Either the frame or to the wall behind.

Hi Pat,

You have tons of options! Most bed frames come with slats that are pretty standard for every headboard to attach to. The headboard has the insertion point. The bed frames consist of 2 sideboards and 1 foot board. Some are assembled as one and others come separately depending on where you look. There are upholstered options, all wood options, and metal (as you know). If you order online or from store, I would do a measure, just in case to make sure the height and width will line up with your existing headboard.

Good luck!

And, yes, as elklaker mentioned you can also attach headboard to wall. Most people use a Z-clip.

Thanks so much!