Undertaking this trip means not only seeing some of the places where some of the scenes of this fantastic series have been shot, but to explore a corner of Georgia that generally is not much taken in consideration by usual tourism.
In these places the countryside is incredibly beautiful and relaxing, small towns rise up almost out of nowhere in the middle of small forests, the people are very helpful, the roads are easy to drive and sometimes very picturesque. Whether you are a fan of the series or not, why not consider a trip to Georgia?
Contents
The Walking Dead Atlanta Locations
Among the things to do in Atlanta, there are a lot of things that refer to The Walking Dead, and it could not be otherwise! The first image that immediately jumps to the mind on thinking back to the beginnings of the series is that one of Rick Grimes that enters the city on horseback along a desolate Freedom Parkway in ruin.
The official photo that represents it, however, is misleading and the use of Photoshop is evident once you get there. Anyway, you will find the right perspective of this shot is at the coordinates 33°45’36.4 “N 84°22’19.6 “W , but be careful: you’ll be in the middle of an intersection! If you want a picture that reflects your imagination a little more, move a little further east, onto the Jackson Street Bridge where you can also take some photos in greater safety.
Just drive 1.8 miles further south to get to Grant Park (578 Berne St SE), where in the series we saw the zombie girl with the bicycle, one of Rick’s first encounters.
On the opposite side of the park, a little over a mile further west, we find Rick’s house (813 Cherokee Ave SE) and just around the corner (376 Ormond St SE) Morgan’s house.
Moving about 1.8 miles west, and driving the entire length of Ormon St SE and SW, we will arrive at Terminus, one of the most important places in the series: unfortunately the area is private property, and entry is not allowed, but if you want to try to have a closer look (as we did…) there is a small entry on the corner of Doane St SW and Windsor St SW.
2.5miles further north, next to Philips Arena, is the M.L.K. Jr Dr NW bridge, the spot where in the series, the main characters jump in their van to escape a horde of zombies. Also if you look from the bridge to the southeast, about 1300 feet, you will recognize the building where Merle Dixon was handcuffed on the roof.
About 4.3 miles in direction north-west, we come to Westside Reservoir Park whose name will not tell you a lot, but it is the quarry where our heroes are sheltered after abandoning Atlanta. The area, for safety reasons, is closed, but we had to mention it. Covering another 1.8 miles in a northerly direction, at 1747 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd NW, we find Rick’s police station, while at 2401 Bolton Rd NW there is one of the symbolic places of the series: the hospital where our deputy sheriff wakes up from a coma and begins to understand that something has changed.
It’s time to move 8.5 miles further north, almost to the edge of the city limits, to reach 2800 Cobb Galleria Pkwy, to find ourselves in front of the place where the first season actually ends: the CDC.
These are the main destinations that you can find in Atlanta, and it is a route that if you are fast, will only take you a half day. Please remember that in many cases you will be in front of private buildings, some of them in use, therefore we advise “appropriate” behavior. For the other locations that we are going to point out, we will need to leave Atlanta continuing toward the south of the state. We will come across very beautiful areas, so the suggestion is to dedicate at least one day to your tour, because this part of Georgia deserves to be explored slowly.
Locations in the South of Georgia
For the second part of this itinerary we start again from Atlanta, where we will have to take the I85 heading south, up to the town of Newnan, about 40 minutes away. There are several locations in this area, so we have chosen the most iconic, such as the hospital where Beth is killed, (to east of the center in Hospital Road) but above all the Governor’s “zombie-arena”, in a block of flats at the end of the parking lot on the corner of Salbide Ave and Perry St., in the center of the city.
Continuing in a southerly direction, after about twelve miles we reach the small town of Grantville, where at 29 Church St. we will find the red brick wall that bore the words Away with you in the series. The building where Morgan is hiding (the one seen in the Clean episode) is a little further on at 21 Main Street. At the intersection with Lagrange St, there is the baby store where Carl and Michonne go, while in front of Morgan’s house, at the corner of Main St and Grant St there is the bar where Carl will go to retrieve the photo of his family.
