If you’re brave (or nuts) enough to take on these places, you should know that some of them may be haunted in real life.
#1 The Shining (1980)
Where: The Stanley Hotel, Colorado, United States
Go if: You’re just interested in horror stories but don’t want to be in one.
Contrary to popular belief, Timberline Lodge in Oregon did not actually serve as the façade of the doomed Overlook Hotel, though a mock-up of the lodge was used for filming in Elstree Studios in England. So if you intend to relive The Shining, you should visit The Stanley Hotel, the actual hotel that inspired Stephen King to write his horror classic. It counts, because a 1997 television remake features Stanley Hotel as a film set, and it has had its own real hauntings. Join their Night Spirit Tour, but don’t expect jump-scares – it’s meant to be an educational experience, albeit a spooky one. (Trying not to think about that scene with the blood right now.)
#2 The Haunting (1963)
Where: Ettington Park Hotel, Warwickshire, United Kingdom
Go if: You want to see a ghost.
The movie was based on the novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. The exterior shots in the movie were filmed at the neo-gothic mansion Ettington Park in England – it is now Ettington Park Hotel, apparently one of the most haunted hotels in the UK. There have been reports of supernatural activity, including an old woman in Victorian clothing being spotted walking along in the conservatory entrance. And in the library, the ghost of a man has been seen, reportedly just hanging out with his beloved dog. It doesn’t sound like anything sinister, but we’d honestly much rather not find out.
Read also: Do you dare? Here are some of the most haunted places in Asia
#3 The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Where: Oakley Court, Berkshire, United Kingdom
Go if: You wanna do the time warp again.
You could say Oakley Court was made for the big screen. If you’re an old-school horror movie fan, you’d recognise it in the exterior shots of some of the Dracula films (starring Christopher Lee). But what really sealed its presence in the horror sphere is The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the cult horror musical flick people still can’t stop watching or restaging, even today. Tim Curry’s Dr Frank ‘N’ Furter lives in this castle, where… well, find out when you watch it. It’s not going to keep you up at night, but – and this is never said for most horror movies – is really quite fun.
#4 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Where: Last Chance Gas Station, Texas, United States
Go if: You’re hungry for BBQ.
Ah, that classic dodgy American horror movie fixture: the derelict gas station. In a twist of fate, someone bought the real-life Texas Chainsaw Massacre filming location and turned it into a nice barbeque joint, motel and boutique selling memorabilia from the movie. We’re happy to tell you that the barbeque joint definitely doesn’t use human meat. We’re uh, pretty sure.
#5 As Above, So Below (2014)
Where: Paris catacombs, France
Go if: You’re definitely not claustrophobic, because this is claustrophobia nightmare.
In As Above, So Below, a group of friends venture into the Paris catacombs in search of a philosopher’s stone and get lost in there. They have to face their inner demons before they can find the way out. It was filmed in the real Paris catacombs, which is actually open for guided tours of the human bone-lined walls. The catacombs, which were previously a network of underground quarries, hold the remains of around 6 million Parisians. Why anyone would want to wander off by themselves in search of magical stones, we cannot imagine.
Read also: Secret superstitions: Things the hotel staff won’t tell you
