Evil Dead II was shot in and around the town of Wadesboro, North Carolina. The main body of shooting took roughly fourteen weeks in and around the town of Wadesboro, North Carolina, from May 1986 to September 1986. Following this there also were reshoots around the Detroit area. This page details some of those locations. A number of the photos were taken personally for this website during a visit from the UK to the USA in December 2012, which included the cabin site & production house; which was only possible due to the fact that I was friendly with the original owners of the site, who in turn are friendly with the then-owners of the site.
The location videos below have been edited from over 4 hours of raw footage shot, filmed personally in 16:9 1080i HD with a JVC GZHM445 PAL Camcorder, which was downscaled to SD 16:9 25p PAL and encoded to DVD. If any media production companies are interested in licensing this footage for use in their own DVDs, then please get in contact via email at
The Cabin
The cabin, now heavily overgrown (taken by unknown, mid 1990s)
While stories of pilgrimages to the site of The Evil Dead cabin are quite common, The exact location of the Evil Dead II cabin, or more accurately the cabin exterior set built especially for the production (with the cabin, cellar & workshed interior sets set built in the gym of the J. R. Faison Junior High School), isn't generally known, although it was built on the same property as their farmhouse production base, a few miles east of Wadesboro, North Carolina. This was the living quarters for many of the crew.
Unfortunately the exterior cabin set, no longer exists. The land was sold to the current owners in 2008, and in 2016, the cabin site was cleared for lumber. It's now a working cattle farm.
One of the earliest site visits known, is the below tale from fan Ted Sedlmayr, who visited the site in July 1995 with his friend Chad. Given the reaction of the land owner, they may well be the first! (Although please get in touch if you know better.)
"During a hiking trip in the Smokey Mountains in July 1995, I had the idea to grab a local video store's copy of Evil Dead II and look up the where it was shot. We found the town and were directed to the town's real estate office. One of the ladies remembered watching them shoot some scenes at the cabin, and was even nice enough to print us directions!
We arrived at the property, which was seemingly abandoned. The gate was open so we drove up, parked and walked around. Even though we could see for a good distance we had no idea where to begin looking. After around half an hour, an old pickup pulled up to a barn area nearby. I walked up and introduced myself, asking him if he remembered a movie that was shot near here called Evil Dead 2. With a totally surprised look, he said he never expected anyone to ever ask him that. After a few minutes chatting, he offered to drive us to the cabin.
The cabin itself was pretty beaten up but still standing. There were still a few fake tree trunks there but the actually woods around the property were almost gone, as they had been sold for lumber. We were lucky that he happened to come by, he only usually checked in once a month. He also said that because the cabin was so decapitated, it would be removed with all the lumber that season, too. Anyway, it was a fun hour for us to see the place and really ended the trip on a high note.
You can see a few photos from Ted & Chad's trip below. Bruce Campbell mentions on the 2000 US Anchor Bay Evil Dead II DVD commentary track, that he was emailed a photo around 1997 from someone who tracked the cabin down. The top cabin photo on this page, looks to have been taken roughly around a similar time as Ted's, and may well be that 1997 photo.
A panoramic view of the front of the cabin as it looks in 2012 (taken by Ted Sedlmayr & Chad - July 1995)
In 2011, US distributor Lionsgate released Evil Dead II in Blu-Ray format. Among the many new extras was a 8m 08s featurette called 'Road To Wadesboro', in which Tony Elwood (credited in the movie for 'special props') revisits various Evil Dead II shooting locations, including The J. R. Faison Junior High School, and the exterior cabin set in the same local area. Although in a badly neglected and dilapidated state, the cabin structure is still shown to be standing, along with the workshed and a number of the fake trees.
A panoramic view of the front of the cabin as it looks in 2012 (taken by EvilDeadChainsaws - 10/12/2012)
Having visited the cabin site myself in 2012, I can verify this. However, much of the wood in the cabin is rotten, so it's slowly collapsing, with the section of roof over what would have been the kitchen area virtually caved in, and holes in parts of the floor. After production wrapped, the site was basically stripped bear of everything of any use or value, so the cabin is now just an empty shell, with a few detached doors and some of the interior walls still remaining.
Inside the cabin (taken by EvilDeadChainsaws - 10/12/2012)
The workshed opposite, still standing
One of the fake trees
These plans were drawn up by US fan David Bartrug back in 2010 while at the cabin location in Wadesboro, before the cabin collapsed, and workshed removed in Operation Uproot. Huge thanks to David for allowing their inclusion here.
In May of 2014, producer & director Dan Sellers and his cast/crew had the opportunity to visit the cabin site and film a 2nd Unit scene for his upcoming film Hank vs. The Undead, just so they could say that a small scene in their film included the cabin and woodshed from Evil Dead II. The rest of the film was shot between Greensboro and Wadesboro, North Carolina and is currently in post-production. This visit was only made possible due to the fact that Wadesboro is his home town and he still has a lot of connections in the area. you can see the film's official Facebook page at facebook.com/hankvstheundead.
