Find destinations that go bump in the night as you stop and see the filming locations of horror-film extraordinaire, M. Night Shyamalan. Raised in Penn Valley, the filmmaker takes pride in producing most of his frightful films near his hometown of Philadelphia and the surrounding area. You may start seeing signs- or dead people- after exploring the inspiration behind Shyamalan’s Halloween classics.
1. The Sixth Sense
Shot in the fall of 1998 in Philadelphia, put Shyamalan in the ranks of the world's A-list directors, The Sixth Sense instantly became a blockbuster hit and was nominated for six Academy Awards. You can celebrate 20 years of the film classic and tour the locations of the film’s scenes in the city of brotherly love. Find where young Cole Sears starts to see dead people just south of Fitler Square at his home at 2302 St Albans Street, now marked as “Garden Court Apartments.” Recreate the film’s opening scene and discover the bench Bruce Willis’ character, Malcolm Crowe, is seen sitting on while waiting for Cole. Shortly after this opening shot, we see Cole running to the nearby St. Augustine’s Church on North Lawrence Street as Malcolm follows close behind.
2. Unbreakable
Another Bruce Willis classic filmed in Philadelphia, Unbreakable is the first film of Shyamalan’s Unbreakable/Eastrail 177 trilogy. See where Willis’ character, David Dunn, has never taken a day’s sick leave as a security guard at UPenn’s Franklin Field. And although you cannot enjoy a craft cocktail at the Curtis Center like Dunn and his wife did in the film, you can still admire the gorgeous mural that is displayed in the lobby.
3. Signs
Rural PA is the perfect setting for supernatural happenings, which is exactly what Shyamalan had in mind when shooting his science fiction horror film, Signs, in Bucks County. Although the house is no longer standing, see where Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix encounter extraterrestrial beings on their corn field at Delaware Valley University. Discover where their family is seen enjoying a meal at the local pizza parlor in the heart of Newtown, which has since been renovated to New Age Astrology. Other notable scenes and stops include the car accident that takes place at Tyler State Park and Burns Pharmacy where Gibson’s character runs an errand while contemplating his recent out-of-this world experiences.
4. The Happening
Follow Mark Wahlberg around Philadelphia and Phoenixville as he, and the world, is faced with an apocalyptic threat to humanity in The Happening. Shot both in the city and the surrounding towns, Wahlberg plays Elliot Moore, a science teacher at a Philadelphia school, Masterman School, in Spring Garden. As the natural disaster spreads and his family flees the city, they find themselves at G-Lodge Diner in Phoenixville planning their next move. You too can plan your next move at the local eatery and decide what film location you want to uncover next.