This was an abandoned mill town. There was 40 acres to explore. The picture is a house used for filming of the Hunger Games. This is the only house that you were allowed to enter and explore.
SO cool to see a village once inhabited, now sitting abandoned. Theres just the right amount of things to see here. Expensive considering the limited amount you can do, but its worth it so that they can provide upkeep and allow continued viewing
We were excited at the thought of visiting one of the filming locations for Hunger Games movies.
However, and I’m sad and disappointed to say that the visit was massively disappointing. Done well it could be, and may one day be, titillating.
As it exists today, August 23, 2025 it is simply a collection of decrepit circa 1900 mill houses. There isn’t a single bit of signage on the property or placards on any of the dwellings to inform what role, If any the structure served in the movies.
To add insult to injury we paid $18.00 per person for what was said to be a tour. There was no tour! The person simple stepped outside the trailer to talk about the place.
My suggestion to anyone planning a visit is: WAIT until they make the place presentable and informative.
It was a long, nearly two hour drive there and another two hours back.
A complete disappointment.
This was one of my favorite Airbnb stays! My husband and I stayed in Cabin 12 which was gorgeous. We also walked around the village to see the filming locations from “The Hunger Games.” You can see the Everdeen family home, the Mellark bakery and the market where Katniss got her mockingjay pin. It’s a really cool place with so much history! The owner, Calvin Reyes, was so welcoming! Highly recommend visiting here!
I recently move near by myrtle beach and exploring North Carolina, on the way to Boone NC we found this interesting and strange village, its worth to visit a magicl abounded village especially if you are hunger game movie fan , they shoot district 12 scenes here. A guide and a guy who sales tickets there name Donovan is amazing and very friendly.
Big bummer. It’s 20 bucks a person, none of the buildings were preserved either as a ghost town or a filming location. Just construction equipment all over the place. No plaques giving any information about any of the buildings or property. Just drive the road for free cuz there’s nothing else to look at once you’re walking around anyway.
Donovan was great! He was very friendly and had some fun facts about the movie on site. You can tell that he really enjoys what he does. It was nice to walk around. It was nice to know that we could go back for the B&B, enjoy a Paranormal visit, or even a movie night. Very cool things that they are working on there.
Cool place to see the district 12 filming location. The tour was interesting. We spent about 2 hours here with the tour and wandering around (this was with young kids who walk slow)
stopped here on our way back from Asheville for a little tour of District 12 only to learn so much rich non-fictional history (and Hunger Games lore)! can’t recommend enough.
Came for a visit in the afternoon, and boondocked overnight through the Harvest Host registry.
Tour was interesting. Started at the main building (now labeled as the "District 12 Bakery"), walked along one road, and visited the filming location known as "Katniss' and Primrose's House." Heard many anecdotes about the mill, about the filming (including the film company violating their contract to leave the town as they found it, by blowing a house up without permission-- cue lawsuit and no Henry River Mill in the "Hunger Games" sequels), and about ongoing conservatiion/restoration. Afterward, we were free to wander the grounds, where we met a few descendents of the original inhabitants, who were back for a Memorial Day Weekend visit.
Only one house has been restored, so far, and is off-limits as an AirB&B, but it looks pretty from the outside. There are plans to repurpose two other buildings as a museum and a restaurant, but as of May 2025, the site is for sale (asking price $2 mil), so plans may not go forth under this owner.
Staying overnight is... not recommended. At least, not in an RV. Seemingly, double-booking of the facilities usage is not uncommon. After the gates were closed and just as we were going to take a walk to watch the fireflies loft, a large group of people came in for a "paranormal event." We were not warned of them and they were not warned of us, and they planned to do their thing from 9 PM to midnight (event actually continued until about 12:30 AM). So, after we watched the fireflies, we got the distinct impression that we were not welcome to be outside the RV, and ended up staying inside and watching a Charlie Chan film about sham seances.
Come to visit, but don't stay.
Bring water, good shoes, and have fun... Absolutely a great way to spend the afternoon! The nonprofit seems be doing a great job and has good plans for future. Donavan who is tour guide/gift shop etc is great and does wonderful at giving history of place. There's a lot of opportunity here to preserve history of village and the village as representing mill villages in general.
From having studied public history, some ideas:
QR code sign/self guided tour
Partner with public history department at App State for research projects
Partner with scout troop for Eagle projects to help on trails etc
Pokémon go- connect with players to put in stops in the game and let local group host events here
I wish they would add their actual hours. Checked a few weeks ago when planning the day trip to hickory and it stated that it would be open. I just decided to wait to buy tickets since I didn’t know when we would be arriving. Upon arrival it was closed. I called the number listed and the owner answered and said they close @5. It was 4:12pm . A lot of people drove by yelling that they were going to call the cops. We will not be trying again .
