Given it’s Halloween weekend, there’s no better time to go through some of the best movie sets you can visit from films that’ll give you a fright!

From 80s classics to the movie that changed the horror genre forever, there’s something for everyone on this list:

Camp Crystal Lake – Friday The 13th

Did you once have nightmares about a machete-wielding figure in a hockey mask? Chances are, you were dreaming of the eerie shallows of Camp Crystal Lake, the location where the original Friday The 13th slasher film was set.

‘The slasher’ Jason Voorhees. Image: New Line Cinema (Pen of Geek – Friday the 13th: When Did Jason Voorhees Become the Hero of His Franchise?).

The camp is a favourite among fans of the movies, offering guided tours of the famous filming locations at the historic camp in Hardick, New Jersey, but get in quick, as tours have sold out in as little as eight seconds!

If you really want to get spooked, the camp runs screenings of the movie at the camp, and if you’re lucky, special guests, like Adrienne King, who starred in the first two films, or Harry Manfredini, who composed the soundtrack of your ‘dreams’ will be among the crowd.

Belanglo State Forest – Wolf Creek

Greg McLean’s 2005 thriller, Wolf Creek, is largely based on Ivan Milat’s horrific killing spree in the Belanglo State Forest where at least seven people lost their lives.

The forest itself is actually quite beautiful and a popular recreational destination for tourists and locals alike with quiet bush walking tracks and amazing trail riding opportunities for adrenaline junkies.

However, by night, the towering pine trees remind visitors of just how terrifying the forest would have been in the late 80’s and early 90’s when Milat was operating along the Hume Highway.

(Below image – Belanglo State Forest at night – Flickr)

In 2015, the operators of ‘Goulburn Ghost Tours’ appeared on Channel Ten to announce  it was cancelling its tour which was advertised as, “Come with us to Belanglo where Ivan Milat buried the bodies of his victims! Once you enter Belanglo State Forest, you may never come out.”

Seneca Creek State Park – The Blair Witch Project

The Blair Witch Project was once regarded as the scariest movie ever made by many enthusiasts of the horror genre. Filmed in 1999 in the Seneca Creek State Park, the movie follows three film students who travel to a small town to create a documentary about the ‘Blair Witch’.

Blair Witch Project. Image: Summit Entertainment (Dextero, Blair Witch director developing TV sequel with Host producer).

The story goes that the Blair Witch is the ghost of Elly Kedward, who was murdered and then terrorised the town of Burkittsville in the late 1700s. After losing their way in the forest, the trio are tracked down by the witch before coming face to face with the being at the sudden end to the film. 

One superfan of the film, Matt Blazi has put together the ‘Blair Witch Experience’, an annual event which takes fellow fans on a tour of the iconic locations seen in the found footage horror classic.

“Come out and visit all the locations for the filming of the Blair Witch Project. Starting in Burkittsville retrace the steps of Heather, Mike and Josh as the Haxan Films crew lead them through the woods in what would become one of the greatest and most influential independent horror films of our time,” the event site reads.

Joseph Sylvia State Beach – Jaws

Duhh dun, Duhh dun… It’s everyone’s favourite (or least favourite) shark movie, Jaws, which transformed the world’s perception of one of the oceans biggest predators when it was released in 1975. The blockbuster sold over 67 million tickets in cinemas when it was released, and is still a favourite nearly half a centuary later with thousands travelling to Universal Studios each year to enjoy the themed ride before it closed in 2012.

In 2015, Dr Christopher Neff, a public policy professor at the University of Sydney, coined the term, ‘The Jaws Effect’, which describes the enormous, detrimental impact that the movie Jaws had on the general public’s opinion of sharks.

“For a public with little knowledge about sharks, these films make these animals seem extremely dangerous and vindictive. Furthermore, they imply that hunting them is the only solution to protect people from sharks,” (Neff, 2015).

The beach scenes in Jaws were shot at Joseph Sylvia State Beach, in Oak Bluffs Massachusetts, which is a great spot for a dip or a dive off the bridge (if you’re brave enough). There are also a number of vineyards in the region which are ever popular and can even be travelled to via boat on a ‘two hour sailing tour of vineyard haven harbor and sound’. 

The Biltmore Los Angeles – Ghostbusters

Who you gonna call? I think the answer has already presented itself, and if you’re a fan of the 1984 hit film, you’ll likely recognise the lobby of the Biltmore hotel in Los Angeles. The hotel has been a favourite in showbiz, having hosted some of the early iterations of the Academy Awards (the Oscars), and more recently, it was been used for filming parts of the 2023 hit film, Oppenheimer.

The Millennium Biltmore Hotel: The story of an LA icon. (Source: Los Angeles).

Because of its star like status, the hotel was was designated a Los Angeles Historical-Cultural Monument in 1969. Nestled in the heart of Los Angeles, close to Hollywood with rooms and opulent suites that are meticulously designed to offer you the perfect blend of classic style and modern amenities it’s the perfect place to explore and discover Tinseltown.

Ghostbusters might be a bit more friendly for those with youngsters, the film uses the incredible lobby of the Biltmore as the set for ‘the Sedgewick Hotel’, which is forced to call the Ghostbusters out to capture their first ghost, ‘Slimer’.

Ghostbusters were called out to the Sedgewick Hotel, which in real life is the iconic Millennium Biltmore Los Angeles. In the ornate lobby of this hotel, with its chandeliers, marble columns and towering ceilings as backdrop, Bill Murray and his team caught their first ghost, ‘Slimer’.