Rishabh Borde
Hated by critics but loved by audiences, the ‘Friday the 13th’ slasher horror media franchise is without question one of the most recognizable brands in cinema. The franchise first debuted way back in 1980 with the original ‘Friday the 13th’ film, which was followed by eleven sequels over the next thirty years, a television series, several novels, comic books, video games tie ins and sponsored merchandise. Today, the franchise holds the distinction of being the second highest grossing horror movie franchise of all time, and its principal character Jason Vorhees is now an indelible part of popular culture.
The last film in the long running franchise was 2009’s ‘Friday the 13th’, which is a reboot/re-imagining of the original series. The story line of the new film will be familiar to long time ‘Friday the 13th’ fans – A group of young men and women set up camp at the now abandoned Camp Crystal Lake, the site of a series of gruesome murders nearly three decades ago.
Legend says that the murderer’s son is still alive and hidden, waiting for anyone foolhardy enough to set camp at the lake once again. In true horror movie fashion, this legend turns out to be all too true, and the entire group ends up brutally murdered except for one woman, who is presumed missing. A few weeks later, the sole survivor’s brother Clay Miller (played by ‘Supernatural‘ star Jared Padalecki) arrives in town looking for his sister, just in time for another camping party taking place at Camp Crystal Lake.
If you were wondering where the modern reboot of one of the most renowned horror franchises was filmed, read on to find out everything we know.
Where Was Friday the 13th Filmed?
Like plenty of its predecessors, ‘Friday the 13th’ is set in the infamous Camp Crystal Lake, which also goes by its more sinister moniker “Camp Blood”. The location has been a long time killing ground for the unstoppable killer Jason Voorhees and is located in Crystal Lake in Cunningham County, New Jersey.
As you would expect, Camp Crystal Lake is not a real place and is an entirely fictional backdrop created specifically for the films. However, the original 1980 movie was actually filmed on location in New Jersey at the Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco in Hardwick. However, this is not the case with the new ‘Friday the 13th’, which was filmed entirely in various locations across the Lone Star State – Texas. Principal filming began in April 2008 in the city of Austin and wrapped up by early June the same year.
Check out this picture posted by ‘Friday the 13th’ star Danielle Panabaker on her Instagram account:
Wimberley Vacation House, Wimberley, Texas
Wealthy college student Trent’s summer house in Camp Crystal Lake is the site for many a gruesome massacre in ‘Friday the 13th’. These scenes were filmed on location at the Wimberley Vacation House in Wimberley, Texas. Wimberley is a fairly small town in central Texas that started out as a trading post settlement near Cypress Creek nearly two centuries ago. It is also a surprisingly popular filming location for several movies including ‘A Perfect World’, ‘The Alamo’, ‘Everybody Wants Some!!’ and ‘American Outlaws’.
Austin, Texas
The shack with the big sign reading “Outpost” in the film used to be a small business called Bubba’s Country Store in Austin, Texas back during the time of the filming. Unfortunately, the store has closed and renovated several times since then.
Of course, Austin is the capital city of Texas and the fastest growing city in the United States. Austin is known for its beautiful views, beer, and world famous BBQ. Check out this picture of the location before the renovations:
One more drive to Salt Lick, and one more stop at the old-time Bubba's Country Store / gas station. pic.twitter.com/7PAbTBShZY
— Coffee Hound (@coffeelance) October 6, 2013
Round Rock, Texas
The creepy storage barn where Jason emerges was filmed on location in the city of Round Rock in Williamson County, Texas. Round Rock is fairly close to Austin and is an economic hub for tech giants such as Dell, IBM, and Samsung.
Bastrop, Texas
The scene where ‘Friday the 13th’ protagonist Clay Miller is stopped by the police officer was filmed at Chestnut Street in the small town of Bastrop, Texas. The city is located along the Colorado River and is a popular filming location for numerous movies including ‘Boyhood’, ‘The Tree of Life’, ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’, and ‘Courage Under Fire‘.
Camp Fern, Texas
After the principal filming had wrapped up, additional scenes were filmed at Camp Fern near Marshall, Texas. The camp was founded nearly ninety years ago in 1934.
