Summary
- Zombieland was primarily filmed in Georgia, not Los Angeles where it is set, allowing for creative and unique locations.
- Recognizable places in Georgia, like One Park Place and the Atlanta Motor Speedway, were transformed into post-apocalyptic settings for the film.
- Real businesses in Georgia, such as Cowboy's Steaks & Stuff and Netherworld Haunted House, were used as filming locations for Zombieland, adding authenticity to the scenes.
The 2009 horror comedy Zombieland is set in and around Los Angeles, California, but the majority of filming was done nowhere near this location. Like other zombie apocalypse movies, Zombieland required sets that looked devoid of life and allowed for plenty of room for characters like Columbus, Wichita, Little Rock, and Tallahassee to cause a little destruction. This meant the film's production designer, Maher Ahmad, had to get creative in determining where filming would take place.
Many indoor scenes of Zombieland, such as the scene in Columbus' apartment in which he first came face to face with a zombie, were shot on soundstages in California. However, most outdoor locations, or those set within the various homes and businesses the gang found, were filmed in or around Atlanta, Georgia. Parking lots, abandoned storefronts, theme parks, speedways, and million-dollar mansions—the creators of this thriller used every clever location they could. So, when next watching Zombieland, there could be some recognizable sights.
One Park Place - Atlanta, Georgia
One of the early scenes of Zombieland served to outline Columbus' rules for surviving the zombie apocalypse. As the character's voice explains the usefulness of cardio and delivering a final blow, or "double tap," zombies are seen chasing people through a public bathroom and parking lot. This scene was shot in a plaza parking lot in Atlanta, Georgia, called One Park Place. The surrounding city is visible in the background, as well as a gas station. Though this public location would usually be bustling with people and cars, it was cleared out for filming, giving the dressed-up zombie actors plenty of room to run around.
Lithia Springs, Georgia
Columbus and Tallahassee met Wichita and Little Rock in an abandoned grocery store (called Blaine's Grocery) while they were on a hunt for Twinkies. This is also where Tallahassee took down a zombie with a banjo—another memorable moment in Zombieland. Thankfully, the cast didn't destroy an actual grocery store. The shop set was constructed (via Giggster) within an old, deserted building in Lithia Springs, Georgia. This allowed for the falling apart storefront seen in the film and the unnaturally pristine interior created for the scene.
Decatur, Georgia
Wichita and Little Rock had been running scams long before the zombie apocalypse, as seen in the flashback Gas N' Gulp scene. The two tricked the gas station manager into giving them $400 for a ring he believed would gain him $3,000, though really the jewelry was entirely worthless and one of many kept by Wichita and Little Rock. This scene was shot at a real gas station in Decatur, Georgia, though it has since been turned into an auto repair shop called Pure Service Station. Though the sign has been changed from green to blue, the building itself is still very recognizable (as seen on Moviemimic)
Atlanta Motor Speedway - Hampton, Georgia
There are several scenes throughout Zombieland where the characters drive down abandoned roadways. Notable examples are when Tallahassee first picked up Columbus or when they saw a Hostess truck on the side of the road and hoped it might contain some unopened Twinkies. The Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia (via Global Film Locations) was cleverly utilized for scenes like these. The several lanes of road allowed plenty of room for the crew to bring in and pile up some junk vehicles. For all anyone could tell, the scene truly was an abandoned highway full of cars that didn't quite escape the apocalypse.
Cowboy’s Steaks & Stuff - Rutledge, Georgia
Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock didn't enter Kemo Sabe’s Trading Post with the intention of destroying the place, but the moment wound up being a reminder of another of Columbus's rules—enjoy the little things. It was a fun moment for the group and a great way to let off steam. Ultimately, the destruction was satisfying for even audiences not living through a zombie apocalypse. Like the other dilapidated stores in Zombieland, the scenes at Kemo Sabe's were filmed in a real business in Rutledge, Georgia, called Cowboy's Steaks and Stuff (via Moviemaps). It can be assumed, however, that the crew brought in their own inventory to be demolished.
490 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, Georgia
One of the best surprises of Zombieland was the appearance of actor Bill Murray, who played himself. Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock traveled to the actor's home in Los Angeles, California, and helped themselves to the luxuries of his massive mansion. This was when Murray showed up in the flesh (before he was accidentally added to the list of Zombieland kills). In truth, the home shown in Zombieland didn't belong to Murray, but it was an actuall mansion in Atlanta, Georgia. The property, which was also used in the 2012 film The Three Stooges, most recently sold for $8.5 million (according to Realtor.com).
Wild Adventures Theme Park - Valdosta, Georgia
Wichita and Little Rock's main goal was to reach the amusement park, Pacific Playland, where they believed they would be safe from the zombies. Of course, once they got there and switched on all the lights, they discovered that this had been far from true. The scenes here were shot at the real-world fair, Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Georgia. Several of the park's six rollercoasters and various other rides can be seen in the background as Columbus and Tallahassee fight to save their friends. Wild Adventures is still up and running today, so Zombieland fans can always pay the place a visit.
Netherworld Haunted House - Atlanta, Georgia
While at Pacific Playland, Columbus was forced to enter a haunted house—pretty ironic since it was obviously full of real zombies. The outside of this building of horrors was constructed by the Zombieland crew at the Wild Adventures Theme Park, but the inside was filmed within a real haunted house in Atlanta, Georgia. No one knew Zombieland was going to be such a massive success when production was ongoing, so Netherworld Haunted House got rather lucky when they agreed to offer up their business as a filming location. Now, Netherworld is proud of its involvement with the film and uses this fact to drum up business (as seen on its Facebook page).
Sources: Giggster, Moviemaps, Global Film Locations, Moviemimic
