The Walking Dead Filming Locations

Are you a die-hard fan of the cult series The Walking Dead and excited that it continues on October 23? Then you should definitely keep reading, because I'm taking you on a journey through Atlanta, specifically to the most famous filming locations of The Walking Dead.

Fans of The Walking Dead have something to rejoice about once again, as Season 8 of the hit series starts on October 23, 2017. Are you one of those fans who eagerly follow the survival struggle of the small group led by Sheriff Rick Grimes week after week and have always wondered where the scenes were actually filmed? For true enthusiasts, I have exactly what you need: I'm taking you on a journey to Atlanta in the state of Georgia to visit the filming locations of The Walking Dead. If you haven't seen all the seasons yet and don't want to read spoilers, just click on the links to the seasons you already know.

Season 1 | Season 2 & 3 | Season 4 | Season 5 | Season 6 | Season 7 | The Walking Dead Museum

Video: FilmSelect Trailer

The series begins on a dark note: injured Sheriff Rick Grimes awakens in an abandoned hospital from a coma, unaware of how the world around him has changed. In reality, the hospital from which Rick stumbles in the first episode is an administration building of the Atlanta Mission, where mountains of corpses pile up in the courtyard during the first scenes of the season. However, you won't find the door marked 'Don't open dead inside' at the Atlanta Mission, as all interior shots were filmed at Riverwood Studios near Atlanta.

The cozy suburb where Rick and Lori's house (which was damaged and looted during the apocalypse) is located is 15 kilometers away from the Atlanta Mission, right next to Grant Park, which also houses the Zoo Atlanta. It's best to rent a car locally if you want to visit all the filming locations in a short time. With the rental car, you can also drive on the Freedom Parkway, made famous by the first season's cover, the main road where Rick rides into the city on horseback and is ambushed by a large horde of zombies. Fellow survivor Glenn rescues Rick from this precarious situation and takes him to a camp with other survivors. Here, Rick also reunites with his wife Lori and his son Carl.

The survivor camp is located in the Westside Reservoir Park, where you also have a great view of Atlanta. Since attacks from the undead can occur at any moment and the group is searching for answers, they move on to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This center, which is depicted in the series as a bunker that ends up being blown to smithereens in the season finale, is actually a theater with a ballroom that hosts various performances and concerts regularly. All filming locations from Season 1 can be reached by car in a short time. Of course, you should also budget a few hours for the visit. You should plan to take two days to explore the filming locations of The Walking Dead in Atlanta, as there are additional locations in Season 4 to discover.

To visit the filming locations from Season 2, you must travel near the suburb of Senoia. Here, you will find Hershel's farm and his family. Unfortunately, the farm is privately owned, so you cannot visit it directly. In Senoia, the filming of Season 3 also took place. Close to the farm, you will find the Raleigh Studios, where the scenes in the abandoned prison that served as the group's hideout for a long time were filmed. Woodbury, the town of rivals led by the Governor who repeatedly tries to drive Rick's group out of their safe haven, is only about a 10-minute drive from the prison.

Do you remember the ghost town that was for sale on eBay? That very town served as a set for some scenes in Season 3. After Rick's wife Lori dies during childbirth in the prison, Carl searches in his hometown of Grantville, which is about a half-hour drive from Senoia, for a bed and food for the newborn. While the family's house was in Atlanta during Season 1, the scenes for Season 3 were now filmed in Grantville. Sometimes, tricks are used during filming.

In Season 4, Rick and company are finally driven out of the prison by the Governor and set out in several small groups towards Terminus, a supposedly safe sanctuary for all survivors. You can find the filming location for the Terminus scenes again in Atlanta, where a large freight depot was converted into a set. Gradually, the old and new members of the group gather here and escape from a location that turned out to be a deadly trap at the end of the season.

After Season 4 primarily took place on the tracks heading to Terminus, the filming locations in Season 5 became more diverse again. Once the group managed to escape Terminus, they found sanctuary in the church of Father Gabriel. You can find this church near Senoia, almost next door to the Raleigh Studios where the prison scenes were filmed. The church can also be entered.

