Is Camp Crystal Lake From ‘Friday the 13th’ a Real Place?

Lauren Novak September 23, 8:00 am

FRIDAY THE 13TH, Amy Steel, 1980 — Everett Collection

Would you be brave enough to spend the night at Camp Crystal Lake? If you love Friday the 13th, you can actually visit the camp where the original 1980 movie was filmed. It just has a different name in real life.

Camp Crystal Lake is fictional, but Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco in New Jersey is a real camp that still welcomes campers today. With the prequel series Crystal Lake coming to Peacock this October, fans have another reason to look back at where the movies began.

Where is the real Camp Crystal Lake?

Everett Collection

Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco opened in 1927, more than 50 years before Friday the 13th came out. Its name is short for North Bergen Boy Scouts, and the Northern New Jersey Council of Scouting America still owns and operates it.

The movie was filmed at the camp in 1979, and the tour company says more than 80% of it was shot on the property. The lake you remember from the ending is called Sand Pond. Other familiar spots include the main cabin, where the counselors played Monopoly, and the cabin used for Kevin Bacon‘s death scene.

Can you visit Camp Crystal Lake?

Yes, but you can’t just show up and wander around. Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco is still an active Scout camp, and visitors are allowed only on official tour dates. Crystal Lake Tours offers guided walks through the filming locations, with time to take pictures and recreate scenes. The events help fund camp repairs and maintenance, as well as youth camping programs.

If a daytime visit doesn’t sound scary enough, evening tours are available too. The October 2026 schedule includes lakefront tours paired with a movie screening and VIP overnight stays for guests 21 and older. The overnight experience includes dinner, a full tour, a screening, and canoeing on the lake. If you’re thinking about wearing a hockey mask, costumes are only allowed when the specific event permits them.

What Is the New Crystal Lake Series About?

CRYSTAL LAKE -- "Crystal Lake Sign" -- Pictured: Camp Crystal Lake --

Matt Infante/Peacock

The A24 prequel stars Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees, the role Betsy Palmer played in the original movie. Longtime fans will remember that Jason’s mother was the killer in that first film.

According to A24’s synopsis, the series follows Pamela as she grieves Jason, who drowned almost a year earlier. Two strangers arrive asking about her past, setting off a new series of events in the town. Callum Vinson plays young Jason in flashbacks.

Will you be watching the new series when it comes out?