After filming has wrapped up and directors pack up their equipment, some sets are left behind in their wake. From the Spanish Mission in The Patriot to the District 12 village in The Hunger Games, these abandoned movie sets allow fans to travel and see a bit of cinematic history.
The Bus And Train From The Fugitive
One of the most intense scenes in The Fugitive is when Harrison Ford's character hops off a moving bus just before it is rammed in the side by a train. Amazingly, that entire scene was a practical effect that took one take.
Now, the mangled remains of both the bus and train can be found alongside the Smoky Mountain railroad outside Dillsboro, North Carolina.
The Gas Station From The Hills Have Eyes
Even though The Hills Have Eyes is set in America, the producers decided to travel to the sand-swept city of Ouarzazate, Morocco, to build the iconic creepy gas station.
Miraculously, the set is still so well intact that it's just as creepy as it was when filming first began -- complete with sports memorabilia, canned goods, and even the abandoned car.
The District 12 Village From The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games franchise opted to use a ghost town as the set for Katniss Everdeen's home of District 12, the mining district of the post-apocalyptic world she lived in.
The Henry River Mill Village in North Carolina used to be a booming textile town but is now nothing more than a part of cinematic history.
Hawthorne Plaza Mall From Gone Girl
The 2014 thriller Gone Girl opted to use a building already standing as part of its set. The Hawthorne Plaza Mall was once a bustling shopping center in Hawthrone, Califonia. It met its decline in the late 1990s.
Now, it's a "dead mall," one that has seen many movie productions. While fans aren't allowed inside the crumbling structure, they can walk around the outside perimeter.
The Town Of Spectre From Big Fish
Tim Burton isn't really known for taking shortcuts with his films and Big Fish was no different. Instead of relying on CGI for the town of Spectre, Burton traveled to Jackson Lake Island on the Alabama River and built a small town, complete with a church and rows of houses.
After filming came to an end, he left the town as is. Now, fans can travel to the island for a small fee and take a tour of the abandoned set.
The Medieval Village From Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters
In the 2013 fantasy film Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, the primary location of the main character is within a medieval village. Well, it just so happens that the village is still standing.
On the grounds of the Babelsberg Film Studio in Germany, fans go visit the creepy medieval village as part of a studio tour.
Mos Espa, Tatooine From Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
For Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, George Lucas traveled back to Tunisia to build Luke Skywalker's home planet of Tatooine. Even though the film relied on a lot of CGI, Lucas wanted to actually build Mos Espa, a small village of 20 towns.
At the end of filming, the Tunisia government urged Lucas to leave the set standing. He did. And now it is a large tourist attraction.
The Spanish Mission From The Patriot
Beautiful and serene, the Spanish Mission from the iconic film The Patriot wasn't stumbled upon. The church, bridge, and other elements were custom-built within the 170-acre preserve of the Cypress Gardens locate in South Carolina.
After filming wrapped up, it was decided that the gorgeous set blended so well with the surroundings they'd just leave it standing. The set has since been used for various other films, such as The Notebook.
The Irish Village From Ryan's Daughter
For the 1970 film Ryan's Daughter, the mythical village of Kirrary was built from scratch outside the town of Dingle, Ireland. While a lot of the set has succumbed to the elements, a few parts of the old set are still standing, such as the stone schoolhouse.
Now, fans are able to visit the set and walk through a masterpiece.
The Caves From Iron Man
In the first few scenes of Iron Man, viewers see Tony Stark get kidnapped and thrown into some caves in Afghanistan, being held captive before he makes his first Iron Man suit.
Well, those caves aren't exactly halfway around the world but in the abandoned mineshafts of the Cerro Gordo Mines on the Yellow Garde Road in Inyo County, California.
Port Royale From Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl
Captain Jack Sparrow might not be wandering around, but the set of Port Royale from Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl is still standing.
Located on Wallilabou Anchorage, St. Vincent, props, costumes, and buildings from the franchise's original movie were abandoned and have become a tourist attraction.
Waverly Hills Sanatorium From Death Tunnel
For virtually the entire time the 2005 horror film Death Tunnel is on screen, viewers are transported to the eerie Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Once used to house tuberculosis patients, the hospital closed in 1961 and is now considered haunted.
Even so, thrill-seekers can visit the haunted hospital and go on overnight ghost tours, as it's still standing in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Park From Jurassic World
A vast majority of Jurassic World is set in the dinosaur theme park, located next to the abandoned Jurassic Park on Isla Nubar. Well, that park is actually nothing more than an abandoned Six Flags located in New Orleans.
The theme park was permanently closed after the destruction brought on by Hurricane Katrina. While fans can't go inside the park, the perimeter is fair game!
The Psychiatric Hospital From Session 9
The 2001 psychological horror film Session 9 is set in an abandoned mental hospital that was abandoned post-movie but is still standing in Danvers, Massachusetts. After four years of construction, the Danvers State Hospital opened in 1878, catering to the mentally impaired.
Due to massive budget cuts, the hospital was officially closed in 1992.
The Baseball Diamond From Field Of Dreams
"If you build it, they will come." And people are still coming to see the iconic baseball field from the 1989 movie Field of Dreams. Built on two farms in 1988; the famous field is located a few miles outside Dyersville, Iowa.
