Utah

Silent Night Deadly Night (1984)

A few years ago, I decided to track down the locations for the infamous 'garbage day' scene in Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2.  As a completest, I had to track the rest of the locations including the original.  While I found many of these locations several years ago, it wasn't until this past summer that I was able to go visit them in person.

Set-Jetter on blu!

I am excited to share that one of my first videos is featured on the new blu-ray edition of the film as the extra: Christmas In July - locations then and now!  Click on the image to order your copy now!

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Much of the film was shot in and around Heber City, Utah.  The unique mountain landscapes helped provide clues for many of the locations.   This opening shot as was filmed just southwest of Heber City on Highway 113 (3600 West) near the Highway 189 junction.   I have included a map for the whole series of locations to help set jetters out!

This next shot was a bit tricky to find, but if you look closely, you can see the Historic Tate Barn in the background.  The shot was taken near the corner of Cascade Springs Drive and Stringtown Road in Midway, Utah.

The highway that appeared in the movie now appears to be where the Wasatch Mountain golf course exists, so I couldn't get the exact shot to line up, but this was taken just east of it in Midway.

As they continue to to visit grandpa, the family drives on Pine Canyon Road, just past the intersection for Sharon Lane in Midway.

Finally we arrive at the driveway to the asylum, which is actually the driveway to the Homestead Resort (home of the Homestead Crater) at 700 Homestead Drive in Midway, Utah.

The actual building they drive up to is about 40 miles away, however.  This is the Meldrum Science Center Building on Westminster College campus located at 1840 S 1300 East in Salt Lake City, Utah.

According to a fan, the gas station is no longer there but was around 1240 South Main Street in Heber City. I originally thought it was at the renovated convenience stop at 1175 S Main Street as the Sinclair is right next door, see photos below:

I was able to track down Ira's Toy Store at 151 North Main Street in Heber City.

Although closed during my visit, I did get some interior shots through the window.

The most difficult location to track down was the iconic 'antlers kill' house with actress Linnea Quigley. Although given clues from various cast and crew, I just wasn't able to track it down.  My instinct told me that the Christmas carolers were NOT standing in front of a house and they faked that for the shot.

There were a few likely spots where it was and my set-jetter partner in crime and Utah-local, Kevin Wellard, decided to drive around on the morning I was a few towns over doing Footloose locations.  As serendipity would have it, he bumped right into the house!   Located at 16 North Johnson Road in Midway, the house looks mostly the same except for a few modifications to the front porch.

The front porch and railings are just about the same.  Of course the door is different as Santa hacked that down!

Love that this location was finally found, thanks, Kevin!

As the police race through town, they drive by the this Ford dealership at 901 South Main Street in Heber City.

Another house I had a tough time tracking down was the the one where the father climbs through the window to surprise his daughter at Santa.  With no house address, I almost gave up on this one until I saw a small line of pink light in the background of one shot that I felt was at the main city intersection by the Hub Cafe.  Sure enough I was right and found this house at 860 South 200 West (what's with these Utah addresses?) in Heber City. I did talk to the owners about the bedroom, but they did not want any interior pictures taken.

An easy find when the sign is right on the building.  At the time this was the Wasatch County Courthouse, now the Wasatch County Administration building, located at 25 North Main Street in Heber City.

I was lucky enough to be able to grab some interior photos of this scene which is located just inside the main entrance.

The bench is gone, but everything else here is identical!

This office is right next to the earlier scene on the bench.

As they close in on Billy, this police car drives across a bridge over the Provo River on Highway 113 (3600 West) in the Charleston area, just southwest of Heber City.  The shot is taken of West 2400 South Street.

He continues to drive down Highway 113 and past this small house at 3641 3600 West before turning east.  Some of the houses are gone, but there are a few buildings that area still there.

During my visit, I thought this was a location fail, as I had found this particular big brick house the nun and detective drive by in the film, but when we got to the location it simply wasn't there so I thought I had the location wrong.  Turns out the location was correct, but the house has been demolished.  So instead of pictures of an empty lot, below is the house as it appeared via Google streetview.  The house was located at 525 East 3000 Street in Daniel, Utah.

Are we ever getting to the orphanage?   Well, yes.  Kind of....  Here is the church across the street from the orphanage, located at 3450 South 3500 West in the Charleston area of Heber City.  This is the West 3400 South side of the church, which is mostly the same but has some remodeling and a larger roof.

Just east of the church, the police turn from South 3400 West street onto West 3400 South Street towards the orphanage.  A few of the small houses in the background still exist.

As he continues down West 3400 South Street, you can see the houses are no longer there and have been replaced by the church parking lot.

And we finally approach the orphanage.  Well... where the orphanage once stood.  It was located on West 3400 South near the corner of South 3500 West.  You can see this area has changed a lot but part of the fence is still there as well as the yellow shed that was next to the building.

In the reverse shot, you can see a couple of houses that still exist, while yellow houses are now gone.

The fence is still there!!

So while the orphanage is gone, you can see a few houses and sheds in the background still exist and are identifiable.

A point-of-view shot from where the orphanage stood looking across to the church across the street.

I did my best to replicate shots of scenes in and around the orphanage, especially those shots were pieces of the background were identifiaable.

In these long shots, you can see where the mountains line up and where the orphanage building once stood, just beyond the new building seen in the modern day shots.

The beheaded snowman scene was right here!

Laying in the middle of the lot is what I imagine is the last existing piece of the orphanage...

And here is the Killer Santa Hunk himself, Robert Brian Wilson!

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You can check out the locations for all the Silent Night Deadly Night films on this map.