Another storyline takes place in a hospital. The hospital actually exists. The filming location is Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, which was transformed into a zombie-infested place for the shoot. After the major showdown at the hospital, the remaining group members search for a new home. They look for Noah's hometown only to find that it is also completely destroyed. You can admire the locations of these scenes in Griffin, a half-hour drive from Senoia.

For the season finale, you have to return to a familiar place: In Senoia, apart from the Woodbury scenes, scenes in the safe community of Alexandria, where Rick and Co. are integrated by the end of Season 5, were also filmed.

In Season 6, we are still in the city of Senoia, as the main characters around Rick have now become permanent members of the Alexandria community. Right at the beginning of the season, a significant challenge awaits the somewhat timid residents of the community: a massive quarry filled with thousands of walkers is discovered near Alexandria. The quarry where the scenes take place is located near the city of Newnan, about 16 miles from Senoia. Anyone who has seen the first episodes of Season 6 knows that the plan to lead the walkers away from the quarry goes awry, and Alexandria is overwhelmed by the horde.

To make matters worse, the gang now encounters new enemies, an extremely ruthless gang led by Negan, who calls themselves the Saviors. Throughout the season, Rick and Co. also get acquainted with the Hilltop community surrounding 'Jesus'. The Hilltop also has a significant problem with the Saviors, and it is decided to storm the Saviors' headquarters to eliminate them once and for all. The headquarters, which features a massive satellite dish, is only 5 miles from the city of Woodbury. Simply follow Cove Road eastward. Interestingly, the final scene that scared fans worldwide was not filmed there but in the Raleigh Studios near Senoia. This property is privately owned and cannot be visited.

The scene that disturbed TwD fans worldwide:

Another storyline in Season 6 is Glenn's near-death experience and his girlfriend Maggie's pregnancy. Only throughout the season does the audience learn that Glenn, who was cornered by a large number of walkers with Nicholas and was thought to be dead, actually survived hidden under a dumpster. These zombie scenes were filmed in the city of Hampton, about 18 miles from Senoia.

In Season 7, the fight against the Saviors accelerates once again, as at the very beginning of the season, two of the main characters are brutally murdered by Negan, prompting the group to decide to fight the Saviors again. For this endeavor, Rick, Daryl, and Co. try to recruit allies from other communities that are also oppressed by the Saviors. Besides the already familiar Hilltop community surrounding Jesus, in Season 7, for example, the Kingdom led by Ezekiel is introduced. The scenes depicting the Kingdom were filmed at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, though unfortunately, they cannot be visited.

The reign of terror by fan-favorite Jeffrey Dean Morgan, better known as the villain Negan, keeps the peaceful communities on their toes in Seasons 7 and 8.

Another group introduced in Season 7 consists entirely of women, who live hidden in a coastal woodland. Tara washes up on Driftwood Beach, located near Brunswick on the Georgia coast, following a battle with a group of walkers and a life-saving leap into the water. With Tara's help, who befriends resident Cyndie, the Oceanside community finally gets prepared to fight against the Saviors by the end of Season 7.

The third group that seems to be joining the fight against the brutal Saviors is the Scavengers, led by Jadis, who live by stealing from a junkyard. The scenes at the junkyard were filmed at Raleigh Studios.

To wrap up your journey into the post-apocalyptic world of The Walking Dead, I recommend checking out the Woodbury Shoppe. In this café, real props like Daryl's bike are on display: a fantastic way for any fan to end a wonderful discovery journey with a behind-the-scenes look.

In 2016, The Walking Dead Attraction also opened at Universal Studios Hollywood, where you can immerse yourself in a world full of zombies - a must for any The Walking Dead fan!

Unlike the filming locations of Game of Thrones, nearly all The Walking Dead filming locations in Atlanta can truly be explored within a few days, allowing you to integrate an exploration tour of the metropolis well into a vacation. For example, traveling from Georgia to Miami is very feasible. Great hotels for every budget are available in both Atlanta and Senoia. You can find round-trip flights for around $500 to $800. Are there any true fans of The Walking Dead among you who would undertake a trip to these filming locations?