Paul Reubens | House Tour | Inside Pee Wee's Playhouse and Paul's Million-Dollar Home

Crazy as it is to think now, Pee-wee's Playhouse originally premiered on CBS back in 1986. Creation of actor and comedian Paul Reubens, this combination of children's show, burlesque comedy act and avant-garde theatre took the world by storm. Simply put, you either got the joke or you didn't. But now this legendary and often controversial star has died at the age of 70 following a private battle with cancer. A statement posted to his official Instagram page alerted us to the news while sharing a quote from Reubens himself, explaining why he kept this illness to himself. Please accept my apology for not going public with what I've been facing the last six years. I've always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans, and supporters. I've loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you. Paul moved from his hometown of Sarasota, Florida to Los Angeles, California in the 70s. As a member of the Groundlings comedy group, Paul developed the foolish but fun-loving Pee-Wee Herman, which would lead to a little-seen HBO series in 1981 titled The Pee-Wee Herman Show. That version was far more adult than what would come next when the wider world at large was introduced to this oddball character in Tim Burton's 1985 film Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. Following its release, children of all ages were immediately captivated by the film's major set piece, Pee-Wee Herman's incredible gadget-filmed home. Pee-Wee would return the following year in a CBS series known as Pee-Wee's Playhouse, which aired from 1986 to 1990. In the process, this character moved from cult favorite to a cultural phenomenon thanks in no small part to the series' updated mid-century living room set with its candy color palette, off-kilter angles, and furniture that literally came alive before your very eyes. Yeah, in Pee-Wee's Playhouse, everything was live – a globe, the floor, even the food in the fridge. And, amazingly enough, this location is actually a real thing. Well, kind of. Stay tuned to find out, because in memory of Paul's remarkable career, I'm gonna take you on a trip through memory lane. Pee-Wee Herman's gizmo-drenched home is the real deal – or at least the outside of it is. While the actual home boasts the quintessential white picket fence you'd no doubt expect, unfortunately, the exterior of the structure isn't painted that same pillar-box shade of red. Instead, it's kind of yellow. Oh, and the front yard isn't alive with those brightly colored figures either. Located on Oxley Street, a leafy stretch in South Pasadena, California, Pee-Wee's home is located on the same road as a number of other famous on-screen abodes, the most infamous of which is probably Laurie Strode's home from the original Halloween. Just down the street from that nightmare factory, you'll find the real-life property that was used as the exterior for Pee-Wee's home. This house was built in 1922, and boasts two bedrooms, two bathrooms, as well as just under 1,300 square feet of space. The cool thing is that, even without Pee-Wee's unique lawn art, not to mention the passage of over 35 years, this home is still immediately recognizable. In fact, Pee-Wee's rickety old detached garage, located at the end of his driveway, is still completely unchanged. Other details like the white picket fence also remain, but set pieces that were specifically designed for the film, such as Pee-Wee's mailbox, have been taken down and replaced with much tamer fare. Of course, the interior of Pee-Wee's home in the film was constructed entirely as a set, so if you step inside the place today, you won't find any of what you'd probably be looking for. Instead, you'd discover a contemporary space with modern decor, including a geometrically shaped coffee table, a comfy-looking gray sofa, resting directly in front of a red brick fireplace, that features a flat-screen TV on the mantle over top. Over in the kitchen are dark marble counters, white cabinets, and a large porcelain sink that's only a few feet away from the nearby dining space. Here there's a giant weathered wooden table that boasts seating for eight. Meanwhile, the bedrooms are all located on the main floor. One of those is currently being used as a child's bedroom, while the primary suite boasts direct access to the property's backyard. And there's also a tiny office space that could serve as a third bedroom in a pinch. According to multiple sources, like Redfin and Zillow, the last time this home was sold was on September 13th, 1974, or just $15,500. That means the same owners who rented this spot to be used in the film still own the property to this day. More than just that, Redfin estimates that the home's current market value has ballooned to $1.5 million. In 2021, right around the time of the 35th anniversary of Pee-wee's big adventure, the owners of the property put the home up for rent at around $4,000 per month. I'm not sure how many people actually took them up on the offer, but anyone who did was bound to be disappointed when their favorite characters from the film and TV series didn't show up. I'm talking about characters like Cherry, the bluish green armchair with eyes and a mouth that used to wrap Pee-wee up like a big hug. Or how about Mr. Window, the googly-eyed piece of glass that talked by moving its yellow windowpane up and down. Other everyday decorative items like a clock, globe, and even the floor all came alive in Pee-wee's imagination too. And then there was my own personal favorite, dog chair, the white chaise lounge that resembled the face of a dog. Pee-wee Herman's incredible home truly had no shortage of imagination. Which is why it's so surprising to find out that Paul Reuben's actual home life was much less exciting. The actor who played Pee-wee Herman, Paul Reubens, was a very private individual. A lot of that probably has to do with his infamous arrest in the early 90s for indecent exposure – something that would follow him around for the rest of his career. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Reubens bought his house in the Hollywood Hills back in the late 80s with a paycheck he received from Pee-wee's big adventure. He'd then spend the next four decades of his life living out of that home. After moving to a property that's reportedly surrounded by a prickly cactus garden, Reubens would seldom, if ever, peel back the curtain to let us in on the details of his private life – outside of a brief appearance on Conan O'Brien, in which he revealed that he likes to fill his home up with a series of odd collectibles. The other surprising thing I was able to find about Reubens' home life was, once, he found himself in a feud with his neighbor, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine. According to the New York Post, Paul loved throwing epic parties at his Hollywood Hills home – the kind of gatherings that would bring together an eclectic group of people. But as crazy as those parties might have been, they were nothing compared to the shindigs that the She Will Be Loved singer would throw. In 2018, Raider Online reported that there was an ongoing feud developing between these two, caused by Levine's late night parties. Paul tried to keep things civil by lodging complaints with Levine's staff, but the Eventually, things got so bad that Reubens had to temporarily abandon his longtime home, due to the obscene noise levels emanating from Levine's residence. I had to guess, it sounds like these two either eventually did make up, or this entire thing was blown out of proportion. Because based upon all that reporting, Reubens was still living out of his Hollywood Hills home at the time of his death from cancer. Alright folks, that's gonna bring us to the end of this episode of House Tour. It's too bad there wasn't more info out there about Reubens' actual home, but I certainly enjoyed my walk down memory lane, exploring the ins and outs of Pee Wee's Playhouse instead. It took me right back to childhood, and at the end of the day, that's what made Paul Reubens so special – his ability to make us feel young again. Rest in peace Paul, your contributions will never be forgotten. Thanks for watching today's episode, but before you leave, consider answering the following question. What children's show set did you used to want to live in as a kid? Do any of you guys remember Big Comfy Couch? That was 100% mine, but let me know yours in the comments below. Otherwise, like, subscribe, and turn on your notifications to never miss an episode. My name's Kara the Vampire Slayer, and if you wanna join me on another tour, then stay tuned, because coming up next is a look inside the homes of Sinead O'Connor. I'll see you next time. Bye!