Classic holiday flicks shine from every corner of the cableverse this holiday season, but not all of the architectural finery they feature is relegated to the virtual world. Some of the most iconic Christmas homes to grace the silver screen are actual homes you can see.
From a classic home that offers overnight stays to an exclusive apartment building in New York City, check out these five iconic Christmas movie homes.
A Christmas Story
A classic holiday tale about a boy named Ralphie who dreams of getting a BB gun and has many Christmas adventures, the family’s home from “ A Christmas Story” occupies Cleveland, Ohio’s Tremont neighborhood. Consider staying overnight in the house, which is open year-round. A Christmas House Museum across the street houses original props, costumes, and other memorabilia from the 1983 film.
Photo credit: Turner Entertainment
Home Alone
The house where Kevin McCallister sled down the staircase and tricked two hapless burglars in the beloved film “Home Alone” is about an hour from downtown Chicago. The exterior of the Georgian mansion looks almost exactly as it appeared in the 1990 film (it last sold for $1.5 million in 2012, according to the Chicago Tribune). The house is located at 671 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka, Illinois (This is a private residence, so please be mindful if you’re visiting the house and respectful of it’s owners!).
Photo credit: Jeff Gunn
The Family Stone
In the 2005 comedy “The Family Stone,” Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney) brings his conservative girlfriend (Sarah Jessica Parker) home to meet his eccentric family in the fictional town of Thayer, Massachusetts. The home is actually located in Riverside, Connecticut, according to the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development. The quaint 1860s Italianate-style white home comes with black shutters, a wrap-around porch, and two chimneys. The home is located at 144 Riverside Avenue (also a private residence).
Elf
When Will Ferrell’s character Buddy searches for his father in the 2003 Christmas comedy “Elf,” he finds his dad’s home at New York City’s 55 Central Park West apartment building. The Art Deco structure dates back to 1930 and was once home of acclaimed fashion designers Calvin Klein and Donna Karan. The building also appeared in the comedy “Ghostbusters*.”*
Photo credit: Eden, Janine and Jim
Miracle on 34th Street
In the classic black-and-white 1947 film “Miracle on 34th Street,” a house plays a pivotal role. Susan, age 6—played by Natalie Wood—is upset to learn that Santa can’t give her the home she always wanted. But when she’s driving home with her parents, she spots her dream house with a “For Sale” sign in the yard. The quaint three bedroom on a hill with a stone facade was built in 1943. The interior shots of the film were from a set, but the exterior still looks almost identical to how it appeared in the movie. The house is located at 24 Derby Road in Port Washington, New York (also a private residence).
How to think about buying or selling a 'character home'
Homes with the kind of distinctive personality you see in holiday movies — original millwork, a wraparound porch, a stained-glass transom, a third-floor attic bedroom — sell differently than builder-grade homes. If you're shopping for one, or you own one and are thinking about listing, a few practical notes:
- Comparable sales are harder. Standard price-per-square-foot comps undervalue rare features (a renovated period kitchen, original hardwood floors, a true butler's pantry) and over-penalize quirks (small closets, single bathrooms, narrow staircases). A licensed appraiser or a no-obligation Opendoor cash offer — which factors in actual condition rather than just square-foot averages — can be a useful sanity check on top of a real-estate agent's CMA.
- Condition matters more than in a typical sale. Original 1900s windows can charm a buyer in photos and cost $20,000 to replace at inspection. Plan for a home-condition assessment that looks at flooring, roof, appliances, paint, and landscaping before you set a list price.
- The buyer pool is narrower but more motivated. Buyers who actively seek character homes (often called the 'old-house' segment) skew older, more cash-flexible, and more emotionally invested. A clean inspection report and a thoughtful staging matter more than aggressive price cuts.
- Disclosure and history sell. If you can document the year built, any restoration work, recent system upgrades, and the neighborhood's history, put that in the listing. Buyers of character homes read the long version.
A few resources that pair well with this article: our guides to how to prepare your house for sale, improvements that increase home value, and the factors that influence home value.
Related: how to prepare your house for sale · factors that influence home value · improvements that increase home value.
Five holiday movie houses at a glance
If you came here for the fast answer to 'where was The Family Stone filmed' — exterior shots were filmed at a Greek Revival home in Riverside, Connecticut, with additional location work in Madison, New Jersey. The story is set in the fictional New England town of Thayer, Connecticut. The rest of this guide covers the same essentials for A Christmas Story, Home Alone, Elf, and Miracle on 34th Street — plus a practical look at what it's like to actually buy or sell a character home with that kind of holiday-movie charm.
A few quick caveats before you keep reading:
- Filming location and fictional setting often differ. Movies routinely film in one state while pretending to be set in another (or in a wholly fictional town). We've called out both columns in the table below.
- Many of these homes are private residences today. They are not open to the public, and visiting in person is discouraged out of respect for current owners.
- Sale prices and ownership change over time. Where we cite a number, it reflects publicly reported sales at the time of reporting; current values may differ.
Looking to sell a home in Connecticut? Opendoor makes selling simple in Pittsburgh, Riverside, and Charlotte — request a free, no-obligation cash offer.
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