Famous houses from movies and TV shows that you can see in real life

The settings of some movies and TV shows have turned out to be as iconic and beloved as the characters in them. When you think of “The Brady Bunch,” how could you not think of the ’50s-style house you’d see at the opening of each episode? The same goes for “Home Alone,” which just leaves you wondering what Kevin McCallister’s parents must do for a living to afford such a massive home in the Chicago suburbs.

Some of the iconic houses used as exterior settings in movies and TV shows — such as the Griswold house in “Christmas Vacation” — exist only on studio backlots. But many of them can be seen in person, on real streets.

Here are some of the most famous on-screen houses that you can see in real life. Of course, if you visit them, it’s best to view these houses from the sidewalk across the street, because real people who probably don’t want to be bugged live in them!

‘The Brady Bunch’

Location: Studio City, California

For nearly 50 years, the Brady family has been one of the first that comes to mind when we think of sitcom families we’d like to join — and their house is also one of the most iconic in TV history. The house that was used for the exterior of the Brady house was built in 1959, and it still stands in the same spot today. As you can see below, the house is obviously just a one-story home, but the set used for interior scenes had two floors, so a set designer attached a fake window to the section with the A-frame, making it look like a two-story home on TV.

Today, HGTV owns the house. The network bought it in 2018 for a reported $3.5 million and will renovate it as part of an upcoming TV special.

Ernie Carswell and Associates

’10 Things I Hate About You’

Location: Tacoma, Washington

There’s a lot to love about the 1999 teen flick “10 Things I Hate About You,” including the gorgeous house where its main characters, the Stratford sisters, lived with their strict father. It was built in 1907 and, today, the house is still there and looks just like it did in the film, including on the inside. In 2018, it was put up for sale and was listed at $1.6 million. A bargain for a massive piece of ’90s cinema history!

Jeff Jensen

‘Home Alone’

Location: Winnetka, Illinois

Who hasn’t watched the holiday classic “Home Alone” and admired the massive house that little Kevin McCallister protects from burglars with a bunch of DIY traps? This stately manor is located in a suburb of Chicago and still looks just like it did in the film, minus a red-hot doorknob and Kevin’s treehouse, which was only built for the movie. The home has about 4,200 square feet of space and sits on a half acre of land. In 2012, it sold for a reported $1.5 million.

Wikimedia Creative Commons

‘Sixteen Candles’

Location: Evanston, Illinois

Another big, beautiful house in the Chicago suburbs, the house from the ’80s teen classic “Sixteen Candles” is still just as attractive as it was in the film. In 2016, the 3,250-square foot house was put up for sale, making it the ultimate buy for fans of filmmaker John Hughes. It eventually sold for $1.1 million in 2018, below the original asking price.

movie house photo
Flickr | Jim Larrison

‘Father Of The Bride’

Location: Pasadena, California

Speaking of massive movie houses, this gorgeous California home from 1991’s “Father of the Bride” boasts more than 4,300 square feet of living space. As with most of the homes featured on this list, the exterior shots used this actual house but the interiors were shot on sets at a studio. However, the scene where Steve Martin and Kimberly Williams-Paisley play basketball was shot using this home’s backyard hoop. In 2016, the house was listed for sale at about $2 million.

father of the bride house photo
Flickr | Monster Pete

‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’

Location: Highland Park, Illinois

One of the most memorable movie houses ever was Cameron’s home from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” This minimal, modernist house was built in 1953 and still looks striking today, if you can see it through all the trees that surround it in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park. Apparently, it’s difficult to keep the house at a warm temperature, but that didn’t stop a buyer from purchasing it in 2014 for a reported $1 million. It’s currently undergoing major renovations.

Flickr | serk1

‘Mork & Mindy’

Location: Boulder, Colorado

The zany 1970s sitcom “Mork & Mindy” helped launch Robin Williams to stardom, and the house featured in the series is still standing. The show was set in Boulder, Colorado, and that’s where this gorgeous home is located. Fans of the show still like to pose in front of it for photos, and when Williams passed away in 2014, the house became a gathering spot for mourners, who left flowers and other markers in remembrance of the actor.

mork mindy house photo
Getty Images | Marc Piscotty

‘Mrs. Doubtfire’

Location: San Francisco, California

Whatever Miranda Hillard in “Mrs. Doubtfire” did for a living, it must have paid a serious salary for her to afford a Victorian home in San Francisco, pay a nanny and support three kids. This house from another beloved Robin Williams movie has about 3,300 square feet and has been standing since 1893. The house sold in 2016 for a reported $4.4 million.

doubtfire house photo
Flickr | .Martin.

