Greg Squyres
Google
We took a tour of Georgetown that ended at the Exorcist Steps, the stairway featured in the 1973 film, The Exorcist. The Exorcist is a scary film, and these are some scary steps! The stairway is long and steep, 75 steps in all. As we descended the stairway, I made sure I held the handrail because one misstep could certainly end poorly.
The steps were not built for the movie, but built for function as a way to conveniently walk from Prospect Street to 36th Street West. The fact that they are over 120 years old, built in 1895, adds to the drama of the precipitous structure.
I was a teenager when the movie was released and remember seeing the film in a drive-in theater. I have not seen it since, as I am not a big fan of horror movies. However, I did find the stairway scene with a YouTube search. If you, like me, don’t care to spend a couple hours watching spinning heads and projectile vomit, you can at least watch the short YouTube clip to see what the fuss is about. But whether you are a fan of the film genre or not, the Exorcist Steps are worth a visit. Just be sure to hold on to the handrail!