Fictional serial killer Buffalo Bill is famously a pretty terrible host in The Silence of the Lambs.
Nevertheless, the three-story, four-bedroom southwestern Pennsylvania home that served as the character's residence and grisly tailoring workshop in the creepy, Oscar-winning 1991 thriller is now taking overnight guests.
Recently purchased by Chris Rowan, who works as an art director and prop stylist in the movie business, the circa 1910 Buffalo Bill's House sits amid 2 bucolic acres along the Youghiogheny River in Perryopolis, about an hour's drive south of Pittsburgh.
Rowan has spent months turning the place into a movie-ready rental for groups of up to eight people, who get access to the entire house during their stay (only one party at a time may rent the property).
(Credit: Buffalo Bill's House)
According to a press release, the house's original hardwood floors, woodwork, light fixtures, and fireplaces still adorn rooms that appeared onscreen, including the foyer, dining room, and kitchen. The design scheme recalls the faded Victorian look of the house as seen in the movie, with plenty of dark wood and floral prints.
There's also a lot of original artwork on display, from oil paintings of Jodie Foster's Clarice to silk-screened throw pillows bearing the likeness of Ted Levine's Buffalo Bill.
The death's-head hawkmoth, which features in the plot as the killer's calling card, is a prominent design motif on bedspreads and mantel decor. In the entry, a life-size statue of Hannibal Lecter (unforgettably played by Anthony Hopkins), complete with orange jumpsuit, mask, and straitjacket, greets new arrivals (even though Lecter never enters the house in the film).
(Credit: Buffalo Bill's House)
Upstairs, the four guest rooms each have four-poster beds and are named after the movie's three principals as well as Precious, Buffalo Bill's yappy bichon frise (still, visitors are not allowed to bring pets).
The attic is stocked with retro arcade games and a pool table.
(Credit: Buffalo Bill's House)
We know, we know: What about the basement?
Down there—the site of the most intense scenes in the film—Rowan and company have installed a "Workshop of Horrors" with a vintage sewing machine, a disco ball, dress forms, mannequins, a full-length mirror, and a "Buffalo Bill style kimono for our guests’ use."
Don't forget to pack your night-vision goggles.
(Credit: Buffalo Bill's House)
If you get too freaked out and need to run screaming from the interior, note the gazebo and firepit dotting the pleasant riverside grounds.
Your group can make dinner on the outdoor charcoal grill or in the kitchen, stocked with dishware and all the necessary appliances.
The news release suggests the house "is the perfect place to host a 'Murder Mystery' night with friends or a Hannibal Lecter inspired 'meal.'" Those scare quotes around "meal" are truly scary.
(Credit: Buffalo Bill's House)
Overnight rates to rent Buffalo Bill's House start at $595 for up to 4 people—prices vary based on the number of guests, day of the week, and season.
As of this writing, the place is still available on Halloween weekend. Visit BuffaloBillsHouse.com for more information or to book a stay.
According to the website, each reservation comes with a complimentary sample of "Buffalo Bill’s House body lotion." (Shudder.)
