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Big Fish | 2003

Lacking the darkness that anchored Tim Burton’s earlier films, this story of Willie Bloom’s attempt to reconcile with his fantasist father is just too whimsical to pack an emotional punch. Apart from a brief excursion to Paris , where Willie (Billy Crudup) works, the movie was shot entirely in the vicinity of Montgomery , the state capital of Alabama.

The fictitious town of ‘Ashton’ is mainly downtown Wetumpka , on Route 231, about 15 miles north of Montgomery .

Wetumpka was previously the setting for the 1995 film of Truman Capote’s The Grass Harp , with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon (directed by Matthau’s son, Charles ) . It was also the location for TV movie The Rosa Parks Story (in 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man and was subsequently arrested. The subsequent Montgomery Bus Boycott resulted in the desegregation of the transport system) .

The grand Victorian house of the older Ed Bloom (Albert Finney) and his wife Sandra (Jessica Lange) is the old Collier House, 401 East Bridge Street (with the addition of a second story), on the Coosa River overlooking downtown Wetumpka .

More scenes of ‘Ashton’ were filmed in the town of Prattville , about eight miles to the southwest.

Between Wetumpka and Prattville is Millbrook , where young Ed (Ewan McGregor) tells the story of catching the big fish to a bunch of kids around the campfire in Jackson Lake Park .

Near Millbrook , the picture-perfect town of ‘Spectre’ was a set built by designer Dennis Gassner and, yes, that really is Billy Redden, the boy from Deliverance playing Duelling Banjos on the porch.

Big Fish location: the ‘witch’s house’: Dicksonia Plantation, Lowndesboro, Alabama | Photograph: Alabama Bureau of Tourism

The ‘witch’s house’ is on the Dicksonia Plantation in Lowndesboro , on Highway 80 about 15 miles west of Montgomery.

’Auburn University’ campus, where Ed goes to find Sandra Templeton (Alison Lohman) is the Gothic Huntingdon College, East Fairview Avenue , in Montgomery itself. Also in the state capital, he demonstrates his prowess at baseball on the football field of Capitol Heights Junior High School, 206 Federal Drive . A few miles to the east, he courageously rescues the doggy from a fire on James Street, Tallassee .

Ed is ‘the biggest thing Ashton had ever seen’ until Karl the Giant (Matthew McGrory) shows up. Karl’s cave is on the banks of the Tallapoosa River at the Lower Boat Ramp behind 2171 Highway 229, Tallassee .

After befriending Karl, Ed is given the Key to the City on the steps of ‘Ashton Courthouse’, which is Elmore County Courthouse, 100 Commerce Street . The parade for Ed and Karl as they leave town, is on East Bridge Street and Court Street , Wetumpka .

Big Fish location: the town of ‘Spectre’ was no more than a set built for the film near Millbrook | Photograph: Alabama Bureau of Tourism

Back in Wetumpka , Ed and Norther (Steve Buscemi) rob the ‘Horizon Savings and Loan Bank’, which is Thames Pharmacy, 121 East Bridge Street , on the outside, and the Old First National Bank Building , on Company Street on the inside. The getaway filmed on Company Street . The ‘Felder Hotel’ is Rose’s Discount Store, 100 Court Street .

Big Fish location: Willie races with his ailing dad: Bibb Graves Bridge, Wetumpka, Alabama | Photograph: Alabama Bureau of Tourism

There was more filming at Lowndesboro Presbyterian Church, 25 North Broad Street in Lowndesboro .

Willie races the red Dodge Charger with his ailing dad along Commerce Street and over the 1930’s downtown Bibb Graves Bridge , spanning the Coosa River , downtown.

Finally, Ed’s funeral was filmed at Pine Flat Presbyterian Church, Highway 143 , in Deatsville , to the northwest of Wetumpka .

‘Big Fish’ Prop House Burns Down After Lightning Strike

Did you know that Tim Burton created an entire town to film the hit 2003 film Big Fish and that it still exists?

