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The Exorcist stairs: Georgetown's haunted landmark with a hidden past [1]
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Date: 2025-07-23
The iconic stone steps made famous in "The Exorcist" began their life in 1895 as a simple public right-of-way next to a cable car barn in Georgetown, Washington D.C.
Long before they became associated with one of horror's most chilling scenes, locals called them the "Hitchcock Steps" in honor of the famous suspense director. Built by George Killeen, the concrete staircase descends from the corner of Prospect and 36th Streets down to M Street. According to family lore, Killeen was never paid for the project, which was sealed with just a handshake agreement.
The steps gained their iconic status in 1973's The Exorcist, when they were used as the site of Father Damien Karras's dramatic death scene. The production team had to modify the location, adding rubber padding and constructing a false front extension to the adjacent house to capture the fall. In 2015, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser officially recognized the steps as a landmark and tourist attraction, with The Exorcist director William Friedkin and writer William Peter Blatty attending the Halloween weekend ceremony.
The Exorcist is one of the few horror films that truly freaks me out. If I lived near these steps, walking down them on Halloween would have to be a tradition. I'm thrilled to hear they're now officially recognized as a landmark.
See also: Fantastic Japanese comic adaptation of The Exorcist from 1974
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