Created and directed by Mike Flanagan and based on the novel of the same name by Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House, is a horror drama series that was released on Netflix on October 12, 2018. The show was an instant hit with the critics and viewers, who appreciated it for its slow-burn moments and emotional depth.

The Haunting of Hill House has the right mix of horror and sentimentality and captures two timelines. Starring Carla Gugino, Victoria Pedretti, Kate Siegel, and others, the show is about the Crain family, who moves into the titular house in 1992 and begun to experience supernatural phenomenon.

The Haunting of Hill House oscillates between this time period and the present day, where the five children of the family are still scarred by their childhood experiences. While the other timeline shows what happened to the family in the 1990s and how they had to flee the mansion.

A modern classic, the show captures the eerie vibe of the show through its sets and backdrops and the series was primarily filmed in and around Atlanta, Georgia.

Filming locations of The Haunting of Hill House

LaGrange, Troup County, Georgia

The titular house, the Hill House, which is an important character in the show itself, used the exterior shots of a mansion in LaGrange, in Troup County, Georgia. The name of the manor was previously Bisham Manor and was used as a venue for weddings and functions by event operators.

However, the mansion is no longer called Bisham Manor and the new owners reverted the house’s name to its original 1920s name, which is Alta Vista. The house is now a private residence.

The mansion is built in the style of 1920s English Tudor-style, and is situated upon a large, green estate, which has luscious gardens and borders the West Point Lake. It is an 11,000-square-foot home and was built between 1997 and 2002 by Peck Brumby. A 6,000-square-foot home from the 1920s, was the previous house on the site and Brumby used some materials from this home.

Brumby lived in the mansion until 2012, when he sold it to a wedding and entertainment company, which later sold it to private people. Interestingly, the house can also be seen in Lovecraft Country, which is an HBO horror series.

EUE/Screen Gems Studios, Lakewood Way, Atlanta, Georgia

The Haunting of Hill House showcases that the Crain couple and their five children have occupied the house because they want to renovate it and sell it, so that they can build their own house. The interior shots therefore, were filmed at the massive EUE/Screen Gems Studios on Lakewood Way, Atlanta, Georgia.

Even the critically acclaimed, episode 6, “Two storms” of The Haunting of Hill House, which was praised for its one-shot takes, was filmed at this studio. Creator and director Mike Flangan, revealed in a Netflix Featurette, that the impressive set was specifically designed, with this episode in mind. The sixth episode was the toughest to shoot and the rehearsal time alone was six weeks, before the actual episode was shot with everyone in sync.

Other filming locations in Georgia

The Whitlock Inn in Marietta, which is a famous bed and breakfast and wedding venue, with lots of history, was used as the exteriors of the Harris Funeral Home in The Haunting of Hill House. The club scenes in the first episode, “Steven Sees a Ghost”, was filmed at the popular Tongue and Groove Nightclub at Piedmont Road, in Atlanta. Further, Steven and leigh’s home is at Sherwood Road in the Morningside neighborhood in Atlanta.

The cozy house is built in a Spanish architectural style and is around 3,733-square-foot in size. The location for the rehab center, where Luke and Joey stay in episode four, “The Twin Thing”, is at Atlanta Recovery Center, in Trinity Avenue. When the Crain family spend a night at the motel in episode five, “The Bent-Neck Lady”, that motel is the Discover Inn Hotel on Candler Road in Decatur.

Finally, Nellie’s wedding reception was filmed at the Higgins Funeral Home, in LaGrange and the burial ground in episode seven, “Eulogy”, was filmed at the Greenwood Cemetery in Atlanta.

Final Thoughts

The Haunting of Hill House is a must watch show and has even been appreciated by Stephen King in a tweet. The show powerfully captures the emotional complexity and the lasting impact of trauma on adults, which was elucidated by author Shirley Jackson in her novel.