Skip to main contentSkip to footer
original home alone house illinos © Getty Images

Inside the real 'Home Alone' house – and its jaw-dropping value

The 1990 hit movie saw Macaulay Culkin play Kevin McCallister

Jenni McKnight
US Lifestyle Editor
December 22, 2023
Share this:

The hit 1990 movie 'Home Alone' has become part of many families' Christmas traditions, and not only did it make a star of Macaulay Culkin, but also the iconic red-brick Georgian-Colonial house that was home to the fictional McCallister family. 

The stunning residence is a real home located in Winnetka, Illinois, about 20 miles from Chicago, and at the time, it was owned by the Abendshien family, who relocated to a makeshift apartment on the second floor of their house during filming. 

WATCH: Gingerbread House recreates Home Alone's iconic film set

While the exterior of the property was used in the movie, many of the interior shots were filmed on a purpose-built, two-story set inside the gym of an abandoned school, New Trier Township High School, located in the town. 

However, the famous, red-carpeted staircase that young Kevin McCallister sledded down before shooting out of the front door, and the living room, were shot inside the real home. 

"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," director Chris Columbus said in 2015. 

home alone house airbnb© Airbnb/Sarah Crowley
Red and green furnishing became popular in the 90s after the release of 'Home Alone'

"It's the kind of house if you were a kid, it would be fun to be left home alone," he added. 

Inside the real 'Home Alone' house

original home alone house exterior© Getty Images
The original 'Home Alone' house is still visited by thousands of tourists a year

Located at 671 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka, Illinois, the 'Home Alone' house boasts 10 bedrooms and six bathrooms across 5,398 square feet of space and just over half an acre of land, according to Zillow

In May 2011, fans got a proper look inside when the Abendshien family put the house on the market for $2.4 million, a huge increase from the $800,000 Cynthia and John Abendshien paid for the property back in 1998. 

At the time, real-estate agent Marissa Hopkins – who worked with the Abendshiens on the sale – posted a YouTube video showing off the interiors in all their glory. Check out the video below...

Home Alone Home video by Marissa Hopkins, Listing Broker

"It looks different than the fans might expect (i.e. no plaid wallpaper)… but that's Hollywood!" Hopkins told Insider. "The images depicted at the time I sold the house, were how the house looked when it was filmed," she added. 

One noticeable difference between the interior of the real house and the 'Home Alone' one is the lack of red and green painted walls and furniture, a design choice that gained popularity following the film's release. 

home alone macaulay culkin sledding down staircase© Collection Christophel / Alamy Stock Photo
The famous red staircase in 'Home Alone' wasn't red in the real house

"There were no saturated green or red upholstered furniture sold in stores. Not one piece," 'Home Alone' set decorator, Eve Cauley told AD

"A red dining room became the in-style trend of the 1990s. My decor and wall-covering choices for Home Alone changed the color palette of the nation for the upcoming decade," she added. 

How much is the house worth? 

home alone house © Getty Images
The 'Home Alone' house is reportedly worth $2.3 million today

The $2.4 million asking price proved to be too hefty a price tag for the famous home as four months after it went on the market, the Abendshiens lowered the asking price to $1.995 million. 

Again, there were no takers, but the house eventually sold in 2012 for $1.585 million although the current owners are not known. According to Zillow, the luxury mansion is today worth over a whopping $2.3 million! 

Visiting the 'Home Alone' house 

home alone house exterior© The Washington Post
You can snap pictures of the exterior of the home

For decades fans of the movie have traveled to Winnetka to see the 'Home Alone' house in person and snap pictures of the exterior, and it is a particularly popular destination around Christmas. 

"We would have not believed back then that there would be sightseers coming to look at that house for years afterward," John Abendshien previously told Vanity Fair. 

home alone house airbnb© Airbnb/Sarah Crowley
Airbnb recreated the 'Home Alone' magic for one night only in 2021

As the home is currently occupied and not available for sale or rent, the only way to get inside is if you know the owners. However, back in 2021, Airbnb offered fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stay at the real-life McCallister home. 

home alone house airbnb© Airbnb/Sarah Crowley
The interior looked just like the movie for an Airbnb promotion

The lucky guests were treated to Chicago's finest pizza, a candlelit dinner of microwavable Kraft Mac & Cheese, and set up booby traps for potential intruders.

Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features and profiles coming out of the U.S.  Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletterand get them delivered straight to your inbox. 

Sign up to Off Camera for all the gossip and goings-on from the wonderful world of TV and film

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Homes

See more