspire filmmakers and captivate audiences. By daring to delve into the shadows, we uncover the mysteries that lie within, embracing the stories that haunt us from the silver screen’s darkest corners.
