For Walking Dead locations, tour two cities: Atlanta and Senoia, Georgia. In Senoia, visit these locations: Veranda Bed and Breakfast Inn, Senoia Coffee and Café, Alexandria Safe Town and Nic and Norman’s. In Atlanta, check out Rick’s House, Terminus, and the Cobb Center.
HOW DO I GET TO SENOIA TO SEE THE WALKING DEAD TOWN OF WOODBURY?
Senoia, Georgia Downtown, anonymouse1 [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]
Senoia is south of Atlanta, about an hour away by car. You would take the GA I-85 South to GA 154 South to GA-16 to Main Street. Senoia is featured as the town of Woodbury in Walking Dead (season 3). Senoia is considered part of the Atlanta metropolitan area but has that Southern small town charm so many covet, especially film and tv fans.
HOW CAN I TOUR OR VISIT THE WALKING DEAD FILM LOCATIONS IN SENOIA, GA?
Downtown Main Street in Senoia is ground zero for Walking Dead fans. This cozy town of 3,307 is also the wealthiest town in the state.
One of the most popular places to stay if you are a big tv/movie buff is Veranda Bed and Breakfast Inn, 252 Seavy St, Senoia, GA 30276. You can see downtown Main Street “Woodbury” aka Senoia from the front porch of the B & B. The “Fried Green Tomatoes” house (aka the Threadgoode house) is located around the corner at 204 Bridge Street, Senoia, GA. And Veranda House has another literary and movie claim to fame as well. Margaret Mitchell, author of “Gone with the Wind,” interviewed Confederate war veterans who once lived at this location for her book which then became the basis of the iconic movie classic.
Veranda has a top five star rating on Tripadvisor.com and is on the National Registry of Historic Places. It is a 1906 Greek Revival mansion with 9 guest bedrooms and 11 fireplaces. It has a well-stocked upstairs library with hundreds of books and magazines for the guests to use. The Inn gives you the feeling of stepping back in time and the owner is very hospitable.
Senoia Coffee & Cafe: Counse [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]
Once you head out the front door at Veranda B&B, take a stroll down Main Street to see several notable Walking Dead destinations. Maybe you’d like to start your day off with a strong coffee at Senoia Coffee and Café (aka Woodbury Coffee House in TWD), 1 Main St, Senoia, GA 30276. The railroad tracks across the street were used as a location for filming for the TWD as well. You may want to skip breakfast for one day at the Veranda to enjoy breakfast here and soak in all the Walking Dead atmosphere. Enjoy everything from the Whistle Stop breakfast and the Governor Breakfast Burrito. Vegan options too! They also have all the lattes, cappucino’s, Americano’s that you could want. And highly rated with an average of 4.8 on Yelp.
After a late leisurely breakfast, continue your walk down Main Street and visit The Woodbury Shoppe, 48 Main St #1A, Senoia, GA 30276. A fun store with Walking-Dead inspired clothing, gift shop and collectibles from the show. This is a “don’t miss” for any TWD fan.
After visiting some of the locations on Main Street, take your own zombie escape or walk to the
Alexandria Safe Zone, Morgan and Baggarly Street, Senoia, GA 30276. It’s only about a five minute walk from Main Street down Gin Street. You can see the belltower or watchtower from the road. This area was featured in Episode 511, “The Distance.” The Alexandria Safe Zone is where Rick and other survivors arrive outside the gates.
For dinner, be sure to visit Nic & Norman’s restaurant run by Walking Dead star Norman Reedus and TWD director and producer, Greg Nicotero. A lot of the cast and crew (over 400 people) make this this their regular watering hole, so the chances of running into someone who works on the show at any given time is quite good.
The menu features everything from a variety of gourmet burgers (lamb, bison among the choices), salads, and other traditional American fare. They also have a full bar including Norman’s Blind Squirrel which features walnut toffee whiskey with Frangelico and a splash of cola for all those with a sweet tooth. Or maybe you’d like to try the Ole Fashioned Moonshine with is made from apple pie moonshine, muddled orange and cherry moonshine with moonshine soaked cherry (get the theme here?).
WHAT OTHER MOVIES OR TV SHOWS HAVE BEEN FILMED IN SENOIA?
In addition to “Fried Green Tomatoes,” the movie “Driving Miss Daisy” and the 2011 remake of “Footloose” were filmed in the town.
WHERE ARE SOME OF THE FILM LOCATIONS I CAN VISIT IN ATLANTA FOR THE “WALKING DEAD?”
Visit the set for “Terminus” (from Episode 410 – Inmates) at 793 Windsor St Southwest, Atlanta, GA. In the show, this is the abandoned railyard where the Terminus community lived. Terminus is where the Western and Atlantic rail line ended. Fun fact? Terminus is the real and early name for the city of Atlanta settlement. A stake was driven into the ground in 1837 marking the founding of Terminus. This stake is known as the Zero Mile Post. The name came from the State of Georgia’s intent to build a railroad from Georgia to the U.S. Midwest with the end of the line or the “terminus” being in Georgia in what is now called Atlanta. The Walking Dead revived this name as part of their television plot about a group of survivors building their own community for protection.
To see where the Walking Dead tank scene from Season 1 was shot, visit 49 Forsyth St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303.
And to see Rick’s House from the Season 1 pilot, drive by 817 Cherokee Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30315. It is a private residence so be respectful. Enjoy a day playing tourist as well as TWD fan by driving down the street and visiting the Zoo Atlanta, 800 Cherokee Ave SE, Atlanta GA 30315. This is not a Walking Dead location but a cool stop to see some great animals including giant pandas, otters, komodo dragons, and gorillas. Stop for a bite to eat at Wild Planet Café, 800 Cherokee Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30308 if you’re hungry during your visit. They have a limited menu of burgers, chicken and salads, but it’s the only place with more substantial food at the park.
After a day around the Zoo Atlanta area, a cool place to spend an evening geeking out as a Walking Dead fan is the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, 2800 Cobb Galleria Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30339. It stars as the Center for Diseases Control (CDC) in Season 1 episode “Wildfire.” The exterior of the CDC is identified as a point of safety for several campers who decide to escape to this location and seek the help of scientists inside.
The CEPAC is a great destination to see a cultural or musical event. A wide variety of entertainment is featured there including acts such as Penn and Teller, The Righteous Brothers, Gordon Lightfoot or the Atlanta Opera performing La Traviata. Prior to a night at the theater, dine nearby at the Grub Burger Bar, a local pub, closest to the Center which features Happy Hour cocktails and a variety of American dishes from burgers, to fish to salads.
ARE THERE ACTUAL STUDIO OR LOCATION TOURS FOR THE WALKING DEAD?
If a more formal tour of the Walking Dead locations is your thing or an actual tour of the movie lot where they shoot TWD, there are a couple of tours you can take while you are in the Atlanta/Senoia area.
One is the Walking Dead Studio Tour which is at the actually movie lot in Senoia where the show is shot. This is a must stop! It’s a two hour tour of the sets (some areas may be off limits due to filming issues) but may include the Hilltop Mansion, the setting of the struggles of Maggie and Gregory, the Alexandria sets, the Heaps, the trash world of the Scavengers, and Oceanside, the 1940’s classic motor court.
Big Zombie Bus and Walking Tour has bus and walking tours in both Atlanta and Senoia. Visit their website and check which tour most interests you. They have four to choose from, and the tours are roughly three hours long.