When filming came to an end, the baseball diamond was left behind.
Psychiatric Hospital From 12 Monkeys
If fans want to see the psychiatric hospital from 12 Monkeys, all they have to do is travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, they'll find the Eastern State Penitentiary, the prison that once held the likes of Al Capone and bank robber Willie Sutton.
While the prison was closed in 1971, it's now a historic landmark and museum open year-round to the public.
The Hospital From Girl, Interrupted
While Wynonna Ryder and Angelina Jolie aren't wandering around the corridors, the hospital from Girl, Interrupted is still standing. Located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the Harrisburg State Hospital was operational from 1845 until its ultimate closing in 2006.
Now, the building is really nothing more than a storage facility for the state. But fans can still go view the outside and the "Administration" signs left up from filming the 1999 movie.
Hobbiton From Lord Of The Rings
Home of Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee, Hobbiton is one of the set locations of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit. Built on the Alexander Farm in New Zealand, Peter Jackson struck a deal with the landowners, building the iconic Hobbit holes on one side of his property.
Now, there are 44 holes fans can view through a tour, including Bilbo's Bag End home, the Party Tree, and Bagshot Row.
The Western Town From The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
Starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach, the film The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is credited as the western that shot Eastwood to stardom. Now, fans can visit the now-ghost town of what was once the set of the film in Spain's Tabernas Desert, Almeria.
Even though it's long since been abandoned, the buildings and various other structures are still standing.
The Egyptian Ram Statue From Asterix And Obelix: Mission Cleopatra
In Asterix And Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, the title characters travel to Egypt in the quest to build a palace for Cleopatra. Ironically, the movie wasn't shot in Egypt but in Ouarzazate, Morrocco, where some of the set pieces are still located today.
One such prop people can visit is the Egyptian ram statue.
Popeye's Village From Popeye
Popeye's village began construction in 1979 and was slated to be the main location for the 1980 film Popeye. A collection of rustic buildings on Anchor Bay in Malte, the set wasn't torn down after filming came to an end.
Instead, the village was turned into a theme park attraction, allowing fans to come and enjoy museums, rides, and a variety of shows.
Hue From Full Metal Jacket
In one scene of the 1987 war drama Full Metal Jacket, the city of hue can be seen getting blown up. To capture then destruction, director Stanley Kubrick found a gasworks factory scheduled to be demolished.
Kubrick filmed Beckton Gas Works exploding and being crushed by a wrecking ball to get his desired shot. Now, the wreckage can be found still lying about in Beckton, London.
The Underwater Set From The Abyss
In 1989, James Cameron constructed the largest underwater set at an uncompleted nuclear power plant, the Cherokee Nuclear Power Plant on Owensby Road, near Gaffney, South Carolina.
At 40 feet deep, the set was deemed too expensive to take down. So, he left it! The set stood at the power plant for years before it was ultimately demolished in 2007.
The Mall From The Blues Brothers
The car chase that ultimately left the mall in complete disarray in The Blues Brothers was actually a real shopping mall. The Dixie Square Mall in the Chicago suburb of Harvey, Illinois, was officially closed to the public in 1978.
While the abandoned set was a hot spot for urban explorers throughout the years, the dead mall was finally demolished in 2012.
The Western Town From Silver Canyon
Pioneertown in California is a one-of-a-kind movie set that has been the location of 50 films between the 40s and 50s, including the 1951 movie Silver Canyon. Built on a four-block stretch, the town is no longer used as a filming location, thanks to the decline of western viewership.
Now, the town is home to 400 residents and is a huge tourist attraction.
The Diner From Looper
A majority of the 2012 sci-fi action film Looper is shot in a diner in the middle of the country. Well, after filming came to an end, the diner stood firm, becoming yet another abandoned movie set.
Located in a field near Napoleonville in the state of Louisiana, fans of the Bruce Willis film can still see the diner, even though it's a bit weathered thanks to the elements.
The Hospital From End Of Days
While End of Days wasn't one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's better films, the hospital where he nails a man to the ceiling is still standing. Constructed in 1904, the Linda Vista Hospital once catered to injured railroad employees.
But the massive Los Angeles-based hospital was shut down in 1990. Hollywood pounced on the location and now uses it as a set for multiple movies, leaving it untouched after filming.
La Casita From Lone Star
Contrabando is a ghost town located in Texas. While it is completely abandoned, it was once used as the filming location and set for films such as the 1966 western movie Lone Star.
Even though movies don't venture to the ghost town anymore, the original adobe Casita building is still standing.
The Castle In Anna & The King
The 1999 period drama Anna & the King was filmed almost entirely in Malaysia, and some of its set pieces were left abandoned after filming came to an end.
While the film's sets were huge tourist attractions after the film's initial release, it was soon forgotten and left to nature.
The Helicopter From Zero Dark Thirty
The 2012 thriller Zero Dark Thirty is set in the deserts of Pakistan, but filming didn't take place halfway across the world. The Blue Cloud Ranch in Santa Clarita, California, was used as the desert landscape.
While the ranch has been used as a location for countless movies, it is now abandoned, leaving props such as the Zero Dark Thirty helicopter to nature.
