The 1990 Christmas movie Home Alone was written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. In the first movie of the Home Alone series, Macaulay Culkin portrays Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old child who, after his family mistakenly leaves him alone on their Christmas vacation in Paris, protects his Chicago residence from a home invasion by two fenders. Catherine O'Hara, John Heard, Daniel Stern, and Joe Pesci are featured in the cast.
The filming of the movie mostly took place in the state of Illinois, USA. The 83-day principal photography period, which cost $18.3 million, ran from February 14, 1990, to May 8, 1990.
Filming locations of Home Alone
Winnetka, Illinois
The exterior sequences of the house were shot on location at a three-story single-family home at 671 Lincoln Avenue in the North Shore hamlet of Winnetka, Illinois. This is the same house where several of Hughes's earlier films were filmed, albeit at various locations. The main staircase, the attic, and the majority of the first-floor landing were the only interiors of the house used for filming that appeared in the finished film.
Later, 671 Lincoln Avenue was turned into a tourist destination. The backyard tree house was constructed especially for the movie and taken down once production was finished.
New Trier High School, Winnetka Illinois
The main campus of New Trier High School, a public four-year institution for sophomores through seniors, is situated in Winnetka, Illinois, in the United States.
To provide more space for workers and equipment, the entire house was recreated on a soundstage. The production firm had already established its offices in the now-vacant gym on the west campus of New Trier High School, which Hughes used previously for Uncle Buck and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Wilmette, Illinois
The American village of Wilmette is located in Cook County, Illinois. It lies 14 miles (23 km) north of downtown Chicago and borders Lake Michigan, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Skokie, Northfield, Glenview, and Evanston, Illinois. Trinity United Methodist Church in Wilmette, Illinois, is where the exteriors of the churches were filmed in the movie.
Oak Park, Illinois
The American community of Oak Park is located next to Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. The interiors were filmed at Oak Park, Illinois's Grace Episcopal Church.
O’Hare International Airport
Located on the city's Northwest Side, roughly 17 miles (27 km) northwest of the Loop commercial sector, Chicago O'Hare International Airport is a major international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Scenes of the film were shot at O'Hare International Airport, which served as both its airport and Orly Airport in Paris, over four sixteen-hour days.
Meigs Field
Chicago's Merrill C. Meigs Field Airport operated as a single-runway airport from 1948 to 2003. Over the course of a single day, John Candy shot his cameo for the movie at Meigs Field.
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FAQs about Home Alone
The filming of Home Alone mostly took place in the state of Illinois, USA.
The exterior sequences of the house were shot on location at a three-story single-family home at 671 Lincoln Avenue in the North Shore hamlet of Winnetka, Illinois. The interiors were built on a sound stage.
The filming for Home Alone took 83 days and ran from February 14, 1990, to May 8, 1990.