Dawn of the Dead (1978) – Filming Locations
Horror / Science Fiction · Directed by George A. Romero · Starring David Emge, Gaylen Ross
During an ever-growing epidemic of zombies that have risen from the dead, two Philadelphia SWAT team members, a traffic reporter, and his television-executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall.
Where was Dawn of the Dead filmed?
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, Philadelphia – Opening sequence with zombie chaos at the airport terminal and helicopter escape. Romero shot the opening airport scenes at the actual Philadelphia airport, establishing the film's descent into chaos
- Monroeville, Pennsylvania, United States, Monroeville – The main setting where survivors barricade themselves inside a shopping mall and defend against zombie hordes. The iconic enclosed shopping mall serves as the primary location for most of the film; Romero's critique of consumer culture is literally staged in an actual 1970s American mall
- Gaviotas, Pennsylvania, United States, Gaviotas – The survivors venture to an amusement park where they encounter armed bikers. This abandoned or semi-operational amusement park provides a surreal backdrop for the film's confrontation with the motorcycle gang
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, Pittsburgh – Aerial and street-level shots of the zombie-infested city during establishing sequences. Establishing shots of Pittsburgh's downtown area filmed from the helicopter emphasize the scale of the zombie outbreak across the city