Michael Jackson's Thriller zombie dance location

Filming Location Los Angeles, California

This is the location where the iconic zombie dance scene from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" was filmed.

It is situated at 3701 East Union Pacific Avenue in Los Angeles, California.

The music video, which cost $500,000 to make, was shot at this location in October 1983.

It was released two months later on December 2nd, 1983.

3701 Union Pacific Ave — This image was captured in April 2025. The scene was filmed outside this industrial building on Union Pacific Avenue. It is currently occupied by a cement company called Venator Americas. Credit: Google Maps.

The video references numerous horror films. One of the most memorable scenes involves Jackson dancing with a horde of zombies, a sequence that was inspired by George A. Romero's 1968 film Night of the Living Dead.

The story revolves around Jackson and his date (played by Ola Ray), who are walking down a dark street after leaving a nearby movie theater.

As they are passing a cemetery, zombies rise from their graves and surround them. Jackson subsequently transforms into a zombie and dances with the horde.

Thriller — The video was directed by John Landis. Up to 40 makeup artists were involved.

Following the dance, Jackson's date runs into an abandoned house. Although the video makes it seem as though the two locations are nearby, the house in question is actually six miles away, in a neighborhood called Angelino Heights.

The video is credited with transforming music videos into a serious art form. It is also widely regarded as the most famous music video of all time.

In 2009, it became the first music video to be inducted into the US National Film Registry as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."