Zombies descend on city of Worcester for 'Walking Dead' filming - Boston 25 News

WORCESTER, Mass. – Fans snapped photos as zombies stopped for hair and makeup touch-ups in Worcester’s revamped downtown for the filming of the sequel to the wildly popular TV series “The Walking Dead.”

As smoke rose between the wrecked cars, dozens gathered on Norwich Street to catch a glimpse of their favorite actor from “The Walking Dead: Dead City.”

Zombies storm the city of Worcester for the filming of “Walking Dead”.

“It’s a show that me and my family watch,” said Andressa Santos, who brought her son and daughter to the set. “It’s like it’s just so exciting to come here and see it in our hometown and we feel so privileged.”

“It’s so amazing because I’ve never seen a movie set before,” added Nicholas Godoy, Santos’ 12-year-old son. “So this is like a big opportunity for my life.”

Monique Joseph, president of Discover Central Massachusetts, the regional tourism bureau that represents Worcester and 34 surrounding cities and towns, told Boston 25 News that the economic impact is just as exciting as the filming.

“We’ve become kind of a hub in Massachusetts for the upcoming film industry, and that’s really exciting,” Joseph said. “Our hotels are full. We see more and more people eating in our restaurants. We see a lot of people on the street. They come out, they visit our attractions.”

The area may temporarily look post-apocalyptic, but downtown Worcester is anything but lifeless these days. The city’s appeal is growing: an impressive food and drink scene, vibrant arts venues, the nearby Triple-A Polar Park baseball park and more.

“It’s such a walkable city, isn’t it?” said Joseph. “You have the DCU Center where you can either go to a hockey game or see a show. You have the palladium. You have the Hanover Theater. They have wonderful restaurants.”

Not only is Worcester increasingly becoming a destination, but for many residents it’s also a reason to never leave.

“We used to have to go to Boston, New York to have this type of experience, but now we can just do it here in our hometown. It’s so exciting,” Santos said. “I grew up here my whole life and it’s a big, big change and we love it.”