The Victorian house that once terrified moviegoers as the fictional lair of serial killer Buffalo Bill is throwing open its doors this weekend, letting fans walk the same halls and basement where The Silence of the Lambs' unforgettable finale was filmed. The event runs Friday through Sunday in Perryopolis, Pennsylvania, marking 35 years since the Academy Award-winning film's release, and actress Brooke Smith, who played captured victim Catherine Martin, is on hand for meet-and-greets and a special Saturday night screening.
The Queen Anne Victorian sits near or within view of the Youghiogheny River, a setting the property's own site describes as the real-life filming location where the movie's climactic scenes played out, according to Buffalo Bill's House. Guided tours are available Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with three two-hour time slots offered each day, and the events have limited space, according to CBS Pittsburgh.
Brooke Smith Returns to the Scene
Smith is scheduled to attend a fan meet-and-greet at the house Friday, and she'll return Saturday night for a screening of The Silence of the Lambs followed by a live Q&A, set to begin at 6:30 p.m., per the property's listing. Speaking to CBS Pittsburgh, Smith described the fan community around the film in warm terms, saying the horror community is an amazing world of people, and adding that fans of Silence of the Lambs are not bad.
For visitors who want more than a photo with Smith, the house offers an optional in-costume photo opportunity inside its recreated basement well set. The photo opportunity carries an additional charge and covers up to two guests. Organizers note that cash is required for autographs and photo purchases since there's no ATM on site, the same source's tour page states.
From Film Set to Vacation Rental
Long before this weekend's anniversary crowds, the house had already built a following among horror fans as more than just a film location. The three-story Queen Anne Victorian opened as a short-term rental in September 2021, according to the New York Post, giving overnight guests a chance to sleep inside the same rooms seen on screen. Today the property sleeps up to eight guests across four bedrooms and five beds, per its listing.
The house's most talked-about addition is its interactive replica well, which the Post reports lets visitors climb in and reenact scenes from the horror-thriller. That well experience was built in partnership with the Tom Savini Special Make-Up Effects Program at Douglas Education Center, with Jerry Gergely as head designer, according to the property's site. It's the same set now doubling as the backdrop for this weekend's costumed photo sessions with Smith.
Anniversary Screenings Beyond Perryopolis
Perryopolis isn't the only place marking the milestone. The Appell Center for the Performing Arts is hosting its own 35th-anniversary screening of The Silence of the Lambs, according to the Appell Center. For fans in the Pittsburgh area, though, the draw remains the same three-story home where the film's most chilling scenes were actually shot — and, for one weekend, where the actress who lived through them on screen is back to talk about it in person.
