There have been many movies set in Vermont, but they’re often not actually filmed here. That’s partly because Vermont doesn’t offer tax credits to filmmakers like some other states. So, when the Beetlejuice crew arrived in 1987, it was a big deal.
Beetlejuice tells the story of a recently deceased couple, played by Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin, who enlist the help of the mischievous Beetlejuice to scare away the Deetz family, who have moved into their home.
The film is set in the fictional town of Winter River, Connecticut, but was filmed in East Corinth, Vermont. For the sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the crew returned in 2023 to recreate the original film’s locations.
“Anything that we saw or knew, we either had an NDA or an honest pinky swear,” said East Corinth resident and Beetlejuice enthusiast Wade Pierson. “I think some of the things they released were actually to throw people off, and they did.”
Pierson, born and raised in East Corinth, is a Beetlejuice enthusiast. He guides us through the village, taking us to a large white building — Miss Shannon’s School for Girls, where Lydia Deetz, played by Winona Ryder, attends school in the first movie.
“On my way down here, I was dropping off a couple of pumpkins at Miss Shannon’s, and a car was already there. I couldn’t help but stop," Pierson said. "They said they were from Wisconsin."
Ryder reprises her role as Lydia in the sequel, and the school is briefly featured as her daughter, Astrid, played by Jenna Ortega, bikes through the village.
Even before there was, you know, word of a second one coming, I couldn't mow my lawn without people stopping me and asking directions or walk to the post office.Wade Pierson, East Corinth resident
The schoolhouse, more than 100 years old, was recently sold. A sign on the building says they hope to restore it and transform it into a Beetlejuice museum, community center and theater, with a request for donations. In front of the school, there's a sign resembling the school sign from the first movie.
“Maybe three or four years ago, I made a big one to put up at Miss Shannon’s School. It’s a poster from the ’87 VHS sleeve,” Pierson said.
Pierson has placed photos around town showcasing filming locations from the movie. It takes about 10 minutes to see all the spots. Yellow cones with black stripes line the road, marking key points of interest, which Pierson calls “sandworms,” referencing the striped snake-worm monster in the film.
“Even before there was word of a second one coming, I couldn’t mow my lawn without people stopping and asking directions,” Pierson said.
When news of the sequel broke, villagers were excited to see the crew return. Filming in Vermont began in summer 2023. Pierson estimates that during filming, up to 1,100 visitors arrived daily. If you are planning a visit East Corinth, you should know that Hollywood magic was involved. Not every building seen in the movie is real; the main house was a facade taken down after production, and the covered bridge was also a set piece.
In the village, we meet Sarah Polli, who grew up in East Corinth, and invites us into her home. She’s witnessed many Beetlejuice-related events from her front yard.
“I’ve seen engagements on this bridge, people dressed as Lydia,” Polli said. “Once, a young lady dressed as Lydia, and her boyfriend was taking her picture. Sometimes, people even come dressed as Beetlejuice.”
Polli recalls visiting the set during the first production.
“That first movie, it might have been 15 or 20 people with Tim Burton, and I just remember a wagon with four wheels and a camera,” she said.
Her home was featured in the movie — kind of.
"It was the Winter River fire department, and they did put a facade over my garage doors and painted the doors red, and they parked a big fire engine out here in the yard," Polli said.
Polli has a plethora of photos from the original movie set. She shows us photos of Davis and Baldwin on her front lawn between takes. She also remembers Ryder playing touch football with locals, and her uncle, Maurice Page, was in the film.
“My uncle was in the film, and Tim Burton took a liking to him,” Polli said. “They tried to have him play the barber, but he kept ad-libbing, so he ended up as Ernie, polishing the lions on the library steps. All he had to do was wave to Alec and Geena and say, ‘Hi. How are you?’”
Polli says she’s met visitors from around the world who come to see a slice of film history. She's seen tourists from Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Great Britain, Canada, and all over the United States. We noticed this too when we meet a visitor from Florida and a group from Spain. All are fans of Tim Burton and his movies. Polli shares one last memory of talking to Burton during the 2023 production.
“I did get to speak to Tim Burton and told him I remembered him from 36 years ago,” Polli said. “I mentioned my uncle was Ernie in the first movie, and he said, ‘I remember him.’ It was really fun.”
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Mike Dunn created the video in this piece.
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