The Best Haunted Houses in Film and Television

If you know anything about the Dark Shadows universe, you might be familiar with the 2012 film Dark Shadows directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, and the television series of the same name (which ran from 1966-1971). But have you ever seen the 1970 film, House of Dark Shadows? To coincide with the spooky vibes of this movie, it only made sense to have these vampires live in a Gothic Revival property. Lyndhurst Mansion—which was built in 1838 in Tarrytown, New York, and counts railroad tycoon Jay Gould as one of its former owners—served as the exterior for the Collins family residence (aptly named Collinwood), while the Lockwood–Mathews Mansion in Norwalk, Connecticut acts as the interior. And, both of these mansions are now historic house museums, so you can bring this film to life by paying a visit!

We all know about The Haunting of Hill House, and more recently, The Haunting of Bly Manor—two of the most quintessentially spooky series to come out of Netflix—but The Haunting was actually a film first, in 1963, and again, in 1999. The novel The Haunting of Hill House, which was written by Shirley Jackson and published in 1959, served as the inspiration for both of these films, as well as the Netflix series of the same name. Harlaxton Manor was used for the exterior of Hill House in the 1999 film, and it might just be the most opulent house to come out of the many adaptations of this novel, which should come as no surprise given that English manor houses are typically pretty extravagant. This particular abode is a work of Jacobethan architecture, and it took 22 years to build, from 1832 to 1854.

Sure, Monster House has an impressive cast that you might not have noticed if you watched this movie as a kid (Steve Buscemi, Nick Cannon, and Maggie Gyllenhaal are some of the stars), but even the title clues you in that the house is the main attraction. Of course, it’s not just any old house—it’s a living, breathing haunted house unlike anything you would ever see at an overpriced scream park. The house may look normal at most hours, but it eventually comes alive and takes on a completely different look—it turns into a home that has its own face, complete with bright, glaring eyes (thanks to the upstairs windows) and what looks like a spiky set of teeth, but are actually jagged pieces of wood. This film uses the same live action motion capture animation that can be seen in The Polar Express (2004), so that makes the experience all the more realistic (and spooky).

Chances are, American Horror Story: Murder House is not the first time that the Rosenheim Mansion has appeared on your screen—it’s also made appearances in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Twilight Zone, Dexter, Spider-Man, and Bones. Given that this house is located in Los Angeles, it’s no wonder why it’s had a starring role in countless films and shows. The home, which was built in 1908, is named for its architect and original owner, Alfred Rosenheim, and its interior is filled with Peruvian Mahogany paneling, Persian rugs, and Tiffany stained glass windows. And the exterior? It’s a combination of both the Tudor and Collegiate Gothic styles of architecture. Just a few years after its murderous appearance on AHS, the Rosenheim Mansion sold for $3.2 million back in 2015.

Director Guillermo del Toro knows a thing or two about creating films with visuals that are probably unlike anything you’ve seen before (see The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth, and Hellboy), and Crimson Peak is no exception—at the time of its release, del Toro himself said this was his most beautiful film, and Stephen King called it “gorgeous” and “f***ing terrifying.” With praise this high, we know that just any old haunted house wouldn’t suffice for this film, so the Sharpe mansion exterior was actually created using CGI, while the interior shots were filmed at sites including Casa Loma and Dundurn Castle, both of which are located in Canada and are open to the public for tours (perfect for a Halloween-time getaway!).

Many of us may be binge-watching The Haunting of Bly Manor at the present moment (don't worry—we'll get to that show's house), but first came The Haunting of Hill House, and despite its fantastically creepy vibe in this series, the mansion that plays the role of Hill House is currently used as a wedding and event venue. Bisham Manor in LaGrange, Georgia acted as Hill House’s exterior, and the interior sets were created at EUE/Screen Gem Studios in Atlanta. The Tudor-style structure was built in the 1920s, and it just so happens that it was also used as a filming location for the next series on this list, Lovecraft Country!

HBO’s Lovecraft Country manages to weave horror, sci-fi, and the realities of racism into every single episode, making it a show in a league of its own, so it’s only befitting that the houses seen in this show are also on another level. The aforementioned Bisham Manor is used as the fictional Ardham Lodge, but it’s made to look even more grandiose thanks to CGI. It should be noted, however, that the actual haunted house in Lovecraft Country is another abode: the Parrott-Camp-Soucy House—or the Winthrop House, as it’s called in the series—where Letitia "Leti" Lewis moves and soon discovers is haunted by nine (!) spirits. Fortunately, through a draining exorcism, the spirits leave Leti and her impressive home alone. In real life, this Victorian home was built in 1842, and it’s located in Newnan, Georgia, just over half an hour from Bisham Manor.