Reporter and superfan creates Atlanta’s unofficial Walking Dead tour
May 5, 2015
Scoping out iconic locations from The Walking Dead in Atlanta in a sort of super-fan scavenger hunt proved eye-opening and enjoyable.
The Center for Disease Control today on the right looks quite different from the infamous pilot.
Cobb Energy Centre, or the “Center for Disease Control” as portrayed in the show, served as the first destination. Fellow viewers may remember all the way back in Season 1 when the survivors narrowly escaped death at the hands of a colossal explosion. Today, the spot appears up-and-running and remarkably repaired from the ruins it was left in during the apocalypse.
Actual quarry location on the right versus the terrifying portrayal in the show on the left.
Sticking with locations from early in the series, the next stop was Bellwood Quarry, a site of numerous scenes in Season 1, including Shane’s brutal beating of Ed. Disappointingly, the site, a future city park, was off-limits to the public. Due to the limited access, one can barely make out the quarry from the modest shot, although the elusiveness of the location adds to the mystique of the show.
The tank scene location looks totally unrecognizable on the right reality.
On the corner of Forsyth Street and Walton Street lies the area in which Rick Grimes first confronted the magnitude of the new world. As Rick was forced to take refuge from the undead in an abandoned tank, the groundbreaking pilot came to a stunning close. The restaurant pictured in the show either no longer exists or never existed; instead, a nondescript tattoo parlor takes its spot. No sign exists that television’s most popular program filmed a monumental scene in the area.
Van falling off bridge actual location seems less ominous on the right.
Moving from Season 1 to Season 5, which was the next time Atlanta served as a location in the plot, stands the bridge that Carol and Daryl fell off of in a van. The sheer recognizability of the street and surrounding area was eerie; one almost feels as if the events in the show actually happened due to the perfect resemblance of the area to the show.
Negotiation location was actually Grady Hospital.
Lastly, here is a shot of an iconic location from the Season 5 mid season finale, despite, again, limited access. On this parking deck, Rick negotiated a prisoner exchange with two cops from Grady Memorial Hospital, with his group keeping a close watch on top of the above parking deck. A Grady sign is actually visible, and its inclusion in the location almost makes it seem like a fictional figment of the Walking Dead universe, instead of the completely real hospital it is.
A similar unofficial “tour” of Atlanta and other surrounding areas remains highly recommended for fellow Walking Dead fans. This next-level experience will definitely enhance enjoyment of the show.
Google Map Tour