'The Silence of The Lambs' actress Brooke Smith to give tours of Buffalo Bill's House in Perryopolis
PERRYOPOLIS, Pa. (KDKA) -- "The Silence of the Lambs" was filmed in the Pittsburgh area in the early 90s and you may know one of the filming locations. The house of fictional serial killer Buffalo Bill opens periodically to the public for tours and overnight stays.
This weekend, there's something new. Brooke Smith, an actress who played one of Buffalo Bill's victims, will be giving the tours.
It's been more than 30 years since actress Brooke Smith has been back to Buffalo Bill's House in Perryopolis.
The last time she was there is when she played Catherine Martin, a woman who had been abducted by the fictional serial killer, Buffalo Bill, in the Academy Award-winning movie "The Silence of the Lambs."
Smith, who has had a long career in television and film since "The Silence of the Lambs," has a great affection for this movie.
"It's a great movie," she says. "It totally holds up. It's almost perfect, I have to say. I've seen it recently and I get why it holds up. I think if you make something great, it should hold up."
The leading lady will not only be helping with tours this weekend, but talking with fans and giving them behind the scenes stories. For example, KDKA-TV learned that one of her favorite costars was Bill's dog Precious played by a famous animal actor named Darla.
"I had the dog and they brought me out and I was like, 'I would definitely keep this dog,'" Smith joked. "She was famous. Her name was Darla. And I worked with a dog recently and they were like, 'Oh, Darla, you worked with Darla!'"
The house has been restored to a lot of the way it was in the film and now it is rentable all year as an Airbnb. It also stands as a bit of a memorabilia museum and there are even set recreations, like the well in the basement that fans love to climb inside of to get pictures.
The restoration of the iconic movie house was all thanks to one man, Chris Rowan, who works professionally in the film and television industry as an art director. He says that owning this place is a labor of love.
"What I love about Buffalo Bill's is that it's an iconic filming location," said Rowan. "As someone who is passionate about film and who also works professionally in the business, it's an honor and a dream of mine to own something like this and ultimately share it with the film enthusiast community."
Smith is only doing meet and greets this weekend and there are still a few spaces available on tours both Saturday and Sunday. But even if you can't make it out this September, the Buffalo Bill's House hosts fun events year-round.
So if you need an interesting getaway this spooky season, look no further than this home of one of cinema's greatest killers. Just don't forget your lotion ...
For more information on the Buffalo Bill's House, check out their website.
