12 Fictional Places That Actually Exist

The beautiful place where Lord of the Rings was filmed to an island with a unbelievable story behind it these mysterious places are real

6. Danvers State Hospital
All old psychiatric hospitals are creepy. It seems like a rule. If you are going for famous scary, then this state hospital is sure to be on your shortlist. It inspires HP Lovecraft too, but the thing that we are thinking of is the most recent reimagining of the hospital in Batman. This abandoned horror was the primary inspiration for Arkham Asylum. Beautifully rendered in the recent Batman video game, Batman: Arkham Asylum, you can recognize several prominent places in the video game in its real life counterpart. The real life Danvers Hospital kicks its fictional counterparts butt when it comes to scares. At least Danvers is abandoned, unlike Arkham which is still accepting patients. Maybe Gotham wouldn’t have so many crazies if it put some money into making their city terrifying.

5. Centralia
This town can be found in Pennsylvania, United States and as of 2013 it only had seven remaining residents. The near constant fog that is swirling around the town is because of a mine fire that has been burning since 1962. The fire burns in the underground coal mines in depths of up to 300 feet over an eight-mile stretch. Estimates say that the fire could continue to burn for up to 250 years. The fire and the constant stream of steam inspired the famous video game franchise Silent Hill and the resulting movies. It’s not hard to see the resemblance with the abandoned and demolished buildings and the steam that rises up from the ground.

4. Molokini
Although the star coupled with that island doesn’t exist, the mythology attached to it is quite significant. The Hawaiian people, where the Molokini Island is located, have a rich mythology that doesn’t get the recognition that some other mythologies do. The story goes that the island was a result of a love affair between Molokini, who was a beautiful woman, and a man that was also desired by Pele, the Fire Goddess who created the Hawaiian Islands. Pele cut the woman in half and transformed her into a stone, one-half of her created the island, and the other became a cinder cone at Makena State Park. In real life, the island is a partially submerged volcanic crater that erupted 230,000 years ago. During World War II, the US Navy also used the island for target practice because of the shape that is similar to that of a battleship.

3. Matamata
This small town in New Zealand is picturesque enough that it was the filming location for the Shire scenes in The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit series. In the movies, it was home to Frodo, Bilbo, Samwise, Merry, Pippin, and every other favorite Hobbit. The town saw such active tourism that they kept the Hobbit holes that were built for the film. They’ve embraced the resemblance, and they even have a sign that welcomes visitors to Hobbiton.

2. Kunlun Mountains
Shangri-La is a mythical place that was first described in 1933 by James Hilton in his novel Lost Horizon. Since the book, Shangri-La has become something of a symbol for a paradise of a place. It’s something that is often used and without much idea about the origin. The real Shangri-La is believed to be found in the Kunlun Mountains in Tibet. The Kunlun Mountains is the longest mountain in Asia, and it has more mythology attached to it than just the mythological Shangri-La.

1.Mavronéri
In Greek, the name Mavroneri means black water, which fits this small river because it is famously associated with being the real-life inspiration for the mythological River Styx. The Greeks were pretty well known for basing their mythology around the world around them, which is one of the reasons that their mythology is so well-loved and extensive. In Mythology, the river was one of the entrances to the Underworld that ferried the recently deceased to Hades. This never happened in real life, naturally, but the river has had its share of ill-omens associated with it without the aid of the mythology. Recent investigations revealed that Alexander the Great might have been poisoned by this river's water. Recent reviews of his death have found that he had dangerous levels of a highly deadly bacteria in his system that is abundant in the river. Given the mythological significance of the water, it is not a stretch to imagine an assassin wielding it as soon kind of poetic justice.

[bhefboyardee]

That voodoo picture will haunt me forever

[YahhSirio]

This title makes no sense, if something is Fictional it does not exist, so therefore saying "12 Fictional places that actually exist" contradicts what it means.

[mattlee]

It can't exist if it's fictional

[Damien-rkgz]

cant belive you misted north caralina where the hunger games was filmed

[inoantique]

The Robin Hood looks like Robin Williams

[codynguyen]

My friend sweated on river Styx and broke his promise he's gonna have a bad life

[WilliamOgden]

If something is fictional, It does not exist.

[lemonlimecrab]

I've been to a gate I live in Louisiana

[kyd]

...and one self-contradictory title that means nothing.