Where Walking Dead is Filmed: A Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse Locations

The Walking Dead is one of the most popular and acclaimed horror TV shows of all time. The series, based on the comic books by Robert Kirkman, follows a group of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, or “walkers”. The show has been praised for its realistic and gritty portrayal of the zombie apocalypse, as well as its character development, drama, and action.

But where is The Walking Dead filmed? How do the producers create the convincing and terrifying settings of the show? In this article, we will explore the filming locations of The Walking Dead, from the urban landscapes of Atlanta to the rural towns of Senoia. We will also reveal some behind-the-scenes secrets and trivia about the production of the show.

Atlanta, Georgia: The City of the Dead

The first season of The Walking Dead was filmed primarily in Atlanta, Georgia, the capital and largest city of the state. Atlanta was chosen as the main location because it is the hometown of the comic book creator, Robert Kirkman, and also because it offers a variety of urban and suburban settings, as well as tax incentives for film and TV productions.

Some of the iconic scenes from the first season that were filmed in Atlanta include:

• The opening scene, where Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) wakes up in a deserted hospital and encounters his first walker, was filmed at the Atlanta Mission, a homeless shelter on 165 Ivan Allen Jr Blvd NW.
• The scene where Rick rides a horse into the city and gets surrounded by a horde of walkers, was filmed on Freedom Parkway, near the Jackson Street Bridge. This bridge has become a popular spot for fans and tourists to take photos of the Atlanta skyline, as seen in the show.
• The scene where Rick meets Glenn (Steven Yeun) and other survivors in a department store, was filmed at the abandoned Macy’s building on 180 Peachtree St NW. The building was also used for other scenes, such as the rooftop where Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker) was handcuffed and left behind by Rick’s group.
• The scene where Rick and his group escape from the city in a caravan of vehicles, was filmed on the James Wendell George Parkway, near the Georgia World Congress Center. The producers had to block off the traffic and use hundreds of extras and vehicles to create the illusion of a chaotic evacuation.
• The scene where Rick and his group arrive at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) building, where they hope to find a cure for the infection, was filmed at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, located on 2800 Cobb Galleria Pkwy. The building’s modern and futuristic design was a perfect match for the CDC facility.

Senoia, Georgia: The Home of the Survivors

From the second season onwards, The Walking Dead moved its main filming location to Senoia, a small town about 40 miles south of Atlanta. Senoia was chosen because it offers a more rural and secluded setting, as well as a large studio complex, where most of the interior scenes are filmed.

Senoia has become the home of many of the survivors’ communities and settlements, such as:

• Hershel Greene’s (Scott Wilson) farm, where Rick and his group take refuge in the second season, was filmed at a private property on 33 Chestlehurst Rd. The property has a large farmhouse, a barn, a pond, and a field, where many of the scenes involving walkers, animals, and vehicles were filmed.
• The prison, where Rick and his group find a new home in the third and fourth seasons, was filmed at the Raleigh Studios, located on 600 Chestlehurst Rd. The studio complex has a backlot area, where a replica of a prison was built, complete with fences, guard towers, cells, and a courtyard. The studio also has several sound stages, where other scenes, such as the Governor’s (David Morrissey) torture chamber, were filmed.
• Alexandria, the walled-off community, where Rick and his group join in the fifth season, was filmed at a real subdivision, called Gin Property, located on 25 Morgan St. The subdivision has about 20 houses, which were used for filming the scenes involving the residents of Alexandria. The producers also built a 15-foot-high metal wall around the subdivision, to create the illusion of a secure and isolated community.
• The Hilltop, the farming community, where Rick and his group ally with in the sixth season, was filmed at a private property on 2980 Gordon Rd. The property has a large mansion, called the Riverwood Studios Antebellum Mansion, which was used as the main house of the Hilltop. The property also has a barn, a field, and a cemetery, where other scenes were filmed.
• The Sanctuary, the industrial compound, where Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his group, the Saviors, live in the seventh and eighth seasons, was filmed at the Esco Feed Mill, located on 50 Line Creek Rd. The mill is an active business, that produces animal feed, but it was also used for filming the scenes involving the Saviors, their vehicles, and their weapons. The mill has a large sign, that reads “The Sanctuary”, which was added by the producers.

Other Locations: The Road to Survival

Apart from Atlanta and Senoia, The Walking Dead has also filmed in other locations in Georgia, as well as in other states and countries, to depict the various places that the survivors visit or encounter in their journey. Some of these locations include:

• The highway, where Rick and his group get stuck in a traffic jam and scavenge for supplies in the second season, was filmed on Interstate 20, near the town of Lithonia. The producers had to close off a section of the highway and use hundreds of cars and walkers to create the scene.
• The hospital, where Beth Greene (Emily Kinney) wakes up and meets Dawn Lerner (Christine Woods) and her group of corrupt cops in the fifth season, was filmed at the Atlanta Medical Center, located on 303 Parkway Dr NE. The hospital was also used for other scenes, such as the rooftop where Beth and Noah (Tyler James Williams) try to escape, and the parking lot where Beth is killed by Dawn.
• The quarry, where Rick and his group discover a massive horde of walkers trapped in the sixth season, was filmed at the Bellwood Quarry, located on 4000 Bankhead Hwy NW. The quarry is a former granite mine, that is now owned by the city of Atlanta, and is planned to be turned into a park and a reservoir. The quarry has also been used for other films and shows, such as The Hunger Games, Stranger Things, and The Vampire Diaries.
• The Kingdom, the community led by King Ezekiel (Khary Payton) and his tiger, Shiva, in the seventh and eighth seasons, was filmed at the Fort McPherson, a former military base, located on 1788 Hardee Ave SW. The base was closed in 2011, and was partially bought by filmmaker Tyler Perry, who turned it into a studio complex. The base has several buildings, fields, and roads, that were used for filming the scenes involving the Kingdom, its residents, and its animals.
• The junkyard, where Rick and his group meet Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) and her group, the Scavengers, in the seventh and eighth seasons, was filmed at the Tyler Perry Studios, located on 3300 Continental Colony Pkwy SW. The studio complex has a backlot area, where a large pile of junk and debris was created, to resemble a junkyard. The studio also has several sound stages, where other scenes, such as the helicopter landing pad, were filmed.
• The bridge, where Rick sacrifices himself to save his group and is presumed dead in the ninth season, was filmed at the Chattahoochee River, near the town of Whitesburg. The producers built a wooden bridge over the river, and used explosives and pyrotechnics to create the scene where the bridge is blown up and Rick is washed away by the current.
• The Commonwealth, the advanced and civilized community, where Eugene (Josh McDermitt) and his group travel to in the tenth and eleventh seasons, was filmed in various locations in Virginia, such as Richmond, Hopewell, and Petersburg. The producers used several buildings, streets, and landmarks, to create the scenes involving the Commonwealth, its residents, and its facilities.

The Conclusion: The Walking Dead is a Filming Masterpiece

The Walking Dead is not only a great show in terms of its story, characters, and themes, but also in terms of its production, especially its filming locations. The show has used a variety of locations, both real and fictional, to create the realistic and immersive world of the zombie apocalypse. The show has also boosted the economy and tourism of Georgia, as well as other states and countries, where it has filmed.

The Walking Dead is a filming masterpiece, and a must-watch for any fan of horror, drama

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