The classic Christmas movie Home Alone is a must-watch every year. It’s got all the hallmarks of a holiday favourite – family dramas, festive spirit and a feelgood ending. Who doesn’t love watching the wet bandits being outsmarted by eight-year-old Kevin McCallister who fills his home with booby traps?
From the sweeping staircase to the cat flap on the back door, this residence is immortalised in film forever. Turns out the stately red brick Georgian mansion where the movie was made hit the market in May 2024. It was listed by Coldwell Banker Realty’s Dawn McKenna Group for $US5.2 million ($AU7.8 million) and was quickly snapped up.
Set on a leafy street in the charming Chicago suburb of Winnetka, the 1921 home was renovated by the previous owners in 2018. Although the finishes are different to what we see in the film, care has been taken to preserve the home’s architecture so the most memorable spaces remain somewhat recognisable.
We will, of course, be playing Home Alone on repeat again this year, not only for the famous slapstick moments, but also for the house. It’s the setting of one of the best Christmas movies of all time and a mansion we wouldn’t mind living in ourselves.
The film starring Macaulay Culkin came out in 1990 and grows more iconic as the years go on. On December 1, 2023, the now 44-year-old actor was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At the event, Macaulay was reunited with his Home Alone mum, actress Catherine O’Hara.
We take a look at the Home Alone house decked out with decorations and delve into some fun facts about the famous dwelling.
1. Where is the real Home Alone house?
From outside, the Home Alone house is delightful to behold, especially when decorated tastefully with simple fairy lights around the windows and woven throughout the gardens. It might look familiar to those passing by, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it was the McCallisters’ home unless you were told the address – which is 671 Lincoln Ave, Winnetka, Illinois.
2. Can I visit the Home Alone house?
The Home Alone house is privately owned, so you can’t take a tour. Back in 2021 it was put up for a one-night-only stay by Airbnb, hosted by Kevin’s older brother Buzz (yes, the one who owned the spider that was let loose on the bandits). Apart from that, you can enjoy it from the sidewalk, along with plenty of other fans who flock to see it every year.
3. How much is the Home Alone house worth?
For most families, the real Home Alone house, which reportedly has five bedrooms and six bathrooms, is more than big enough. We can see why Kevin felt like he was living a life of luxury when left alone to enjoy it (and why burglars wanted to break in). In May 2024, the house hit the market for $US5.2 million ($AU7.8 million) and quickly found a buyer.
4. How many siblings does Kevin have in Home Alone?
With all the chaos going on in the opening scenes of Home Alone, where everyone is running back and forth and up and down the stairs, it’s easy to get confused about how many siblings Kevin actually has (there are some cousins, Aunt Leslie and Uncle Frank heading to the airport with them, too). Kevin is the youngest of the McCallister family, with parents Kate (Catherine O’Hara) and Peter (John Heard), two brothers, Jeff (Michael C. Maronna) and Buzz (Devin Ratray), and two sisters, Megan (Hillary Wolf) and Linnie (Angela Goethals).
5. Where did they film Home Alone?
While you’d think the whole movie would have been shot in the mansion, it was reportedly not big enough to fit the whole film crew. A lot of the classic scenes, which were written by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus, were shot at the abandoned building of New Trier Township High School. They recreated the house in the form of a two-storey set in the high school gym.
6. How did they make the snow in Home Alone?
One of the most magical parts of the Home Alone movie is the snow. It makes the movie all the more magical and the charming interiors feel even more cosy. Word is that snow wasn’t in the filming budget, but there just so happened to be a blizzard at the start of shooting, so to keep it consistent they used snow machines for the rest of the project. It wouldn’t be the same without it!
This article originally appeared on Home Beautiful and is republished here with permission.
