Washington, D.C., District of Columbia story
A Cinematic Shortcut
In Georgetown, there's a set of 75 steps that are far more famous than they have any right to be. Built in 1895 during the city's cable-car era, these stairs were just a pedestria…
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In Georgetown, there's a set of 75 steps that are far more famous than they have any right to be. Built in 1895 during the city's cable-car era, these stairs were just a pedestrian shortcut between Prospect Street and Canal Road. That changed in 1972 when they were used as a filming location for the movie The Exorcist.
To protect the stunt performer during that iconic scene, the steps were actually padded with foam. Today, they're an official D.C. tourist site, marked with a commemorative plaque unveiled by Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Whether you're a horror fan or just looking for a way down the hill, these steps are a quirky slice of pop-culture history embedded in the historic streets of Georgetown.
Updated June 2026