He got in contact to say that it has finally collapsed, and definitely does not look like "the cabin" anymore. A few parts are still standing and he could walk inside, but not far. However, the fake trees are still there and standing and the woodshed is in great condition.
A panoramic view of the remains of the cabin as it looks in 2014 (taken by Dan Sellers - 10/05/2014)
In 2016, the property owners finally decided to clear the area in order to harvest the trees for firewood, which would ultimately alter the landscape and destroy the last remnants of the cabin & workshed. Friend & fan Mike Pasquale (owner of EvilDeadWorkshed.com) was given permission to save as much of the remaining structures as he could.
The collapsed cabin (taken by Mike Pasquale - 02/04/2016)
The collapsed cabin (taken by Mike Pasquale - 02/04/2016)
The collapsed cabin (taken by Mike Pasquale - 02/04/2016)
Dismantling the workshed (taken by Mike Pasquale - 02/04/2016)
Workshed bare frame (taken by Mike Pasquale - 02/04/2016)
The collapsed workshed (taken by Mike Pasquale - 02/04/2016)
Mike, along with his friend Scott Himmel, rented a 24' moving truck and arrived at the property on April 2. Over two days, they dismantled and loaded up the truck with as much material as they could take. virtually all the wood in the area had some degree of rot & termite damage, which made for a dangerous task, especially crawling around inside the collapsed cabin. Their initial plan for the workshed was to label each plank of the fascia and dismantle it piece by piece. As they progressed, the rotting frame of the shed began to slowly tilt over, then finally collapsed completely. As a result, they left the workshed framing behind, and decided to build a new frame from scratch.
The sign made by Mike & Scott, left in the spot where the workshed used to stand
As they left, they made put a sign into the ground where the Workshed used to sit. Subsequently, they assembled a metal canopy frame around which to re-assemble the workshed and tour it at US comic-cons, along with a display of other assorted pieces. To fund this, Mike set up a Kickstarter project, which has long since closed, but can still be seen here; Evil Dead II Workshed and Cabin Exhibit. He raised a total of $6,227 from 47 backers.
Unfortunately, some of the wooden planks from the front of the Workshed were missing along with key pieces such as the front door and upper loft door. Mike was able to get in touch with the then-owner of the missing items through myself, and arranged to purchase them and complete the workshed. Additional wooden planks that were missing from the front of the Workshed were replaced using planks from the rear exterior wall of the cabin. A new door chain and exterior light were also purchased & added.
A photo of Mike's display at the 2016 Wizard World Chicago, with the workshed on the right.
After the Workshed was finally reassembled, it was taken to various US Comic-Cons and Horror Movie conventions. Its biggest appearance was Wizard World Chicago 2016 where Bruce was reunited with the Workshed for the first time since filming. For most of 2017, Mike somewhat dropped off the public radar. In November of 2017, the workshed appeared for sale on Ebay.com, due to Mike's 'busy work schedule', he was unable to put the Workshed on the road anymore. The Buy-It-Now price was $20,000, but the auction was ended a few days in as Mike had found a buyer; the Living Dead Museum in Evans City, Pennsylvania.
The Production House
As mentioned above, the farmhouse adjoining the cabin site was the living quarters for many of the crew, as it was empty at the time. The same house and surrounding land was also used by Steven Spielberg in the movie The Color Purple a year before. Created for that production; you can still see the Celie and Nettie carving on the tree right outside the main house, and the church off in the distance. The house with the land was sold and the farmhouse refurbished in 2008, and is now occupied by the current owners. For obvious reasons (see above red warning), I'm not posting the exact location of the house.
The farmhouse (taken by EvilDeadChainsaws - 10/12/2012)
The distant church (taken by EvilDeadChainsaws - 10/12/2012)
Bonsal Ballast Pits
The area in and around Bonsal Ballast Pits in Lilesville, North Carolina on highway 74, was the location for the climactic medieval section of the movie. The area looks significantly different some 26 years on; now entirely levelled and much of it flooded. The castle was a full size facade, made from plywood mounted on power poles on a hill overlooking the area, and filmed from down in the pits.
View from the road (taken by EvilDeadChainsaws - 10/12/2012)
Inside the pits (taken by EvilDeadChainsaws - 10/12/2012)
The currently derelict gym (taken by EvilDeadChainsaws - 10/12/2012)
The J. R. Faison Junior High School in the town of Wadesboro, North Carolina on highway 74 just off the main road. The large gym at the back of the property was used to house the cabin, cellar & workshed interior sets, and the main school building served as the crew & admin offices/workshops.
The school gym was partially renovated after a fire around 1989. The school was remodeled into a church and as of 2012 is being used for child daycare, and there are plans to remodel the gym into a youth community centre, although it is currently derelict and being used for storage as you can see below.
The front of the main school building, from the main road (taken by EvilDeadChainsaws - 10/12/2012)
In 2011, US distributor Lionsgate released Evil Dead II in Blu-Ray format. Among the many new extras was a 8m 08s featurette called 'Road To Wadesboro', in which Tony Elwood (credited in the movie for 'special props') revisits various Evil Dead II shooting locations, including The J. R. Faison Junior High School, and the exterior cabin set in the same local area. As of 2012, Parts of the school are undergoing renovation, while others remain derelict.
