Popular Vampire and Zombie Series Film in Georgia A couple of small Georgia towns on the outskirts of the Atlanta metro area provide the settings for two popular TV series. Tourists come to town in hopes of catching a glimpse of the actual filming and to see the real life landmarks that they recognize from the shows. The CW Network's The Vampire Diaries films in Covington, Georgia, located about 30 minutes east of Atlanta. The AMC series The Walking Dead has filmed 40 miles southwest of Atlanta in Senoia and several other small towns. Covington, Georgia becomes the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia for The Vampire Diaries. Series characters Stefan and Damon are vampires who are in love with the same woman, Elena. Real life sites in town have been prominently featured in the series as the Lockwood Mansion, the Gilbert House, and the Mystic Falls Cemetery. The fictional Mystic Falls Courthouse is actually the Newton County Courthouse, a brick structure dating to 1884 with a distinctive clock tower. The courthouse and surrounding buildings in downtown Covington were previously featured in the TV series In the Heat of the Night. The site of the Mystic Grill in the series is currently being transformed into a real restaurant.
Covington locations have been featured in a number of other TV series and films including The Dukes of Hazzard, Halloween II, and American Reunion. The town has learned to capitalize on its recognizable landmarks, welcoming tourists who want to explore the downtown area. Many shops carry vampire themed merchandise as a nod to the current Vampire Diaries series. The Covington/Newton Visitors Center provides maps and information on walking tours highlighting 36 film locations in the area. A private tour company offers a combination walking/bus tour of filming locations in its "Vampire Stalkers Mystic Falls Tour". Tour tickets are $55, and information is available from the Visitors Center. The Walking zombie series films on the other side of the Atlanta metro area in the historic town of Senoia. Zombies have roamed the streets of Senoia and other nearby towns including Grantville and Haralson. These towns are located 40 minutes southwest of Atlanta off I-85. Much of season three was filmed in downtown Senoia, which was walled off as a safe haven from the zombie apocalypse. Senoia is no stranger to the film industry. Other locations in the area have been used in more than 20 productions, including the recent remake of Footloose and the TV show Drop Dead Diva. Atlanta Movie Tours offer two "Big Zombie Tours" that take visitors to locations featured in past seasons of The Walking Dead. Grantville Mayor Jim Sells leads free tours of zombie sites in his town on the weekends.