Photo: Rodion Kutsaiev on Unsplash
Zombies showed up in movies before 1968, but the kind we know now, slow, hungry, and multiplying, got their start around Pittsburgh. That's thanks to George A. Romero, a Pittsburgh-based filmmaker who turned local places into horror history.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Romero and a small crew shot Night of the Living Dead in 1967 in and around Evans City, a Butler County borough about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh. The opening scene takes place in Evans City Cemetery, where the first ghoul, played by Bill Hinzman, shambles toward the camera. The low-budget film became a landmark of the genre.
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
For the sequel, Romero moved the action to Monroeville Mall, where survivors hole up in a shopping center while the dead wander the concourse. The mall setting has long been read as a jab at consumer culture, and it turned Monroeville Mall into a pilgrimage site for horror fans.
Day of the Dead (1985)
The third film in the series went underground, shooting largely in a former mine in Wampum, Lawrence County.
Where to go now
The Living Dead Museum, started by local fan Kevin Kriess, grew out of a small tribute inside his Monroeville Mall toy store. It spent several years in Evans City before returning to Monroeville Mall in 2021. The mall also has a bronze bust of Romero, and the museum's Living Dead Weekend convention has drawn fans each June.
One heads-up: Walmart bought Monroeville Mall in early 2025, and redevelopment options were being explored, so check the museum's latest details before you drive out. Evans City Cemetery is at 8600 Franklin Road if you want to stand where it all started. It's still a cemetery, so be respectful.
Romero's legacy
Romero died in 2017, but the modern zombie, from blockbuster movies to prestige TV, traces back to what he shot around here. Calling Pittsburgh the zombie capital isn't much of a stretch.
Sources: Axios Pittsburgh, Roadside America, Uncovering PA, Atlas Obscura.