15 Spine-Chilling Destinations Every Stephen King Fan Must Visit

6. The American Can Company – New Orleans, Louisiana

While The Green Mile is set in a 1930s Louisiana prison, the Cold Mountain Penitentiary seen in the film wasn’t actually filmed at an existing prison. Instead, its foreboding, aged-brick exterior was brought to life using the American Can Company building in New Orleans, Louisiana. This historic factory, which once manufactured tin cans and other industrial goods, was repurposed into a chillingly authentic film set for the beloved Stephen King adaptation starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan. Although the eerie death row scenes were shot on meticulously built soundstage sets, the exterior shots of the penitentiary—where John Coffey and his fellow inmates awaited their fate—were filmed at this real-life industrial site. The factory’s worn-down, weathered brick walls and large, iron-framed windows gave the setting an eerie, timeworn authenticity that perfectly captured the bleak yet poignant atmosphere of the story. Featured In: The Green Mile (1999 film)