Home Alone | House Tour | The REAL Home Alone House THEN and NOW

It's that time of year again, Christmas, and that means if you have some spare time you may just put on some of your favourite holiday movies to get in the mood. One that plays on TV time and time again that almost everyone adores has got to be Home Alone. Aside from the movie itself, the home where Kevin McAllister gets left to fight off a pair of burglars during the Christmas break is pretty iconic too. In usual house tour fashion on this channel, we're going to take a look at the real life Home Alone house, and let me tell you, it's changed a lot. We even found the listing. In these videos we don't reveal any addresses, and even though I've done a house tour of my own place, please do not show up to any private residences because it's not safe for anyone. Home Alone is a Christmas family comedy film filmed in 1990, written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. Of course, it stars a young Macaulay Culkin in what would be his most famous role ever as Kevin McAllister, and other greats like Joe Pesci, Catherine O'Hara and more. It's been almost 30 years since the classic film hit cinemas, and the house at the centre of the film now looks totally different. While it's said in the movie that the home is in Chicago, in reality it's actually located in Winnetka, Illinois. This is the same place where Kevin sets up booby traps for the hapless burglars when his family accidentally leaves him behind over Christmas, and the home's interior and exterior bring so many iconic scenes to mind. While the movie doesn't mention what Kevin's parents do for a living, they must be raking it in to have such a stunning home, which these days is worth millions. When someone bought the house, we were able to see what it looks like inside these days. Hey guys, it's Kara and today we're bringing you another house tour here on Famous Entertainment, but in honour of Christmas time, we're gonna check out a special house we all know and love, the Home Alone house. Be sure to hit that subscribe button and ring that bell, we post a new video daily. Don't forget to follow me on Instagram to chat, and as usual, let me know whose house tour is next in those comments down below. Now let's take a look at the Home Alone house then and now, but warning fellow Christmas lovers, it's a lot less festive. While I'm sure most everyone watching this has seen Home Alone, I'll give you a little recap just in case. It's Christmas time, and the movie follows Kevin McAllister, played by Macaulay Culkin, an 8 year old boy who needs to defend his home from two burglars, Harry and Marv, after his family accidentally leaves him behind on their vacation. Kevin gets himself into this position after he acts out prior to a holiday family trip to Paris, and his mother makes him sleep in the attic. After the McAllisters mistakenly go to the airport without him, he awakes to an empty house and assumes his wish to have no families come true. Being home alone was fun for Kevin, having a pizza all to himself, jumping on his parents bed and making a mess. However, his excitement sours when he realizes that two con men plan to rob the McAllister residence on Christmas Eve, and he alone must protect the home. Kevin acts quickly by wiring his own house with makeshift booby traps to bring them to justice, which all took place in that iconic house, or it appeared to anyways. The movie was filmed between February and May 1990 in locations across Illinois, like the house. The director exceeded the 10 million dollar limit imposed on the film by Warner, so it was released by 20th Century Fox instead. Home Alone grossed a whopping 476.7 million dollars, and held the record for highest grossing live action comedy ever up until 2011. It even spawned a successful film franchise starting with the sequel in 1992, Home Alone 2 Lost in New York, which is the only installment to have most of the original cast return. Now let's take a look at the famous Home Alone house. So yes, this house is a real place, but it's located in Winnetka, Illinois, not Chicago like the movie. Winnetka is a north shore village which is 60 miles north of downtown Chicago. Hughes also filmed his other movies like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, 16 Candles, Uncle Buck, and more here too. Apparently the only interiors of the home used for filming the movie were the main staircase, basement, attic, and most of the first floor landing, while all other rooms of the house were duplicated on a soundstage to allow more room for equipment and crew. The treehouse in the backyard was built specifically for the film and dismantled after filming was over, while the park where Kevin runs away from Marley and was shot at Hover Woods Park. In 2012 a new owner reportedly paid over 1.5 million dollars for the Home Alone house, which is a red brick Georgian with 3 floors, and located very close to Lake Michigan. The home is stately and charming to say the least, sitting on a .53 acre lot and spanning more than 4,200 square feet in size. The house was built in 1920, originally belonging to John and Cynthia Abendesheen, and the couple hadn't owned it long at all when the production company approached them about transforming their home into a production set. Director Chris Columbus later said that finding a residence to fit his vision was a tough task, explaining We needed to cast a house that would work for the stunts and also a house that was visually appealing and, if this makes sense, warm and menacing at the same time. It's the kind of house if you were a kid it would be fun to be left home alone. I wanted it to feel timeless. This home fit the bill and then some, boasting 5 beds, 3.5 baths, and apparently a 4 room master suite which spans the entire west wing of the home. As you might remember from the film, when you enter the house, the legendary staircase welcomes guests. The classic paint bucket scene took place on these stairs. It was one of Kevin's best traps. As Harry and Marv reach the top of the stairs, the trip bar sends them flying. These days the stairs have a different colour scheme with a blue carpet runner and a light paint where the classic wallpaper used to be. Another feature that made this house a perfect fit for home alone was the number of nooks and crannies that Kevin was able to hide in and set traps for the burglars. Remember the attic where he spent the night with his bedwetting cousin? That's apparently an attic bedroom with two grand suites. The office in the home was massive, at least in the movies, so no wonder fans were left wondering what exactly Mr. McAllister did as a job. In the movie, the kitchen had dark green tile counters and stools to sit at the bar, as well as wallpaper like much of the rest of the home. In reality, the house's kitchen seems to have stainless steel appliances now and white cabinets. But of course, times have changed since 1990 and so have the trends, so it's no wonder the home looks so different now despite the exterior's recognizable look. The owners redecorated it heavily before putting it up for sale. The decker is a lot more muted and modern, but we can still notice how spacious the home is. It's just a different aesthetic. Many of the walls are white, or a chic shade of grey, replacing the wallpaper that adorned most every room back in the Home Alone days. One room boasts a piano instead of the McAllister's festive decker in the movie. Oh, and there's still a four poster bed in the home's master suite. How iconic. As of last year, it was said that a Home Alone remake is in the works, but this time a large part of it was shot right here in Canada. Well, not right here in Toronto, but apparently in the Montreal area, which is known for its idyllic snow-heavy cold season, creating a perfect Christmas vibe for the movie. The producers haven't revealed many details about the filming locations, but we do know that a house in the popular suburb of Longueil, about 15 minutes from downtown Montreal, played a big part in the new movie. Guess we'll see if that's true. Alright, I think I'll bring this Christmas house tour to an end right there. We've taken a look at the Home Alone house in Illinois, and honestly, I gotta say, it's as nice or nicer than I expected. Even with all the changes and upgrades, Home Alone fans will remember the residence as the house within the callisters, filled with red and green furnishings, charm, character, and over-the-top Christmas decorations. At least, I know I will. And honestly, imagine how nice this home looks when there's snow outside. So charming. I can see why the director chose it. Let me know in the comments what you guys thought about the Home Alone house. What was your favorite part? I loved the iconic staircase in the master suite. I just feel those parts of the home are so classic. Be sure to tell me what you're up to for the holidays, and if you head on over to my personal channel, I've got a Christmas vlog as well. Thanks for tuning in. Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and don't forget to follow me on Instagram. I'll see you all in the next video. Bye!