Wandering Barefoot in Spectre – The Big Fish Movie Set

October 25, 2016

If you have ever seen Tim Burton’s movie Big Fish, you probably fell in love with a small town called Spectre, and the people in it. Off the beaten path, Edward stumbles upon this town twice in the film, once too early, and once too late. Since then who hasn’t thought about ditching their shoes and living barefoot for the rest of their life without a care in the world? Well, as it turns out, that dream can be a reality. At least temporarily. While Spectre, Alabama doesn’t actually exist, the movie set can be found on an island in the middle of Gun Island Chute. For a mere three dollars, you can cross the bridge, throw your shoes over the wire, and walk barefoot through Spectra.

Over the years the set has suffered several blows to fires and buildings collapsing, but there is still enough there to make your trip worthwhile. The remaining buildings, including the chapel at the end of the road, are still mostly intact, however, are starting to show their age and if you look close enough, you will find that several of the trees are actually stage props made of styrofoam. But, styrofoam trees aren’t the only surprises you will find here. There are plenty more waiting for when you get there.

The town is built on private property. In the past visitors were required to get in touch with the owners before showing up for permission to enter. However, now you can drive right up to the gate, pay your money to get a gate code and spend as long as you would like between entrance hours walking around the land. While exploring the set itself will only take about an hour, the ground is now also camping, and fishing grounds and you can camp for ten dollars a night.