It’s October, Halloween is right around the corner, and we’re embracing all-things spooky.
From the annual Village Halloween Parade to parties and festivals to checking out spooky Halloween decorations, NYC is definitely the perfect place to celebrate the season.
Beyond just checking out NYC’s spooky decorated houses, why not also explore the city’s many buildings and landmarks that have made their way onto the big screen in scary movies?!
If you’re looking to get spooked we know just where to start, here are a few scary movie filming locations that can be found in NYC.
And, if you’re feeling particular brave during this creepy time of the year, why not embark on a ghost tour in NYC or real haunted places in NYC where paranormal activity runs wild.
Tavern on the Green, Central Park
Though Tavern on the Green is one of NYC’s most beautiful restaurants and probably not a place you’d associate with being scary, it was featured in the 1984 film Ghostbusters.
Accountant Louis Tully is being chased in the terror dog scene and tries to escape by ducking into the restaurant.
The movie also filmed in other NYC locations including the New York Public Library, Umberto’s Clam House, and Lincoln Center.
📍 W 67th Street
The Dakota, Upper West Side
1968 psychological thriller Rosemary’s Baby is based on the bestselling novel with the same name, and in the film characters Rosemary and Guy live in the Upper West Side’s Dakota Apartments (though in the movie it was renamed The Bramford). There are talks that the building is even haunted in real life.
John Lennon owned apartments in the building with his wife Yoko Ono, and right outside the building’s entrance is where he was killed in 1980.
📍 1 W 72nd Street
Greyshot Arch, Central Park
When characters Rob and Beth are hiding from the monster at the end of the film Cloverfield, they’re hiding under Central Park’s Greyshot Arch, which was built in 1860. The overpass isn’t far from Columbus Circle where the film opens.
Fun fact: “Greyshot” was actually going to originally be the film’s name, though a marketing campaign had already gone viral with the title being Cloverfield.
📍 Central Park West & W 61st Street
The Belnord, Upper West Side
The series Only Murders in the Building features The Arconia, which is an apartment complex that’s actually called The Belnord in real life.
Consisting of 13 floors, the Italian Renaissance-style building has become a familiar landmark in NYC.
If you’re a fan of the Hulu series and want to get a taste of Charles, Mabel, and Oliver’s antics, the Only Murders in the Building escape room is a must-visit.
📍 225 W 86th Street
“Spook Central”
Ghostbuster’s Dana Barrett has set up shop on the Upper West Side in an art decor apartment building that was dubbed “Spook Central” in the iconic film.
It’s a massive, elegant structure designed in the late 1920s that sits next to the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.
📍 55 Central Park West
Hook & Ladder Company 8, Tribeca
If you want the most instantly recognizable film location in the city, look no further.
This real-life firehouse famously served as the Ghostbusters’ HQ in the original 1984 film and again in the 2021 sequel, Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
You can still see the iconic Ghostbusters logo hanging outside the station’s front doors—it was installed during filming and has been lovingly preserved by the FDNY crew as a permanent tribute. Stop by for a classic photo op!
📍 14 N Moore St, Tribeca
The Merchant’s House Museum, NoHo
Forget film sets—this place is truly known as “Manhattan’s most haunted building.”
This preserved 1832 home has been the location for multiple ghost-themed productions, paranormal documentaries, and even the film Ghosthunters on Icy Trails.
The museum is a magnet for all things spooky, thanks to its creaky floors, antique parlors, and the site’s infamous claim of over a dozen real ghost sightings. If you’re looking for genuine paranormal activity, this is your spot.
📍 29 E 4th St, NoHo
Central Presbyterian Church, Midtown
This historic church on Park Avenue set the stage for one of the most chilling, gothic scenes in the 1997 thriller The Devil’s Advocate.
The neo-Gothic architecture of the church was the perfect backdrop for the devilish plot, where stars Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino shot one of the film’s climactic moments.
The church’s dramatic design plays perfectly into the movie’s themes of hidden evil and high-stakes drama.
📍 593 Park Ave, Manhattan