While during Thanksgiving, we focused on the popular Planes, Trains, & Automobiles for being filmed in Illinois, a Christmas movie by John Hughes has also been filmed in the north suburbs. Home Alone is a beloved Christmas movie based in the Chicagoland area that brings back happy memories and lots of laughs.
The McCallister home is a popular destination, with their neighbor’s house on the same road. In north suburban Winnetka, you can find the McAllister residence. The grand staircase and foyer were also included in filming, where Kevin gleefully ran screaming “Pizza!” However, the rest of the interior of the soon-to-be house of horrors the Wet Bandits had to face were actually filmed in the New Trier Township High School gym, where a two-story set was built.
Also in Winnetka were Santa’s workshop outside Winnetka Village Hall and the grocery store where Kevin used his coupons. Kevin checked to see if his toothbrush was approved by the American Dental Association at the then-Hubbard Woods Pharmacy in Winnetka.
The church that Kevin visits on Christmas Eve is two churches, the exterior being in Wilmette’s Trinity United Methodist Church and the interior being filmed at Grace Episcopal Church in Oak Park.
Many Chicagoans can catch the old Metra cars in the background of a scene as well, bringing another wave of nostalgia.
For the classic scene where the McAllister family sprints through the airport to make their plane, the iconic background gives away that it’s O’Hare Airport. Even the airport in Paris was filmed at O’Hare!
If you’re in the north suburbs, possibly stop by these iconic locations (respecting the residents of the Home Alone house neighborhood as that is their home) and add Home Alone to your holiday movies list!