‘The Royal Tenenbaums’

Location: Harlem, New York City

Wes Anderson’s bizarre family portrait, 2001’s “The Royal Tenenbaums,” featured an eclectic cast of memorable characters — and the house the family lived in was just as striking. This massive, imposing house is a private residence that is home to an art gallery today. It’s located in Harlem, not far from The City College of New York. Unlike many of the houses on this list, nearly all of the interior scenes from “The Royal Tenenbaums” were shot here, inside this building.

tenenbaum harlem photo
Flickr | smulligannn

‘A Christmas Story’

Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Arguably the most-loved Christmas movie of all time, “A Christmas Story” also features one of the most memorable houses in movie history. This blue-collar home located in Cleveland is one of the few famous movie houses that allows fans to tour it. The house — which features the infamous leg lamp glowing proudly in the front window — has been turned into a tourist attraction and is decorated faithfully as it was in the film. For the ultimate “A Christmas Story” experience, people can even stay overnight at the Bumpus House, which is, of course, located next door.

christmas story cleveland photo
Flickr | Tim Evanson

‘American Horror Story: Murder House’

Location: Los Angeles, California

Despite its beauty, living inside the home made famous by the first season of “American Horror Story” is apparently a nightmare. The historic home, known as the Rosenheim Mansion, is listed as a cultural landmark in Los Angeles and has been standing since the early 1900s. In 2018, the couple who owns the home sued the former owners and realtors they bought it from because they were unaware of the legions of fans that would show up to see the house every day.

Wikimedia/MichaelJLocke

‘American Horror Story: Coven’

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Another impressive house from “American Horror Story” that you can easily find is the Buckner Mansion in New Orleans. This historic home has been around since 1856 and was used as the location for Miss Robichaux’s Academy, the school for young witches, in season three of the FX series. Rumors have long persisted that the house is haunted — but it’s unlikely that any witches-in-training will be found there.

new orleans buckner photo
Flickr | Reading Tom

‘Roseanne’

Location: Evansville, Indiana

The Conner family, featured in the ABC shows “Roseanne” and “The Conners,” lived in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois, but the actual house used for the outside of their home is in Evansville, Indiana. The house has been shown on TV for more than 30 years now, and it basically looks the same. If you happen to be passing through Evansville, snap a selfie from the sidewalk.

roseanne house photo
Flickr | Nikonian Novice

‘Breaking Bad’

Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico

As you’ve seen from this list, it’s rare for houses shown in TV shows to be located in the city where the show is set, but “Breaking Bad” was set in Albuquerque, and its most famous house is there. This is the house where Walter White lived with his family, and it’s the setting of many memorable scenes. Perhaps the most memorable scene happened when Walter threw a pizza onto the home’s roof in a fit of rage— a moment that, unfortunately for the house’s owners, fans still like to re-enact.

breaking bad house photo
Flickr | Clay Gilliland

‘The Sopranos’

Location: North Caldwell, New Jersey

Anyone who’s watched HBO’s “The Sopranos” knows this house well, especially its long driveway, which Tony Soprano would walk down in his robe to pick up the daily paper. According to Zillow, the house has been there since 1987 and has more than 5,600 square feet of living space. The house is featured on “Sopranos”-themed tours that can be taken across New York and New Jersey.

Wikimedia Creative Commons

‘The Dark Knight Rises’

Location: Nottingham, England

Without question, the most impressive “house” featured on this list is Wayne Manor from “The Dark Knight Rises.” The site used for Bruce Wayne’s massive estate was Wollaton Hall in England. The building has been standing since 1588 and can be easily visited by Batman fans, as it serves as Nottingham’s Natural History Museum.

wollaton hall photo
Flickr | Dun.can

‘Sex And The City’

Location: Manhattan, New York City

Who could forget the stoop leading up to Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment in “Sex and the City”? The iconic steps are still there, on Perry Street in Manhattan’s West Village, and they’re a popular spot for fans of the show to snap pictures. The building has reportedly been there since 1866, and it sold for nearly $10 million in 2012.

perry carrie bradshaw photo
Flickr | F U M A

‘Nights In Rodanthe’

Location: Rodanthe, North Carolina

One of the most interesting-looking houses to ever be featured on screen is this beachfront house that was used in the 2008 romance movie “Nights in Rodanthe.” The building is located in the Outer Banks area of North Carolina and is a rental property. The home has been standing since the 1980s and has been damaged by storms. In 2010, facing condemnation after Hurricane Bill, the house was picked up and moved about a mile away to a safer waterfront, where it was restored by local fans.

nights in rodanthe house photo
Flickr | smkybear

‘The Bachelor’

Location: Agoura Hills, California

ABC’s “The Bachelor” has been a TV staple since 2002, and the mansion used for filming the reality series is a beautiful home in Los Angeles County. The family who lives in the house has to move all their personal belongings into storage twice every year for 42 days so the show can be filmed. The mansion has about 9,000 square feet of living space, and the home managed to survive the Woolsey fire in November 2018 with minimal damage.

