The Silence of the Lambs (1991) – Filming Locations
Crime, Thriller, Drama · Directed by Jonathan Demme · Starring Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster
Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.
Where was The Silence of the Lambs filmed?
- Baltimore, Maryland, United States, Baltimore – FBI training facility and Clarice Starling's scenes at the academy. The FBI Academy scenes were filmed at the actual FBI training facility in Quantico, Virginia, lending authenticity to the law enforcement setting.
- Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States, Martinsburg – Exterior shots of the maximum-security prison where Hannibal Lecter is held. The imposing Gothic architecture of this abandoned penitentiary provided the perfect backdrop for the prison sequences.
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, Philadelphia – Urban scenes and FBI field office locations. Philadelphia served as a key filming location for various street scenes and establishing shots throughout the film.
- Scott County, Virginia, United States, Scott County – Establishing shots of rural Appalachian locations and killer's hideout exteriors. The rural West Virginia and Virginia locations provided the atmospheric backdrop for the serial killer's isolated dwelling.