A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.
Hyatt Regency Pittsburgh International Airport, 1111, Airport Boulevard, Findlay Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 15231, United States of America
Court Square Fountain, North Court Avenue, Cotton Row Historic District, Lauderdale Courts, Memphis, Shelby County, West Tennessee, Tennessee, 38103, United States of America
Jonathan Demme’s chilling thriller is set in Washington, Baltimore and small-town Ohio – but was filmed around Pittsburgh and rural western Pennsylvania. Buffalo Bill’s house of horrors was a genuine Pennsylvania home, later sold, unforgettably, as “the Silence of the Lambs house.”
Where was The Silence of the Lambs filmed?
The Silence of the Lambs was filmed around Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania – Canonsburg, Perryopolis and the surrounding countryside – plus West Virginia and Ohio.
Every Silence of the Lambs location, explained
1
Buffalo Bill’s house – Perryopolis
The killer’s lair was a real house in Perryopolis, Pennsylvania, later sold to fans as the film’s famous home of horrors.
2
The asylum – Pittsburgh
Hannibal Lecter’s Baltimore asylum used locations around Pittsburgh, including the city’s grand old civic buildings.
3
Small-town Ohio and West Virginia
The story’s Ohio and West Virginia scenes used real small towns like Bellaire and rural Clay County.
4
Western Pennsylvania
The wider manhunt used the towns and countryside around Canonsburg and Fayette County.
Planning a visit
Western Pennsylvania holds the film’s real locations – Pittsburgh’s civic architecture and the small towns of Fayette County – with the notorious “Buffalo Bill house” a genuine private home near Perryopolis.
Silence of the Lambs Fun Facts
1
Buffalo Bill's house is real The killer’s home is a genuine Pennsylvania house near Perryopolis, later sold with its film fame front and centre.
2
Pittsburgh played Baltimore The asylum and city scenes were filmed around Pittsburgh, not Baltimore.
3
Hopkins is barely on screen Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor for a Hannibal Lecter role lasting only around 16 minutes.
4
It swept the top five Oscars The film won Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenplay – a rare clean sweep.
5
The moth is a real species The film’s death’s-head hawkmoth motif used real moths, with painted markings for effect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Buffalo Bill's house real?
Yes – it’s a genuine house near Perryopolis, Pennsylvania, later sold as the film’s famous location.
Can you visit the locations?
Western Pennsylvania holds the real settings, though Buffalo Bill’s house is a private home.
Who directed The Silence of the Lambs?
Jonathan Demme.
Did it win Oscars?
Yes – all five top Academy Awards, one of only three films to do so.