Villa de la Vina

‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Fans of classic TV will want to stop by this iconic house if they are ever in Minneapolis. This Victorian mansion was used as the exterior of the apartment building where Mary Richards lived in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” This piece of TV history was on the market in 2017 for $1.6 million.

Flickr | Ross Griff

‘Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid’

Location: Grafton, Utah

When it comes to classic Westerns, it doesn’t get much more fun than 1969’s “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” A couple of the movie’s most famous scenes were shot in and around this quaint house, located in the historic ghost town of Grafton, Utah. The building is called the Alonzo Russell Home, and it served as Etta Place’s house in the film, with the famous bicycle-riding scene being shot in the yard.

famous house photo
Flickr | inkknife_2000

‘Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil’

Location: Savannah, Georgia

This Clint Eastwood movie was filmed around Savannah, including at this historic house. The Mercer-Williams House, as it’s known, was the site of an alleged 1981 murder, which the movie — and the book it’s based on — were about. The house has been standing since 1869 and is now a museum that allows tours.

mercer williams house photo
Flickr | watts_photos

‘Charmed’

Location: Los Angeles, California

Lovers of the television series about sister witches still flock to this L.A. home to take pictures. The home, known officially as the Innes House, has been standing since the 1887 and is held by the Los Angeles Conservancy for its historic relevance that, somehow, has nothing to do with the beloved series. The home is a Victorian that has adornments such as redwood trim, cast-iron fireplaces and stained-glass borders around its windows.

innes house photo
Flickr | .Martin.

‘Call Me By Your Name’

Location: Moscazzano, Italy

The coming-of-age drama “Call Me By Your Name” was a darling of the 2018 awards season, and the stunning home where much of the film was set was one of its best parts. Located in northern Italy, not too far from Milan, this villa has been around since the 1500s. The home was put on sale in 2018, listed at about $2 million.

House & Loft Realtors

‘Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone’

Location: Bracknell, England

Fans of the Harry Potter films will instantly recognize this modest home as the one depicting 4 Privet Drive, where young Harry grew up being terribly neglected by his aunt and uncle. The house used for exteriors is located in Bracknell, England, and is on a street of a totally different name. In 2018, the house sold, reportedly below asking price, to a family of non-Potterheads.

Getty Images

‘Mad Men’

Location: New Rochelle, New York

Can you imagine a more classic, suburban American home than this one? This gorgeous clapboard house was used as the exterior of the Draper family home in the first episode of AMC’s “Mad Men.” The home is located in New Rochelle, which is about 20 miles from Ossining, New York, where the home was stated to be in the series. In later seasons, the house used for the exterior of the Draper home was a house in Pasadena, California, which can also be seen from the sidewalk.

https://www.instagram.com/p/4j2ni8GWZx/

‘Modern Family’

Location: Los Angeles, California

Another show that keeps it real, in terms of its exterior locations, is ABC’s “Modern Family.” The three houses used for the homes owned by the three families in the sitcom are all located in Los Angeles and can be seen by fans. This one, Mitch and Cameron’s home, is a favorite for fans such as Instagram user @albaafeliz to snap pictures in front of.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnClY8ZgedW/

‘The Haunting of Hill House’

Location: LaGrange, Georgia

One of the newer iconic houses of TV history is the spooky Hill House from Netflix’s “The Haunting of Hill House.” In the show, the massive manor is supposed to be in Massachusetts but, in reality, it stands in Georgia. The estate is called Bisham Manor, and it is not scary at all. In fact, it’s used as a venue for weddings and other celebrations!

‘Full House’

Location: San Francisco, California

One of the most beloved TV houses of recent memory has to be the home of the Tanner family from “Full House” and “Fuller House.” The house, like the series, is located in San Francisco and has become a gathering point for fans of the sitcoms, much to the chagrin of residents on its street. In an interesting twist, “Full House” creator Jeff Franklin bought the house in 2016.

https://www.instagram.com/p/z5_52VCh0r/?utm_source=ig_embed

‘Steel Magnolias’

Location: Natchitoches, Louisiana

Southern charm was on full display in the beloved 1989 movie “Steel Magnolias,” and the house used in the film embodies that feeling. Located in the northern part of Louisiana, the house is now a bed and breakfast known as the Steel Magnolia House. The tourist haven has a 4.5/5 rating from Facebook users, so its owners must be doing something right.

Design & Architecture, Entertainment, Home, Movies & TV, Travel
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About the Author
Clint Davis
Clint has watched way too many TV shows and movies and makes a great partner for trivia night. He lives in Cincinnati with his wife, baby son and two massive dogs.

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