Visiting McDonagh's Ebbing Missouri, and five other famous Hollywood movie stand-ins

'Everytown America': While there is no Ebbing in Missouri, the film's North Carolina shooting location, Sylva, has made the most of Hollywood's attention. Photo /AP

There is nothing remarkable about Sylva, North Carolina. Tucked into the Plott Balsam Mountains this backwater American town could be any one of a number of settlements spread across Midwest America. That is, it would be if you didn't recognise it as the principal filming location of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, for which Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell won their Oscars.

Sylva is where Irish writer Martin McDonagh shot much of his award winning film. Perhaps it was chosen for the town's difficulty to place.

However, the North Carolina tourism board have been quick to exploit this new connection to Tinsel Town.

Following the success of Three Billboards visitnc.com has drawn up a three-day tour of Sylva for fans of the film.

The town invites visitors to "walk in the shoes of Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) as she battles with her community to dig deeper into her daughter's violent death."
The tour takes in shooting locations such as the Town Pump Tavern, Ebbing Police Department (a home furnishings storefront) and North Fork Left Fork Road – along which Haynes placed her controversial advertisements.

Although the billboards were temporary installations, and long since removed, you can still drive down this scenic American country road.

After the film's performance at the Oscars the town will be hoping for a big uptick in tourists.

North Carolina is hardly the only destination to make the most of tie-ins to a successful movie.

The States are studded with stand-ins for fictional movie towns. Here are just some of them:

'Jaws Bridge' is a setting from the film found on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Photo / Mario Tama, Getty

Martha's Vineyard, Jaws (1975)

The filming location for Amity Island is a seaside resort in Massachusetts, after being chosen as the filming location for Spielberg's film about a giant shark, visitors are more cautious about going into the water.

Twede's Café - AKA the Double R Diner. Photo / Facebook

Seattle, Twin Peaks (1990)

The country surrounding Seattle was the perfect setting for David Lynch's surreal slice of Americana. Fans of the TV show can visit Twede's Café – the Double R Diner – for damn fine coffee, cherry pie and some speculation as to who killed Laura Palmer.

Back to the future may have brought fame to Petaluma, but it also made the gull-wing delorean an icon. Photo / 123rf

Petaluma California, Back to the Future (1985)

Although 'Hill Valley' may have been built on a Hollywood back lot, the town square and centerpiece of the movie was modelled on this small Californian town. It's startlingly similar, complete with the clock tower which enabled Marty McFly to travel back to the future.

Forrest Gump has a lot of time for Chippewa Square Photo / Education Images/UIG, Getty

Varnville, Forest Gump (1994)

The fictional town of Greenbow has many of its real-life features in this small South Carolina town. However the bench on which Forest Gump shares his story and a box of chocolates with strangers waiting for the bus is in Chipewera Square, Savannah, Georgia.

Galesburg, Desperate housewives (2004)

Although Wisteria Lane and the fictional town of Fairview are set in the unknowable suburban sprawl, it is Galesburg which the desperate wives have their houses out in The US Midwest near Chicago's O'Hare Airport.