'Silence of the Lambs' house in Fayette County offers special tours on Mother's Day

Chocolates are nice for Mother’s Day. Flowers are a great choice as well.

But maybe your mom has a bit of a dark streak. Maybe she wants to find out more about where a fictional homicidal maniac did his dirty work.

If so, she’s in luck: the Perryopolis property which served as home to “Silence of the Lambs” serial killer Buffalo Bill is offering its first guided tour this weekend, including two special tours on Mother’s Day.

In fact, on Sunday — in a nod to the film’s classic “fava beans and a nice Chianti” line — tour guests will receive a complimentary chocolate wine glass confection courtesy of nearby confectioners Gene & Boots Candies.

“This weekend will be our first guided tours,” said owner Chris Rowan, who bought the 2-acre property during the pandemic and turned it into a place where guests can spend the night and wander through the kitchen where Bill spoke with FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) in the Oscar-winning 1991 film.

“It was always part of the general idea to expand it and include tours,” Rowan said. “We’ll talk about what scenes were shot in each filming location like the front porch, driveway, the lemonade porch where Bill and Clarice meet for the first time — and I’ll be telling some stories I’ve learned about the filming here.”

Outside of the areas which appeared in the film, the home itself dates to 1910. It has a wraparound porch, ornate dark wood-carved appointments, vintage patterned wallpaper, a parlor, multiple fireplaces and pocket doors.

That wallpaper also includes two pieces used in the film itself.

“We have wallpaper they used in the foyer and the kitchen, framed and on permanent display,” Rowan said. “We also have a blueprint schematic and call-sheet notes for Jodie Foster and director Jonathan Demme.”

And while the climactic confrontation between Bill and Clarice didn’t take place in the home’s basement — it was filmed at a sound studio — visitors will have a tough time distinguishing between the two when they head downstairs.

“We call it ‘Buffalo Bill’s Workshop of Horrors,’” Rowan said. “We designed the basement to give people a chance to go from the tour into sort of an experience from the film itself — the sewing machine, the disco ball, the mannequins dressed in classic ’80s garb.”

Soon, the home will have a well like the one where Bill kept his victims. It currently is under construction.

“It’s not ready just yet, but the hole is in the ground,” Rowan said. “A lot of people have been asking about that, we’ll be doing a big reveal when it’s ready.”

Tour slots are available for Sunday, as well as the weekend of June 17-19. Additional dates will be announced in the summer. In addition to tours ($65), guests can also book a stay at BuffaloBillsHouse.com.