A walk down slasher lane: Where “Halloween” was born

In 1978, future filmmaker, composer and producer John Carpenter was a young man who had just finished filming his low budget, independent slasher film titled “Halloween.” Little did he know that the movie would become a boxoffice hit, grossing $47 million domestically and $70 million worldwide. Years later, Michael Myers returns to the theaters and drive-ins annually to scare horror buffs, like myself, and continues to remain a staple in the horror genre.

In case you have been living under a rock (or you are a scaredy cat), the film tells the tale of a Halloween evening gone horribly wrong, in which young teens are murdered in a quiet midwestern neighborhood by an insane asylum escapee. If you haven’t seen “Halloween” (1978), pause this article, turn it on with some popcorn and a blanket, then come back so you can enjoy its horror supremacy as you read on, since there might be some spoilers ahead.

“Halloween” (1978) takes place in the fictional small town turned slasherville, Haddonfield, Illinois. In reality, the cast and crew were filming in Southern Californians’ backyard; South Pasadena and Los Angeles. According to the 2010 documentary “Halloween: The Inside Story,” Southern Pasadena’s tree-lined streets, residential neighborhoods and mostly empty town (at the time) closely resembled the midwestern local community the script called for. Add in shots of Los Angeles neighborhoods, and you have yourself the fictional town that would birth the one of the greatest, knife-wielding icons in horror history, Michael Myers.

One of these filming locations is literally in my backyard. Growing up in Diamond Bar and with a scary movie enthusiast like my dad, I was reminded everyday that the scene of the murdered tow truck driver took place in Walnut on South Brea Canyon Road and Old Ranch Road. You can even see the hill where my house is on in the background of the film (granted, my house wasn’t built yet). Ten-year-old me did not understand just how amazing the art of the filmmaking was or how the crew scouted out these random locations to compile Haddonfield. But the 23-year-old me has grown to love and appreciate that I live so close to where my favorite scary movie was filmed, and the history of it. In honor of the titular film and holiday, I went to visit some filming locations of “Halloween (1978).

The first location I visited was Garfield Elementary, which served as the elementary school in the film, and as the best final girl (in my opinion) and main protagonist Laurie Strode’s classroom. Located at 110 W. Mclean St. Alhambra in Southern Pasadena, the school’s hallway where Richie bullies and trips Tommy Doyle, the little boy Laurie babysits, resulting in him dropping and accidentally smashing the pumpkin he was supposed to carve later that evening, is still recognizable. 

While the smashed pumpkin has been long gone, you can still feel the chill in the air from Richie running face first into the monstrous Shape. I visited this location on a school day, so out of respect for the teachers and students, I didn’t photograph the hallway. What I did photograph was the front of the side in the same manner Carpenter did in the film. 

He was careful to cut the scene just before the “Garfield Elementary” sign came into view as Michael followed Tommy from his stolen car, as to keep to the authenticity of the fictional Haddonfield. I did the exact same, slowing down to the same cruising speed the Shape did as he stalked his prey (I got the chills).

I will add, that out of all the filming locations, to me this location was changed the most. A once empty school fence is now covered head to toe in posters (which is to be expected in the school year) and changed to iron rods. I can’t help but wonder if the children who attend this school know that everyday they walk in the same place horror movie royalty once stood.

This is my third time visiting the Michael Myers house, yet it still leaves me in awe. The opening sequence, filmed in an expertly crafted, seamless oneshot, of a young Michael Myers murdering his sister, Judith, immediately set the tone for the film. It was not afraid to paint the antagonist for what he was – ruthlessly and unforgivingly evil without reason, even in his youth.

Some fun movie lore for you; The Myers house can be seen exactly how it looked when production found it throughout the entirety of the film aside from the 1953 prologue I just mentioned. The house was old and rundown, and was just what production was looking for in an abandoned fictional murder scene. 

