If you’ve watched Hereditary, you know the setting feels both familiar and unsettling. Where is the Hereditary set? That question sticks with viewers long after the credits roll.
I’ve tracked down the real filming locations to give you clear answers.
This film uses actual Utah locations mixed with custom soundstages. You’ll learn exactly where each major scene was shot and why Ari Aster picked these specific places.
I’ll walk you through the Graham family home, the school scenes, and those mountain roads that made your stomach drop.
By the end, you’ll see how these real locations turned this story into something that feels genuine and deeply disturbing.
Overview of Hereditary’s Filming Locations
Ari Aster used Utah’s mountain regions and custom soundstages to create an atmosphere of creeping dread throughout Hereditary.
The production split filming between actual Utah locations near Park City and Salt Lake City, combined with purpose-built sets in Toronto.
This mix of real exteriors and controlled interior environments gave Aster the authenticity he needed while maintaining complete creative control.
The Wasatch Mountain region provides the film’s oppressive backdrop, while real homes, schools, and funeral parlors ground the supernatural story in recognizable reality.
What Makes Hereditary’s Setting So Effective?
Ari Aster knew that location would make or break his horror film.
Why the Setting Matters in Ari Aster’s Horror Style
He chose Utah for good reason. The state offered mountains, isolation, and that perfect suburban atmosphere that feels safe until it isn’t. Real locations ground the supernatural story in reality.
When you recognize that houses and schools actually exist, the horror hits harder.
Aster builds horror through the atmosphere, not just jump scares. The setting becomes another character in his films. He needed places that felt ordinary enough to recognize but isolated enough to trap his characters.
Mountains surrounding a small town create natural barriers.
The director wanted viewers to feel like this could happen anywhere. A generic American suburb works perfectly for that goal.
We’ve all driven through towns like this one. That familiarity makes the supernatural elements more disturbing when they appear.
The Role of Utah’s Wasatch Mountain Region
The Wasatch Mountains provide the perfect backdrop. These peaks loom over everything, creating constant visual pressure.
Even in daylight scenes, those mountains remind us how small the characters are.
This region offers changing weather and dramatic lighting. Clouds move across mountain faces throughout the day.
The production team used this natural drama to their advantage. They didn’t need to add much artificial mood when the landscape did the work.
Where Is Hereditary Actually Set?
Ari Aster never tells us what town we’re watching.
Aster’s Deliberate Choice to Leave the Setting Unnamed
No signs name the city. The characters don’t mention where they live. This choice wasn’t an oversight but a calculated decision.
By keeping the location vague, Aster makes the story feel like it could happen in your town. The film doesn’t belong to one specific place. It belongs everywhere. That generality increases the discomfort for viewers.
How the Ambiguous Location Makes the Story More Terrifying
When we can’t pin down where something happens, we can’t dismiss it as “over there.” The horror doesn’t stay contained in some distant place. It could be next door.
The lack of specific location details also prevents the story from feeling dated. Without local landmarks or regional specifics, the film exists outside normal time and place. It becomes timeless in an unsettling way.
The Graham Family Home: Main Filming Location
The exterior shots use an actual house in Utah’s mountain region.
Real Exterior Home Near Park City, Utah
This home sits in an upscale area with large lots and mountain views. The production team scouted extensively before choosing this particular property.
The house architecture fits the Graham family perfectly. It’s modern but not flashy. Big windows suggest openness, which contrasts with the family’s emotional barriers.
The design looks expensive without being ostentatious.
The house sits near White Pine Canyon Road, close to Park City’s ski areas. This location gives the film those mountain backdrops without being too remote.
It’s accessible for film crews but still feels isolated on screen.
Why the Interior Was Filmed on a Custom-Built Soundstage
Building the interior on a soundstage gave Aster complete control. He could remove walls for camera placement. Lighting could be rigged permanently.
Every angle was planned before construction began.
The interior needed to match Aster’s very specific vision. Real houses have limitations. Soundstages don’t. The team built exactly what the director imagined, down to ceiling height and wall texture.
Annie’s miniatures influenced the entire house design. The interior feels like a life-sized dollhouse. Rooms have that strange perfection that miniatures possess.
Everything seems arranged rather than lived-in.
Key Filming Locations Around Salt Lake City
Several Salt Lake City neighborhoods provided the backdrop for Joan’s apartment and cult-related scenes.
