Can You Visit the Home Alone House This Winter?

What do you know about the Home Alone house? Have you ever thought about visiting it? 

Maybe this winter is the perfect time for a road trip to explore Home Alone filming locations. 

Read on to find out more about the Home Alone franchise and where the house is located.

Let’s go!

About the Home Alone Movies

Home Alone is a 1990 Christmas movie about an eight-year-old boy accidentally left at home as his family travels for the Holidays. While he’s home alone, he ends up protecting his home from burglars. 

The comedy was a hit. Due to this, a sequel was filmed in 1992, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. The sequel starred the original cast and received mixed reviews. 

Over time, three more sequels have been released: Home Alone 3 in 1997, Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House in 2002, and Home Alone: The Holiday Heist in 2012. Subsequently, Home Alone four and five were made-for-television. 

And, in fact, there’s a sixth one, Home Sweet Home Alone, coming out today! 

Where Is the Home Alone House?

In the first Home Alone movie, the house is the main set. It’s the place where Kevin uses aftershave for the first time, sleds down the stairs, and fights off burglars. Therefore, it is a central figure of the film.

The Home Alone house is an actual three-story single-family home built in the 1920s. It’s about 20 minutes outside of Chicago, Illinois, in a lovely residential neighborhood called the North Shore Village.

Location: 672 Lincoln Ave, Winnetka, Illinois 

Pro Tip: After exploring the Home Alone House in Chicago, cruise down Route 66! Make sure to stop and do these 9 Best Things To Do on Route 66 in Illinois.

Can You Visit the Home Alone House?

Although you can drive to the house, it’s privately owned and closed to the public. However, you can take a selfie right outside. It looks the same as it did in the movie, except for an iron fence. 

In the movie, you get to go inside nearly all the rooms in the house, but in reality, only a few things were filmed on location. Scenes such as the exterior, central staircase, basement, attic, and 1st-floor landing are all from the house.

Everything else was filmed on a soundstage on the west campus of New Trier High School in Northfield. 

So how do you get to experience the Home Alone House? Keep reading to find out. 

Can You Stay the Night at the Home Alone House?

Although you can’t stay in the actual Home Alone House, you can stay in a Home Alone-themed Airbnb! Yep! It’s a private duplex for Home Alone fans in Dallas, Texas.

First, you can watch classic VHS movies on an old-school TV and play ping pong. Likewise, if you’re feeling hungry have a cheese pizza delivered to your door (courtesy of the hosts.)

And that’s not all! Finally, the rental is set up just like Kevin had it with hanging paint cans, toy cars on the floor, and the Michael Jordan cardboard cutout. In fact, the toiletries are vintage packaging from the 90s.

How fun is that?

Best Hikes Near the Home Alone House

Once you’ve experienced all things related to the Home Alone house, it might be time to hit the trails! There are two fantastic hiking opportunities located 15 minutes away: Skokie Lagoons Inner Trail and Chicago Botanical Gardens Trail.

Let’s check them out. 

Skokie Lagoons Inner Trail

Skokie Lagoons is a nature preserve with seven interconnected lagoons and plenty of trails. The area is referred to as Nike Island and Skokie Lagoon Islands. 

You’ll want to take the Inner Trail for an authentic hiking experience. It’s a 4.1-mile loop of unpaved walking trails meandering through shady woods. here’s no actual signage, so stay vigilant and use a hiking app, so you don’t get lost.

The trailhead is located on Forestway Drive near the Forest Grove Picnic Grove #1. There’s roadside parking right there and the N Branch Trail. The Inner Trail is a 450-foot walk north from the picnic grove. There’s no mistaking the N Branch Trail and the Inner Trail.

The N Branch Trail is a paved biking trail, and the Inner Trail is a narrow path that veers west and follows the lagoon.

Chicago Botanical Gardens Trail

If you’re looking for an easy, manicured hike, you’ll certainly want to walk the Chicago Botanical Gardens Trail. This is a 2.2-mile loop on paved cement, brick, or packed gravel paths. The walking paths wind through various gardens, the bonsai courtyard, and a waterfall, to name a few. 

Entering the Chicago Botanical Gardens via the N Branch Trail is free. If you drive to the gardens and park in their parking lot, you must pay to park. 

Please note that dogs are not allowed on the Chicago Botanical Gardens Trail. Also, visit the botanical garden website for specific hours and trail access.

Pro Tip: If you don’t want to be home alone over the holidays, stay at one of these 10 Best RV Parks for Christmas.

Best Camping Near the Home Alone House

The Home Alone house is located near Chicago, and finding camping in urban areas is always a challenge. However, we found two good campgrounds that are 60 minutes or less away. Let’s talk about them. 

Blackwell Family Campground

Located 60 minutes from the Home Alone House, Blackwell Family Campground is inside the 366-acre Blackwell Forest Preserve. The campground is on Silver Lake and has 60 gravel campsites for tents and RVs. All sites have electricity, fire rings, and picnic tables. There are no sewer or water hookups at any of the sites.

All campers have access to running water and a shower house with flush toilets. You can dump your tanks at the onsite dump station. 

The campground is seasonal from May 7th to September 25th and only open on weekends. You’ll also need a permit to camp. 

GPS Coordinates: 41.83805966, -88.17475155 

Illinois Beach State Park

If you need more flexible camping, Illinois Beach State Park might be a better option for you. It has a seasonal campground that’s open between April 1st and December 30th. You need a permit to camp there as well.

Illinois Beach campground has 241 grassy and gravel campsites with electricity. There are no water or sewer connections, but all campers have access to showers and sanitary facilities. 

The campground is 45 minutes from the Home Alone house. Additionally, it is on the shores of Lake Michigan. You can spend your days swimming, biking, walking, or hiking the trails. 

Location: 39150 Illinois Beach State Park Rd, Zion, IL 60099

Is a Road Trip to the Home Alone House Worth It? 

If you’re a fan of Home Alone, a road trip to the Home Alone house is totally worth it. It’ll be fun to get a selfie in front of the home, and there’s still plenty to explore in the area.

Hiking around the Skokie Lagoons and the botanical gardens is an added bonus.

Discover the Best Free Camping Across the USA

To be honest with you, we hate paying for camping. There are so many free campsites in America (with complete privacy).

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