Surprisingly enough, the fictional town of Spectre is still semi-preserved on Jackson Lake Island, just outside of Millbrook, Alabama, complete with the dangling shoes at the entrance (and a ton of goats!). Now a tourist attraction of sorts, anyone can visit for a small fee. Since it has been 20 years since the set was originally constructed, many of the buildings are crumbling and covered in moss, and that is perhaps part of why, over the weekend, a house burned down after being struck by lightning.

To make it even crazier, it was the house where the witch lived. (What does it mean??)

It’s not the first time there has been an accident on this abandoned set. A fire set to clear debris got out of control and burned down a row of buildings once, and a flood took out another building. Only seven buildings, including the church, remain (as well as the spooky trees that surrounded the entrance to the town).

The island is a major tourist attraction not only for the set but also for being home to over 100 goats. You can also camp, hike and kayak there.

Thankfully none of the goats were hurt during the storm.

Based on the novel by Daniel Wallace, Big Fish is a magical drama starring Ewan McGregor as a young Ed Bloom, Albert Finney as the ailing senior version, and Billy Crudup as Will Bloom, his estranged son. Now starting his own family, Will hopes to make amends with his dying father and uncover what was true and what was fiction in all the tall tales he heard from him growing up — Spectre, the magical town; his friend the giant (Matthew McGrory); the witch living in a swamp ( Helena Bonham Carter); and his life in the circus.

Columbia/courtesy Everett Collection

Spoiler alert (even though you’ve had two decades to watch this fantastic movie): At his father’s funeral, Will discovers that while most of these stories did actually happen in some capacity, they were just perhaps a tad embellished.

If you want to visit before the rest of the town burns down or crumbles, you can check out their Facebook page here!

Kid Stuff

June 2018

Unleash your inner child by reliving your favorite kids TV shows, cartoons, toys and more!

Dicksonia Plantation: Mansion where scene from 'Big Fish' was filmed preserved as elegant ruin

Dicksonia Plantation in Lowndesboro had a reputation in its day as a stately mansion in picturesque surroundings. But, after burning twice in its 186-year history, the elegant mansion is more famous in its ruinous state than it ever was as a family home. See photos of the ruins, and vintage photos of the mansion, in this slideshow.

Kelly Kazek | [email protected]

The burned-out shell of the Dicksonia mansion was left after a 1964 fire because the damage to the foundation was too extensive for repairs. Since then, it was used to film an opening scene in the 2003 movie "Big Fish," was the site of a photo shoot by legendary celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz, who photographed actress Natalie Portman for the May 1999 issue of Vanity Fair magazine, and is now a sought-after venue for artistic photography and weddings.

Kelly Kazek | [email protected]

Dicksonia, also called the Turner-Dickson House, was built in 1830 along what is now Alabama Highway 97 in Lowndesboro. It remains in the Dickson family, descendants of Robert Stiles Dickson, who bought the home in 1901. It burned a second time in 1964. Although the mansion was too badly damaged to rebuild after the fire, Dottie Dickson Skipper, who lives on the property just behind the mansion, preserved Dicksonia as a ruin. ADVANCE PERMISSION REQUIRED. The grounds are maintained and the site is available to rent for photography and events from Dorothy Skipper Rental LLC. For information, call 334-320-5330 or visit the Facebook page.

(Source: Historic American Buildings Survey via Library of Congress)

Dicksonia in 1934

Dicksonia, shown here in 1934, was initially made of wood. Its second owner, Wiley Turner, replaced the one-story portico in 1856 with a two-story portico and columns surrounding the front and two sides of the house. A small balcony with a wrought-iron railing hung over the front door from the second floor. The home burned in 1839. It was rebuilt in 1840 with the same floor-plan but with cast-concrete and steel to make it fireproof.

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Protect Your Garden from Wildlife with a Magic Fence in Athens, TX