Joan’s Apartment in a Real Residential Area
Joan’s apartment sits in an actual Salt Lake City neighborhood. The production team wanted a realistic urban setting. They found a building that looked lived-in and ordinary.
This location needed to feel accessible. Joan isn’t wealthy or isolated. She lives in a normal apartment building where neighbors exist on the other side of thin walls. That proximity makes her character feel more trustworthy to Annie.
Larkin Sunset Gardens: Funeral Home in Sandy, Utah
Larkin Sunset Gardens is an actual operating funeral home. The production rented it for filming. Using a real facility added authenticity that a set couldn’t match.
The film opens with Ellen’s funeral at this location. Later, Charlie’s service happens in the same space. Using the same funeral home for both services creates a disturbing echo.
Sandy, Utah sits south of Salt Lake City. It’s suburban and residential, which fits the Graham family’s apparent lifestyle. The location feels like where this family would actually hold services.
School Filming Locations
West High School in Salt Lake City hosted Peter’s classroom scenes and the terrifying possession moment in the hallway.
West High School: Classroom and Corridor Scenes
The possession scene in the school hallway was shot at West High School. This public school allowed filming during off-hours or breaks. The real location makes the scene more disturbing.
Many viewers attended schools that looked like this one. Familiar hallways and classrooms make Peter’s experience feel closer to our own memories. We can imagine being in that hallway when something goes horribly wrong.
Utah State Fairpark: Exterior School Shots
Film productions often use multiple locations to represent one place. Utah State Fairpark provided better exterior shots than West High School could offer at needed times.
The production team worked to ensure visual consistency. The fairpark exteriors needed to match West High interiors believably. Brick color, window style, and overall architecture had to align.
Park City Mountain Roads
Mountain roads around Park City provided the setting for Charlie’s decapitation scene and other driving sequences in the film.
Charlie’s Decapitation Scene Location
The horrifying decapitation scene was filmed on actual mountain roads near Park City. These roads wind through trees with telephone poles at regular intervals.
The geography directly influenced this pivotal moment.
Aster needed a specific type of road. Not too busy, not too remote. Trees close to the pavement. Curves that would make sense for the accident.
Park City’s mountain roads provided exactly what the scene required.
Why Utah Was the Perfect Choice
Utah offered production incentives, landscape variety, and that specific atmosphere of isolated suburbia that Aster needed for his vision.
Utah actively courts film productions with tax incentives and support services. The state film commission helps productions find locations, secure permits, and manage logistics.
The diverse landscape means crews can film multiple environments without traveling far. Mountains, valleys, urban areas, and open spaces all exist within reasonable driving distance. This variety saves time and money.
The mountains surrounding Utah’s valleys create natural boundaries. Even in populated areas, you’re always aware of the peaks. They remind you how contained the habitable space actually is. This geographic isolation mirrors the Graham family’s emotional isolation.
Conclusion
I still think about those mountain roads every time I drive through similar terrain. Where the Hereditary set matters less than how it feels, and those Utah locations created something that sticks with you.
Real places made the horror hit harder. We believe the Graham family exists because their world looks and feels real. By refusing to name the location, Aster made a story that belongs to every viewer.
This isn’t happening in some distant place. It’s happening in a town that could be yours.
Share your thoughts in the comments if you’ve spotted these locations, and check out our other horror film guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Hereditary filmed in one location or multiple places?
Hereditary used multiple locations across Utah, primarily near Park City and Salt Lake City, combined with Toronto soundstages for interior scenes. This mix gave the director full creative control while maintaining an authentic atmosphere.
Why doesn’t the movie specify where the Graham family lives?
Director Ari Aster intentionally left the location unnamed to create an “anywhere America” feeling. This ambiguity makes the horror more personal since the story could happen in any suburban mountain town.
Can you visit the actual house from Hereditary?
The exterior house near Park City is a private residence on White Pine Canyon Road. While fans can see it from public roads, most interior scenes were filmed on Toronto soundstages.
What other movies have been filmed in these Utah locations?
Utah has hosted numerous film productions due to its tax incentives and varied landscapes. The same areas have appeared in outdoor adventure films and other horror movies.
How did Utah’s landscape affect the movie’s overall atmosphere?
The Wasatch Mountains create natural visual pressure and isolation throughout the film. Mountains surround the valley locations, making characters feel boxed in without obvious barriers.