A Panoramic photo of inside the derelict gym of the school, as of 2012 (taken by EvilDeadChainsaws - 10/12/2012)
Anson County Airport
The small local airport in North Wadesboro, was used to shoot the night scene in which Annie & Ed first arrive by plane. It was renamed 'Fairview, TN' for the film, although the sign is never seen on screen. It's still in busy use today.
One of the hangers (taken by EvilDeadChainsaws - 11/12/2012)
The main building (taken by EvilDeadChainsaws - 11/12/2012)
The Tunnel
The tunnel seen just after the main titles, is called the 'Fryingpan Tunnel', an 84 metre tunnel which is one of 26 vehicle tunnels constructed along the 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway running through the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. It's located 22 miles south of Canton, and about 2 miles south of the Pisgah Inn on Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 410.1. The location is some 200 miles from Wadesboro, and coincidentally is only around 90 miles from Morristown, Tennessee. During winter most park facilities are closed, reopening in the spring. The road itself is open for travel unless snow and ice create dangerous conditions or where winter construction activities are scheduled. As this section of road is high up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, It is not unusual for it to be temporarily closed to repair damage caused by the cold winter climate at that elevation or for other maintenance. Check the Parkway information line at 828 298 0398 for the latest information on road conditions or closures. It is the view driving through the tunnel southbound that can be seen on screen.
In November 2020, US fan Douglas Roark spent time over two days shooting footage for inclusion on this site while visiting relatives in the area, using a GoPro Hero 8 with Media Mod, a Canon 5D Mk II DSLR with Magic Lantern firmware, and a Rode VideoMic Pro+ external mic. You can watch an edit of his fantastic footage above. The area looks pretty much the same in 2020, as it did back in 1986.
The south end of the tunnel (taken by Bill McKibbon - 28/07/11)
The view out of the tunnel southbound (taken from GoogleEarth)
Reshoot Locations
Most of the film's re-shoots & animation was filmed during the three and a half months of post production in a warehouse studio in Dearborn, Michigan just outside of Detroit between September 1986 and January 1987. The studio was big enough to house three sets along with a special effects area and offices & workshops. Many of the more complicated shots & special effects animation was created here such as headless Linda attacking Bruce with a chainsaw, the climactic vortex sequence created using a the 'Sam-o-Cam' X rig & with blue-screen, and the 'blood-flood' scene.
Evil Dead Fan Trip Of A Lifetime 4-Disc Blu-Ray Set
Discs 1-3 of the set contain 3h 50m of 1080p raw The Evil Dead & Evil Dead II locations camcorder footage, running in chronological order as shot over three days in December 2012. The locations covered include The Evil Dead's Cabin site, Bluff Road Bridge, Clinch River Road /Riverside Road, & Old Highway 25E all around Morristown Tennessee, and Evil Dead II's Cabin, Production House, Bonsal Ballast Pits, J. R. Faison Junior High School, & Anson County Airport in North Carolina. These discs don't have menus, but have chapter stops for each location visited.
Disc 4 is the 2015 The Evil Dead: A Superfan's Odyssey Blu-ray release, with additions. This includes the edited 49m version of the Locations footage (basically what's shown on this website, with a few extra minutes, start & end credits, chapter stops and subtitle intros), along with the 58m documentary which chronicles my journey as a British Evil Dead superfan. How seeing it changed my life, sparking an interest in making my own short films & experimenting with gore effects, leading me onto a career in film & TV special effects. Opening EvilDeadChainsaws.com & supplying Evil Dead: The Musical, creating BookOfTheDead.ws, making the Evil Dead - The Treasures Collection & Book Of The Dead DVDs, shooting footage at nine of The Evil Dead & Evil Dead II's locations, starting my huge Evil Dead collection, making a number of replica props, re-opening EvilDeadChainsaws.com & supplying Ash Vs Evil Dead, and much more. Lastly there are two teasers and two trailers for the 2016/2017 Book Of The Dead Evil Dead fanfilm.
The discs are region free PAL, written on single layer BD-R discs, and come in a proper 4-way Blu-Ray case, with a cover & disc art. You can order via the Paypal checkout button below.
£24.99/$35 + Shipping
Please bear in mind this website does not host advertising. All sales go toward new additions & running costs. This footage was filmed personally in 1080p with a JVC GZHM445 PAL Camcorder. If any companies are interested in licensing this footage, then please get in contact.
Please Note: As both the current & previous owners of the Evil Dead II Cabin Site did not wish to be identified or appear in any footage released to the public (for obvious reasons), 14m 16s of the total 4h 03m 38s of video which was shot, has been removed from the raw footage covering the Evil Dead II Cabin Site, Production House, Storage Barn, and The J. R. Faison Junior High School, along with blanking a couple of short portions of audio in the footage that's left too. Most of this is simply unrelated general conversation inadvertently captured by the camera while setting up and packing away at each location. The footage in the three disc DVD set still runs at 3h 49m 22s and is literally as complete as it can be without breaching their confidence.
