15 Abandon Movie Sets You Can Visit

Have you ever been watching a movie and simply gotten lost in the dreamy landscape in the background? Maybe you've wondered what it's actually like in the Shire, on Tatooine, or even in District 12? Well, now you can visit those spots and find out for yourselves!

Since the dawn of major cinematic production, Hollywood has spent millions of dollars on movie sets they've simply abandoned after use, most of which are still standing today. Many of your favorite blockbusters sets are in fact free places you can visit still, abandon yet still shrouded in all their Hollywood style glory.

Below we have listed the most famous movie sets still accessible today within the United States. We will get you there, you just have to tell us which spot you are going to first!

  1. Hunger Games 
    Visit District 12, a real life abandon 1920's era textile community in Henry River Mill Village, North Carolina. 
  2. Pirates of the Caribbean
    Even Captain Jack Sparrow can't resist the scenery here at the spot of the first film in the series' shooting in Wallibou, Anchorage. 
  3. Zero Dark 30 and Iron Man
    Several famous movies have been shot here at the Blue Cloud Movie Ranch in California, these two just the tip of the iceberg.
  4. The Patriot
    The Old Spanish Mission seen in the film is located in Cypress Gardens, South Carolina. Though abandon, it is still just as beautiful.
  5. The Abyss
    Since it was mostly filmed underwater it may be hard to believe, but The Abyss was actually filmed in Gaffney, South Carolina, within an unfinished Cherokee Nuclear Plant filled with water.
  6. Looper
    Though it was only a small scene in this action-packed flick, it is still recognized by tourists, the small town diner featured located in Napoleonville, Louisianna. 
  7. Field of Dreams
    Perhaps one of the most widely visited movie locations in the U.S is the Field of Dreams, an actual field in Dubuque County, Iowa. They built it, and now the tourists come.
  8. Big Fish
    If you are a Tim Burton fan then you may already know about this Montgomery Alabama site, the real life mystical town of Spectre.
  9. Blues Brothers
    The abandon mall scene was filmed at the already abandon Dixie Square Mall located in Harvey, Illinois. You can still visit today!
  10. Session 9
    Though maybe unknown to you, this popular cult horror film was actually shot in a real abandon mental hospital, the Danvers State Hospital in Danvers, Massachusettes. 
  11. 12 Monkeys
    Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt had a hand in picking the location of this film, a good portion of the scenes shot in the East State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  12. Girl Interrupted
    You can head to the very hospital many scenes were shot in for this movie by visiting Harrisburg Pennsylvania, the hospital called the Harrisburg State Hospital.
  13. MASH
    The MASH Movie was filmed just 25 miles south of Los Angeles, California within the Malibu Creek State Park. You can actually still see the famous sign used in the films!
  14. The Fugitive
    Head to the scene of The Fugitive's infamous movie bus crash in Dillsboro, North Carolina. 
  15. Jurassic Park
    At Kualoa Ranch in Oahu, your group can see the sites of Jurassic Park, minus the terrifying dinosaurs.

 

On a more global scale, you can find sets from more major blockbuster hits such Star Wars (Tunisia and Morroco, North Africa), Full Metal Jacket (London), Lord of the Rings (North Island, New Zealand), Batman (Buckinghamshire, England), and Schindler’s List (Krakow, Poland). Consider taking your friends, family, or theater group to these sets, the scenes providing the next backdrop for your group tour.

Photo by: Billiedramos pixabay

Lord of the Rings Set


If you have a movie in mind you would like a real world experience of, give us a call you will be surprised what adventures we can dig up for your group.