The film was shot in several locations in Maine in the fall of 1988, with filming taking place from September 15 to November 11. The plot, based on Stephen King's novel, tells the story of a family that moves to a rural house next to a mysterious burial ground with the power to bring the dead back to life. The film is notable for introducing one of the most disturbing horror characters — Zelda Goldman, Rachel's sister, played by Andrew Hubatsek. Fred Gwynne, known for his role as Herman Munster in the 1960s TV show 'The Munsters', played the memorable neighbor Jud Crandall. Stephen King himself appears in a cameo as a priest in a funeral scene. The music was written by Elliot Goldenthal, and the soundtrack includes two songs by The Ramones, including the iconic title track. For key road scenes, a specially prepared Peterbilt 378 semi-truck was used. The film crew made significant efforts to dress up real locations in Maine, including transplanting a full-sized tree into the yard and painting rocks white to create the eerie atmosphere of the cemetery on a blueberry field.

Filming Locations:

The Creed House

In the Movie

Scene where the Creed family arrives at their new home, and Ellie swings on a tree in the yard. A path at the edge of the property leads the family to the pet cemetery hidden in the woods behind the house, setting off the story's grim events.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at a private home on Point Road in Hancock, Maine, which has stood there since at least 1956. The film crew even dug up a tree from a nearby field and planted it in the yard because there was no suitable tree on the property. The owners kept that tree for many years until it died and was removed. A path from the edge of the yard to the woods was also specially built for the film.

Pet Sematary

In the Movie

Scene where the children's pet cemetery opens up in the woods: there's a crooked sign and circles of small graves marked with stones and crosses. This eerie clearing first shows the Creed family the local tradition of burying beloved pets and hints at a darker place further in the woods.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in a wooded area hidden behind the Elks lodge and an appliance store on High Street in Ellsworth, Maine. On a later visit, several original elements could still be recognized, including stones along the edges of a fallen tree and at least one of the fourteen roots used in the film. A lot of set dressing was needed to turn an ordinary clearing into the recognizable cemetery from the film.

Jud Crandall's House

In the Movie

Scene where Jud Crandall's house stands directly across from the Creed house, and the friendly but tragic neighbor calls Louis over, then leads him along the path to the burial ground. The final fire scene also takes place here.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at the house directly across from the Creed house on Point Road in Hancock, Maine, which has also stood there since at least 1956. For filming, a facade was built over the existing house so that the real house underneath would not be damaged during the fire scene. The large tree in the yard was cut down around 2013.