If you’re looking for a few Christmas classics to round out a movie marathon this year, you can’t go wrong with the iconic 1990 family comedy Home Alone. Though millions of viewers have made it a tradition to explore the movie each holiday season, fewer fans have made the effort to actually travel to the McCallister house and see the booby-trapped majesty live and in person. Luckily, you can rectify this misstep, by booking your own trip to Chicago, Illinois today, and seeing the well-decorated splendor of the upscale neighborhood that the Wet Bandits once tried – unsuccessfully – to ransack. Those interested in traveling through Chicago and the surrounding suburbs during the Christmas season should be sure to check out family activities, day trips and other luxurious offerings.
If you do manage to book your trip around the holidays, you may come to see exactly why the area was chosen to serve as the harmonious winter wonderland where Kevin McCallister learns to shop for groceries, defraud a pizza delivery driver and torture his attackers with a series of elaborate hijinks. Since Home Alone is such a well-regarded classic, we’ve got the inside scoop on the key filming locations, as well as a myriad of other exciting things to do in and around Chicago. By the time you’re through reading the following write-up, the only question you’ll have regarding the suburbs of the beloved U.S. city will be, “Why on Earth would the McCallisters leave this place behind for the holidays?”
How Chicago, Illinois Became a Christmas Wonderland for ‘Home Alone’
Those who have had the chance to visit the Windy City already know that Chicago is a beautiful place to call home year-round. Still, it doesn’t take a keen ability to decorate to see exactly how the filming locations of Home Alone were transformed into a Christmas wonderland for the big screen. The Chicago area is known to get quite cold in the wintertime, and averages roughly 37 inches of snowfall per year. This means that the McCallister home and other surrounding neighborhoods are frequently coated in a fresh layer of crisp, white snow in the months leading up to Christmas Day. Beyond the natural holiday vibes offered by Mother Nature, set designer Eve Cauley worked tirelessly to ensure that holiday-themed decor, drapes and other items were placed in and around the entire production zone.
Part of the reason that the Christmas vibe is so strong within Home Alone is the fact that the McCallister family has created an in-universe living space rife with holiday decorations. While it may seem just a bit bizarre for the massive family to cover their home in red and green, place ornaments and stockings all around the rafters and erect a massive Christmas tree just to jet-set to Paris, it fits with the overall spending habits of Kevin’s seemingly ultra-wealthy parents. Outside of the narrative, we have people like Cauley and filmmaker Chris Columbus to thank for developing the eye-catching aesthetic of the cozy film.
Film Locations You Can Visit
The McCallister house, in particular, is located at 671 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka, Illinois, roughly 30 minutes north of the Windy City’s thriving downtown area. The home, which serves as a private residence today, is not open for public tours, though fans of Home Alone are said to frequently stop for pictures out in front. As always, make sure to be kind to the locals and respect the space if you do decide to visit this home, but feel free to stop and quickly take non-intrusive photos if you have the time.
The Lincoln Avenue house serves as the site of all exterior shots of the house, and even a few interior locales such as the spooky basement, Kevin’s attic sleeping quarters and the grand staircase in the foyer. Other indoor spaces such as the living room and master bedroom were shot on a soundstage. Additional filming locations for Home Alone include the Grace Episcopal Church, Hubbard Woods Park and of course, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, where the McCallister gang rush to catch their flight, without Kevin in tow. Visitors making their way to Chicago are highly likely to pass through this very airport when they make their way into town, though it surely wouldn’t be advisable to run through the terminals screaming about your lost child.
Travel Tips: Chicago is a beautiful locale, bustling with activity from tourists and locals alike. Still, first-time travelers should be aware of a few key things to squeeze the most out of your trip. For starters, be sure to map out your itinerary and make use of the L trains which run through most of the city. Many of these trains run on a 24/7 schedule, allowing you to maximize your fun and minimize your spending while painting the town red (and green). Chicago is also rife with museums, nightlife and tours, meaning your exploration possibilities are seemingly endless. Don’t overload your schedule, but do try to combine multiple activities into each day if you get the chance. Additionally, make sure to pack accordingly, as the weather is known to vary quite wildly as freezing winds carry over Lake Michigan, while humid winters are known to render puffy jackets a no-go.
Best Time To Visit: Believe it or not, most locals would advise visitors to check out Chicago in the wintertime, meaning a tour of the Home Alone filming locations is exceptionally appropriate. The weather tends to be at its mildest in late October into early November, though tourists who don’t mind a bit of chill are welcome to explore the sights, sounds, and Christmassy vibes of Chicago throughout all of December. During this time, many local businesses offer public light displays and other Christmas-themed events, making it the perfect time for fans of Home Alone to abandon one kid at home in favor of a holiday outing.
Tips For Movie Fans: Whether you’re interested in touring the film locations or not, there are tons of exciting sights for film and television fans to explore. Other classic productions such as The Dark Knight, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ocean’s 11 and The Bear have all shot in the Chicago area, meaning there are plenty of officially sanctioned and self-guided tours to explore. Those looking to get a peak behind the curtain at the filmmaking process should be sure to check out the Wizard of Oz Movie Tour, which takes visitors through the gritty history of screen productions in the area.
More Fun Things To Do in Chicago
As stated, Chicago, Illinois offers tons of fun, food and excursions for visitors of all stripes. If you get the chance, be sure to get your bearings by trying out the 360 Observation Deck or the Architecture River Cruise after getting checked into your hotel. From there, be sure to embark upon a full exploration of the city’s bars, breweries, and other attractions, before exploring Home Alone shooting locations or any other day trips out of the city. Chicago is rich with history, culture and activity, meaning you’ll have droves of museums, art installations and other city-wide tours to keep you busy.
Highlights of Chicago include the Field Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Science and Industry and the Chicago Architecture Center. If you feel like catching a quick bite in between excursions, be sure to try some of Chicago’s famous street food, which can be found on just about any corner, even in December. And of course, we would be remiss if not to mention that no trip to the Windy City is complete without a brief stop in Millennium Park, where you can see The Bean in all its reflective glory.
Where To Stay
Though it serves as one of America’s favorite cities, Chicago has a myriad of options for travelers of all backgrounds. This means that there are plenty of hotels in town that offer luxury stays with exceptional amenities, as well as those that provide a lot of bang for your buck. If money’s not an object, feel free to explore centrally-located resorts like the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park, Swissotel or Silversmith Downtown. Alternatively, the city offers a number of affordable chains, such as the Hyatt Regency, Hampton Inn and Hilton Suites.
If you’re traveling with a group, be sure to check for deals on Airbnb, where McCallister-sized mansions are sometimes available at excellent rates. Any way you slice it, Chicago, Illinois is the perfect place to spend Christmas, especially if you remember to pack your entire family along for the ride. On the other hand, it may be wise to leave at least one kid behind, just in case a pair of misfit ne’er-do-wells need a thorough dose of paint cans to the dome.