Really cool spot for Hunger Games fans! I will say there isn't much to see apart from one house where they shot the Everdeen family scenes, and admission does shake out to be about $20 a person. It's about a 15 minute "tour" where they walk by a few places but otherwise you just explore and take pictures on your own. Always good to support local businesses but definitely consider the ticket price and what you're getting before planning a trip that doesn't involve their on-property airbnb.
This is a one-of-a-kind experience. My husband and I had so much fun exploring the 40 acres that makes up Henry River Mill Village. Donovan was our guide and he made the whole experience so much more fun with his enthusiasm and knowledge. We aren't big fans of the Hunger Games but loved this place. It truly is a preserved ghost town with so much to explore!
Donovan was spectacular. He presented a history of the company town, as well as of the more recent happenings. The grounds were so gorgeous and lovely to explore. The dam was a highlight!
Absolutely incredible experience! My best friend and I have dreamed of staying here since they announced the refurbishing of one of the houses into an airbnb. We went last weekend for her birthday and stayed 2 nights everything about it was perfect. The town is there to explore and enjoy and the gentlemen we met in the office (namely Donovan) are so enthusiastic and knowledgeable. We were brought together by Hunger Games and are probably the most serious fans of the books you'll ever meet and being emersed in District 12 was beyond our expectations. We had the freedom to wander around and recreate our favorite scenes. I see a few reviews saying the admission price is not worth it but this historic group is working very hard not only to preserve but to enhance this history of this place and $18 is not alot to ask for that. I desperately hope we can return when they have refurbished the general store into a lovely restaurant as they plan. Every bit helps and honestly this place is one of those make of it what your imagine allows you to. Maybe the magic is lost on some but I for one did not want to leave and could have spent many more days there just taking in the beauty and energy of the place. Thank you all so much for making this a wonderful destination! We will return! ???? Always!
disappointed. came in expecting to see some hunger games memorabilia or anything. there was an inaccurate map of the location, no directional or educational signs, overgrown plants around each “path” so you can’t even get to most places, tickets were $18. there was only 1 house you can actually go in, filled with storage boxes, christmas decorations?, and a workshop not related at all to the hunger games. every other house you couldn’t even look in the windows because all the boards on the porches were rotten and fallen in (those houses also had unrelated furniture & storage). just not worth it if you’re expecting to picture the movie in your head when you tour.
Wonderful history and beautiful setting! This is the film location for District 12 in the Hunger Games movies. House 12 is beautifully restored and a very fun and interesting place to spend a few days.
I agree with the other reviewers about the ticket price. $18 is way too high. For $36 we can eat out and then head home to watch Hunger Games on TV. I guess they are trying to squeeze out as much cash as possible before people forget about the movie. There are similar run-down communities all over the state that you can visit for free. Hell, West Virginia is full of places like this, and they have great river rafting.
A note about West Virginia: You couldn't pay me to live there, but it is a great place to go on vacation.
Stop for the Hunger Games, Stay for the History. Definitely worth visiting more than once! There is so much rich and forgotten history in this little village. The owners are extremely kind and informative, and the property is absolutely beautiful to explore.
If you are a Hunger Games fan, this is a must see. They are also a Harvest Host, for my fellow boondockers!! We stayed here end of April 23. My husband found this HH and so thankful he did. Being a Hunger Games fan, it was really cool to see the location the movie was filmed. Then be able to compare them to the movie we watched again that night. To be in Katniss home and where the movie scenes were filled was pretty neat. We enjoyed walking the grounds and felt safe with the locked gate on the property. I enjoyed listening to the history of the little town and look forward to see what they do with the building improvements. It is definitely a nice little stop over.
Thank you for being a HH!
Its a old abandoned ghost town. We went on a Friday afternoon and didn't see a single person anywhere around. We made our own way through the town and some of the buildings. There was lots of No Trespassing signs and some Keep Out signs on most of the structures along with a few surveillance cameras. I'd say we spent almost an hour and a half looking around, taking pictures and even a couple videos. No one bothered us. I was told that the new owners have made plans to restore the old houses so they can again be lived in again. I was to understand that there was the one house that they just finished renovating it and that it was now ready for tenets. It's a cool little place to visit. Especially if your into the old abandoned house and buildings.
We had so much fun yesterday exploring this old village. The family and workers there were so personable and friendly. Very humbled to see how hard these people worked with minimal living situations. Great history lessons. Just be careful.... Until all renovations are finished, there are many places you need to step carefully as many old homes are falling apart. You can't go in the homes, but even the outside of them,you need to be careful. I do not recommend this for young children at all. I would say 10+ and got to be behaved. I love that this family that bought the property are restoring it. So much history here.
What a great little side stop! It was really cool to see "district 12" and hear the history of the area! The owners were very gracious and welcoming. They have lots of great plans for reviving this little village- so many changes to come but I still liked the nostalgia and history! The tour fee goes to the conservation of Henry River Mill Village
1014 Highland Ave NE #4058, Hickory, NCAuto repair shop
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