19 Abandoned Movie Sets You Can Still Visit

Malta has become increasingly popular over the years, with its crystal blue waters and numerous historic sites. But there’s another draw on the Mediterranean island that’s one of the most popular among tourists: the abandoned set of the 1980 film Popeye. Starring Robin Williams, the flick featured the fictional village of Sweethaven, where Popeye arrived in search of his long-lost father. Built on the water’s edge of Anchor Bay, the original set took seven months and a crew of 165 to complete. The final product included 19 wooden buildings painted very bland colors so the actors could pop against them. Since wrapping almost 30 years ago, the locals have repainted it, making it a colorful scene. Now called Popeye Village, tourists can visit the leftover pieces of the Hollywood film and even host weddings there. It’s open seven days a week and features shows, rides, museums, and children’s play houses where kids can meet the main characters from the show—such as Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto, and Wimpy. Some of the houses even include props original to the film to impart a true sense of movie magic. If that piques your interest, you're in luck: there are other vestiges of movie sets all over the world you can visit. Some, like District 12 from Hunger Games and the mall from Blues Brothers lay in ruins, while others, like the signs from M*A*S*H or Angelina Jolie’s Girl Interrupted, are just hints of what once was. No matter your favorite genre, there’s an abandoned set for virtually every type of film. They might not be the easiest to get to (like the one that’s underwater) or find, but they’re certainly worth a visit for any movie fan. Here are 19 amazing film sets left behind that you can visit.