43 Creepiest Locations Around The World To Be Actually Used In Film

2. Pripyat, Ukraine – Chernobyl’s Abandoned Ghost Town

Few places on Earth capture the essence of post-apocalyptic horror like Pripyat, the ghost town left behind after the catastrophic 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Once a bustling Soviet city, Pripyat was evacuated overnight, leaving behind a hauntingly frozen moment in time. The town’s eerie landscape of collapsing buildings, rusting amusement rides, and empty schools remains one of the most terrifying testaments to human catastrophe. Though it served as inspiration for the horror movie Chernobyl Diaries, actual filming had to take place elsewhere due to radiation risks. Even so, documentaries and found-footage horror films continue to use its haunting visuals to evoke the fear of abandonment and the unknown. Pripyat’s most iconic landmark, the rusted Ferris wheel in the abandoned amusement park, has become a symbol of eerie desolation, appearing in countless horror-themed projects. Silent except for the occasional sound of wind or distant wildlife reclaiming the land, Pripyat is an unsettling reminder of both real-life horror and the power of nature to erase civilization itself.