When all three kids were still at home, we played a game called “adventuring.” It was simple: jump in the car, drive with no plan, and stop when something looked interesting. We also had another favorite game: figuring out what we’d do if a zombie apocalypse broke out mid-grocery run. On one family trip to Atlanta, we managed to combine both in the best way possible.
About ten years ago, our family was super into The Walking Dead. We were all-in: the weekly episodes, the graphic novels, heated arguments about who made worse decisions: Rick or Shane. A friend of mine, who was an even bigger fan of this zombie show than we were, had just returned from Atlanta with a list of filming locations. She swore it was the ultimate scavenger hunt for anyone obsessed with the undead. Naturally, I packed that list like it was our survival guide. That’s how we discovered a small town in Georgia that really does feel straight out of The Walking Dead: Senoia.
This little town south of Atlanta is more than just a filming location… It’s practically the heart of the apocalypse. Starting in season two, Riverwood Studios, just outside town, became the show’s home base. By season three, downtown Senoia had transformed into Woodbury, the Governor’s unsettling suburban nightmare. If you remember Andrea and Michonne peering suspiciously at seemingly cheerful storefronts, you’ve basically walked through downtown Senoia already. The surreal part is that once the cameras pack up, those same streets fill with real-life families, people walking dogs, and visitors clutching iced lattes instead of crossbows.
Exploring Senoia is like flipping channels between reality and fiction. One moment you’re in front of the ESCO Feed Mill, where Rick and the Governor first locked horns (and Merle later met his grim fate). A few blocks away sits Sportsman’s Deer Cooler, which doubled as Michonne and Andrea’s hideout. Want to relive Hershel’s farm days, back when Carl couldn’t stay out of trouble for more than ten minutes? The driveway leading to the Greene family farmhouse begins just outside town. It’s equal parts fan pilgrimage and historical sightseeing… because this town predates zombies by more than a century. Founded in the 1860s, Senoia has roots older than any television script, though The Walking Dead may be its most famous export.
Of course, it’s not all walkers and Woodbury. Senoia has quietly grown into one of Georgia’s most beautiful small towns. The coffee at Senoia Coffee & Café is so good that you might outrun a walker just to make it to the counter. After hours of zombie-spotting, we found ourselves refueled with lattes that deserved their own fan club. Dinner, naturally, had to be at Nic & Norman’s: the restaurant created by Walking Dead legend Greg Nicotero and everyone’s favorite crossbow-slinging survivor, Norman Reedus. Imagine ordering a gourmet burger and knowing the guy responsible for half the show’s walkers designed the place where you’re eating it. That’s the kind of surreal only Senoia can deliver.
No trip would be complete without stepping into The Woodbury Shoppe, the ultimate shrine to all things undead. Owned by Robert Kirkman and other producers, it’s stocked with signed photos, collector’s items, and enough fan gear to make even your most skeptical relative say, “Okay, this is pretty cool.” Walking through, you half expect to bump into Michonne’s katana or hear the Governor giving one of his unsettling speeches.
What makes Senoia magical is the overlap of worlds. On the one hand, it’s a warm, thriving community with pizza joints, coffee shops, and a history older than Atlanta itself. On the other hand, it’s the backdrop for Rick, Daryl, Michonne, and the rest of the gang fighting for survival. It’s like stepping into your TV and realizing the end of the world smells like barbecue and fresh bread…