Vermont town draws 'Beetlejuice' fans to iconic horror movie site
[October 31, 2025]
By AMANDA SWINHART and KIMBERLEE KRUESI
EAST CORINTH, Vt. (AP) — For nearly 40 years, a tiny town in Vermont has
attracted hoards of “Beetlejuice” fans eager to visit where the
whimsical horror movie's most famous scenes were filmed.
With a population hovering just around 1,500, "Beetlejuice" mania has
helped put East Corinth on the map not only for fans of the movies, but
also those looking for a spooky-themed road trip.
“It was like one of those coming of age films for me,” said
“Beetlejuice” fan Lisa Pinkerton, who traveled with her family from
England and decided to include a stop in East Corinth. “It brings back
all those memories of watching it with friends at the time. It’s nice to
put it all into place and see the sort of Hollywood magic that happens.”
The original “Beetlejuice” was released in 1988, where it was set in the
fictional town of Winter River, Connecticut. The story is centered
around a recently deceased couple played by Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin
trying to scare a family out of their home. When their attempts fail,
the couple hire “bio-exorcist” Beetlejuice, played by Michael Keaton,
but quickly regret that decision.
But in reality, director Tim Burton chose East Corinth, located near the
New Hampshire border, for many of the iconic scenes.
This includes shooting the 100-year-old building that serves as the
movie’s Miss Shannon’s School for Girls, where Lydia Deetz, played by
Winona Ryder, attends school, as well as the red covered bridge where
the main characters Adam and Barbara Maitland drive off and plummet to
their death.
East Corinth resident Sarah Polli lives beside the bridge used in the
film, and her garage was converted into the Winter River Fire
Department, with the rest of her home serving as Jane Butterfield's Real
Estate and Travel Agency. Her uncle, Maurice Page, was the only local
who scored a role in the film.
“He was supposed to be the barber, but he kept ad libbing, which
frustrated Tim Burton," Polli said. "So, he gave him a nonspeaking part
basically and he became Ernie dusting off the statues in front of the
library.”
Page can be seen in the film saying, “Hi, how are you?” to the Maitlands
as they drive by in their yellow Volvo.
“I think it was a lot of fun for everyone, but a lot of the older people
in town, I think they thought that this was going to be a pleasant,
bucolic movie about the countryside. There was some shock when the movie
came out,” said Polli.
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The building known as "Miss Shannon's School for Girls" in the "Beetlejuice"
films is pictured in East Corinth, Vt., Oct. 28, 2025. (AP
Photo/Amanda Swinhart)
 Burton, a moody gothic hero,
returned to the Vermont town to film the sequel — “Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice” — which has only helped spark more tourists flocking to
East Corinth.
Polli says the town welcomes fans, who residents
affectionately refer to as “juicers,” from all over the world.
“It's just been a continuous stream. I've met people from France,
Germany, Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Great Britain, all over Canada and
all over the United States. It's just amazing,” she said.
Wade Pierson, who grew up in East Corinth, created a walking tour
for fans like Pinkerton, highlighting the various filming locations
that can be seen around town. Because some of the scenes
incorporated a bit of movie magic, Pierson's roughly 10-minute,
self-guided tour helps enthusiasts visualize the films' iconic sets
with the use of large signs featuring screenshots from the films.
“People say, 'Where's the house?' It was a movie set, so it was
taken down," Pierson said. “We do have a picture on a pole that if
you stand in the right place and squat down, you can line it up with
the hill across the river, take a pretty realistic looking photo of
what it looked like when they shot the film.”
Meanwhile, the schoolhouse building has since been sold to a
“Beetlejuice” enthusiast who hopes to restore and transform it into
a community center that can serve as a “Beetlejuice” museum and
theater.
Decked out in “Beetlejuice”-themed Halloween decorations, Pierson's
home is located directly across from the schoolhouse, where he says
he's had a front row seat to the filming of both movies.
“I literally have the honor of living across the street from Miss
Shannon's, which is a living, standing movie set," he said. “The
more people that enjoy it, the better.”
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