It was not until said prologue that the house needed a makeover. Since then, the house has been painted from white to sky blue, and now serves as an office commercial space. While it was located in the Pasadena suburbs during filming, it has since been moved roughly one block south onto railroad property, near the intersection of Mission Street and Meridian Avenue.

Nextdoor is the Sugarmynt Gallery, an art gallery and museum with horror-themed exhibitions. The gallery showed movies from the Halloween franchise in the background of the house all October long. 

The gallery offers location walking tours, $25 a person, and has a $20 entry fee to see the tribute to the movie. While the “Halloween” franchise exhibit will close on Nov. 3, the gallery will reopen with a tribute to Netflix’s “Stranger Things” series from Nov. 22 to Jan. 24, 2026. For more information, and to purchase tickets to these exhibitions and tours, visit the Sugarmynt website or Instagram page.

Next up was the location simply known as “the Hedge,” located between 1019 and 1025 Montrose Ave. Although the name is simple, this location is anything but. It is the second time Laurie encounters her foe in the film, but this time more clearly than when she sees him from the classroom window when he is in the car watching her. 

Laurie and Annie, one of her friends, are walking home from school when Laurie spots Michael Myers standing menacingly beside a tall hedge. One second he is there, then the next he steps behind it and disappears into thin air, since he is gone by the time Annie walks over to confront him.

My dad said that when he saw that scene as a kid, he was terrified to walk by any tree, hedge or bush in fear that Michael Myers would be lurking behind. Even as an adult, he said it still brings back that childhood-rooted fear, but he conquered it for a photo. It is funny how such a simple object could invoke such terror, but that is movie magic for you, and Carpenter hit it right on the nail with that scene.

Time for the main event, Laurie Strode’s house. I know, I know, the Myers house is the hot spot on this list, but I was personally most excited to visit the Strode residence.

Every diehard “Halloween” (1978) fan knows to bring their own pumpkin so they can recreate the shot of Laurie sitting on the pedestal holding it in her lap. If you didn’t, rookie mistake, but feel free to use my recreation as your “inspo.”

I truly appreciate the authenticity of the homeowners. The house is decked out in Halloween decor, with remnants of the movie on display like Judith Myers’ headstone and the Strode Real Estate sign near the front door. Both of those were pulled straight out of the movie, and really makes you feel like Laurie is going to stroll out into the fall morning, blissfully unaware of the nightmare that is about to befall her. Yet another white house that has been painted over to green, it still feels the same as it did in the movie. 

I’m glad the homeowners can embrace and understand how important the house is to the horror genre. If you do visit the Strode house like I did, remember to be respectful as it is now someone else’s home. Don’t be creepy like Michael Myers barging into the backyard to stare at Laurie within the clothesline.

I did not venture out to Hollywood to visit the rest of the filming locations, nor did I photograph the spot behind my house since it’s nothing but warehouses now.

So, the last location on my list is the fictional cemetery where Judith Myers was buried in 1953, then later unburied in 1978 by Michael. The cemetery was played by the real life Sierra Madre Pioneer Cemetery, located at 553 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. in Sierra Madre. 

Established in 1881, the small graveyard was just what the production team was looking for to film the scene of Dr. Samuel Loomis, Myers’ psychiatrist, and the caretaker walk through the cemetery only to find one of the graves robbed. Some more film trivia includes that Dr. Loomis is actually driving on the wrong side of the oneway road that leads throughout the cemetery. I don’t know how the film crew managed to accomplish this since, after driving through in my dad’s Silverado truck, I can confirm that the road is very narrow. This is another location that demands respect, as people come to visit their deceased loved ones.

And there you have it; the perfect way to tie a bow on 2025’s spooky season. Next year, I plan on tackling some more horror filming locations, since California is lucky enough to be one of the mothers of the genre. Why wouldn’t I take advantage of it? But nothing will ever top John Carpenter's “Halloween” (1978) for me. There’s a reason it's the only horror film to claim the holiday for itself.

Taylor Moore can be reached at bytaylormoore@gmail.com.