7 suspenseful Georgia-filmed movies and shows

Georgia has become a popular location for Hollywood films in recent years, thanks to the striking topography of the region (and state tax breaks). It just so happens that many films and television shows filmed in Atlanta are related to vampires, zombies, mass murderers and other general post-apocalyptic horrors (yikes!). So as we countdown to Halloween, grab your popcorn and rewatch these seven scary movies and television shows, then get in the car and explore the various sites around Georgia where they were filmed.

Friday the 13th: Part VI - Jason Lives

Beware! Jason Voorhees is resurrected in this sixth edition of the “Friday the 13th” series. The film takes place in multiple Georgia towns, including Madison, Covington, and Rutledge, which serve as various locations in Camp Crystal Lake/Forest Green from the film.

Halloween II

Watch out for Michael Myers at these filming locations where the 2009 version of “Halloween II” was filmed. Many pivotal scenes were filmed in the Newton County town of Covington, including the historic town square, as well as Twelve Oaks Bed and Breakfast. Additionally, the InterContinental Hotel in Buckhead is another prominent location scene. Other small Georgia towns that served as filming locations include Madison, Newborn and Oxford.

Scream 2

Agnes Scott College and Georgia Institute of Technology may both be scary when it comes to their difficulty levels, but “Scream 2″ takes the fear factor of these two universities to a whole new level. Both school campuses were the site of Windsor College, the site of multiple murders by the return of Ghostface during Sidney Prescott’s attendance.

Stranger Things

Atlanta and surrounding towns in Georgia (including Jackson and Palmetto) have become known for turning into 80′s-era Hawkins, Indiana. In Atlanta, now-defunct Gwinnett Place Mall was the location for Starcourt Mall, the prominent mall in season three of the series, while the Hawkins Laboratory is located at Emory University’s Briarcliff Campus and the Hawkins Community Pool is located in South Bend Pool in Fulton County. Meanwhile, Sleepy Hollow Farm in Powder Springs was pivotal in season two as the location of Hopper’s cabin.

The Vampire Diaries

Transport to Mystic Falls when you visit Covington. Bite into a Southern plate at the Mystic Grill, the restaurant inspired by the same one featured on the show. You can stay at the Twelve Oaks Bed and Breakfast, as well as the Lockwood Mansion (spend the night at the carriage house, available on Airbnb for $575 a night). Find out more with Mystic Falls Tours to explore some of the additional spots featured on the show, such as Gilbert House and Mystic Falls Courthouse.

The Walking Dead

We all know the view from the Jackson Street Bridge that was featured in season one of “The Walking Dead.” The Coweta County town of Senoia is another location that has gained prominence as the town of Woodbury and the neighborhood of Alexandria. Meanwhile in Atlanta, the Cobb Energy and Performing Arts Centre served as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the show (even though the actual CDC is technically already in Atlanta, it couldn’t be filmed there for security reasons). Bellwood Quarry and the Goat Farm (both on Atlanta’s Westside) are additional film locations, and outside of Atlanta, the towns of Griffin and Hampton serve as the locations of some characters’ grim demise.

Zombieland

Avoid a zombie apocalypse at these Georgia filming locations for the film “Zombieland.” Wild Adventures Water and Theme Park in Valdosta, as well as the former location of Netherworld in Atlanta, was the site of Pacific Playland, while Chapman Drugs in Hapeville was in the film’s opening scene. Atlanta Motor Speedway also plays an important role in showcasing multiple abandoned cars, while the towns of Jackson and Newnan also are present in the film.