What Happened To The Cabin After The Evil Dead

The cabin in the woods at the center of Sam Raimi’s classic The Evil Dead is an icon unto itself, but its ultimate fate is likely to surprise fans. While the Evil Dead films are best known for their bombastic hero Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) and Deadites that enjoy swallowing souls, the cabin where the first two films take place is also an essential part of Evil Dead lore and fandom. The remote cabin, owned by the Knowby family, is the primary location for both 1981’s original Evil Dead movie and 1987’s Evil Dead 2.

The cabin and its surrounding area play host to many of the most treasured moments in Evil Dead history, such as a possessed Cheryl peaking her head out of the cellar, and Ash being forced to dismember his demonic friends with an axe. It was also the place where Ash would eventually have to amputate his possessed hand, going on to replace the appendage with his signature chainsaw.

However, what some fans may not realize was that the cabin in Evil Dead 2 actually wasn’t the same cabin used for The Evil Dead. The cabin in the original movie was an actual abandoned building, which Evil Dead‘s cast and crew had to fix up themselves. Sadly, it no longer exists.

What Happened To The Cabin After The Evil Dead

While there was once a rumor that The Evil Dead‘s original cabin was struck by lightning and burned down as a result, it turns out that director Sam Raimi actually had the place burned down on purpose after filming was completed. Amusingly, he claims he did this because he thought the cabin was haunted. Whether that’s true or not, it’s certainly a shame that such a horror landmark is no longer around. All that remains of the cabin are the fireplace and part of the chimney, although even that spot is still a tourist attraction for horror fans today.

Update: It seems what happened to the cabin might not be as clear as it first seemed. While the idea that Sam Raimi had the cabin burned down or burned it down himself after filming concluded has circulated around online, other information has now been brought to our attention that says the cabin didn’t actually burn down until a few years later. This fire is said to have been started accidentally by teenagers illegally camping out at the cabin.

The Evil Dead cabin once sat (and its remnants remain in) the outskirts of Morristown, Tennessee. Raimi wanted to film in his native Michigan, but couldn’t find a suitable location. The Evil Dead cast and crew are said to have placed a time capsule with filming mementos in the fireplace, but it’s yet to be found. It could still be there though, since the fireplace survived. As a final interesting aside, all the cellar scenes in The Evil Dead actually weren’t filmed at the cabin, which didn’t in fact have a cellar.

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