Remember the scene where Daryl and Beth walk through the woods until they find refuge in the abandoned house at the edge of the cemetery? Well, they’re still here in Grantville but…in two different places! The house is located downtown, on Magnolia St (it’s a private home), while the cemetery is outside of town, half a mile to the north.
It’s time to travel about 15 miles in a northeast direction to get to the town of Sharpsburg, much used as a location for the second season. On Main St, at the intersection with Terrentine Road, we find the bar where Rick and Glenn go to look for Hershel in the episode Nebraska, and the pharmacy where Glenn and Maggie go in Cherokee Rose.
Following Elders Mill Road for about 6 miles south from Sharpsburg, we come to another important location, the camp near the river that ends the second season in which Rick pronounces the famous phrase this isn’t a democracy anymore. It is located along the road, a short distance from the intersection of Elders Mill and Rock House Road.
Continuing for about six miles further south, Elders Mill becomes Gordon Road, and leads to the town of Haralson, important for the series because it is here that Rick meets the Governor (2 Main St) and it is also here where Merle dies (in the silo complex opposite). Several private individuals organize tours in this area for a fee, but you can also explore the area on your own.
Just drive 6 miles north and we arrive in the Promised Land of Walkers: Senoia. Maybe the name itself won’t tell you anything, but actually the whole world of The Walking Dead is here. Woodbury was built in Main St and in the southern part of the city (around Morgan St) the sheet metal barriers give life to Alexandria. To the north, Raleigh Studios “guards” the prison, Hershell‘s farm, Morgan’s church, the lair of the Saviors and many other more recent locations such as the clearing in the woods where Negan introduces Lucille for the first time to Rick and his companions!
Be careful though, the whole area of Raleigh is off limits, with video surveillance and checkpoints on all the side streets. There is increasing talk of a possible opening of the sets, but unfortunately not in the immediate future. However, in the city you can really feel like real walkers, covering the same streets seen countless times during the series, and it is an amazing sensation!
In Main St there are also the Woodbury Shoppe, which sells the official merchandise of the series, and Nic & Norman‘s, the restaurant opened by Greg Nicotero and Norman Reedus.
Before the return to Atlanta, we make a last stand in the city of Griffin, 18 miles to the east. The city, after having been very active as a set in the early seasons, returned as a protagonist in the seventh. At the corner of W Bank St and the railroad, Daryl finds refuge with his momentary group (the scene of the rabbit), while Sasha and Rosita pass by here in their mission to kill Negan. 
The building from which the two girls observe the Saviors ‘ base with the rifle sights is the one a little further north, at the corner of N 8th St and W Central Ave. Going 350 feet north, along the nearby N Hill St, we arrive in the macabre square where a group of antagonists feeds on Bob’s leg in the fifth season. Our last stop is in the Easy Shop parking lot at 375 N 13th St, which is where Abraham and Eugene first meet.
The Walking Dead Filming Locations Map
Online you can find many blogs that provide very detailed directions to all the locations of the series. To organize these visits, we relied more than anything else on the map below that provides very precise and detailed information, thanks to which you can understand at a glance the area you want to explore.
Those we have mentioned in the article are the locations we have chosen, partly because they are some of the most representative and partly because they are the easiest to locate. If you, like us, are fans of the series and you find yourself passing through Georgia on your trip, you can not miss the opportunity to feel like real walkers for a day!
The Walking Dead tour
Given the enormous success that the series has garnered, not only in the United States but also in all the rest of the world, there are many private tours on offer, especially in the Atlanta area. Depending on the time that you have to organize your trip you can decide whether you want to do everything alone or to join a ready, well tested tour.
Discover The Walking Dead themed tours
Where to Stay
As you will have realized while reading the article, the best point of support to go zombie hunting is Atlanta. For this reason, if you intend to stay a few days in the state of Georgia, we recommend you read our suggestions on where to stay in Atlanta. Below instead you find the list of all the available lodgings.
