The holiday season wouldn’t be complete without some classic Christmas movies.
And if you’re keen to live out some of your festive movie fantasies in real life, DailyMail.com has rounded up some iconic sets.
However, don’t be disappointed if you visit the Home Alone house or the Elf department store in New York, because without the Christmas decorations, the building looks a bit boring from the outside.
Iris’s house in “The Holiday” also doesn’t exist and was actually just a fiberglass model that was later demolished. Now there is only a field where it stood, but the quaint cottage that inspired it still exists in an English country town.
Below, you can see how your favorite movie locations perform in real life.
Many of the most popular films are set in the USA or Great Britain, some of them in New York
The McCallister House: Home Alone
Many scenes from the classic Christmas movie Home Alone were filmed in this beautiful 1920s mansion on Chicago’s North Shore
The house from the classic Christmas movie Home Alone doesn’t look nearly as festive most of the year.
Located on Chicago’s North Shore, the beautiful 1920s mansion was a key part of the 1990 family comedy hit that briefly catapulted child actor Macaulay Culkin to megastardom.
Many scenes in the film were filmed in the three-story house, including the scenes involving the kitchen, the main staircase, the basement and most of the first-floor landing.
The McCallister family home looks very different today than when it appeared in the 1990 film, with modern interiors in neutral tones.
Even when not decked out in Christmas lights and decorations, it remains instantly recognizable from the outside thanks to its grand, symmetrical facade.
The Plaza Hotel: Home Alone 2
In the sequel to the 1990s hit Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin’s character checks into the Plaza Hotel with his father’s credit card.
In the sequel to the 1990s hit Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin’s character accidentally boards a plane to New York while his family flies to Florida for the Christmas holidays.
While in New York, Kevin McAllister loses checks at the Plaza Hotel using his father’s credit card.
Even without the Christmas decorations, the Plaza Hotel remains largely unchanged from the film Home Alone 2, and its gold and red interior looks festive all year round.
The luxury hotel even offers the Kevin-inspired “Have Fun In New York” package, which includes perks like a limo ride, a large cheese pizza and a “Home Alone Sundae” with 16 scoops of ice cream, whipped cream and maraschino includes cherries. , M&M’s, brownie pieces, chocolate, caramel and raspberry sauce
Iris’ House: The Holiday
Rosehill Cottage, as it is called in The Holiday, was built of fiberglass and later demolished. But the house that inspired it, Honeysuckle Cottage, is in the village of Holmbury St Mary
It’s considered one of the most romantic films of the season, but romantic visions are shattered by the fact that Iris’ characterful home doesn’t actually exist in The Holiday.
Rosehill Cottage, as it is called in the film, was built from the ground up in Shere, England from fiberglass, while the interiors were entirely sets.
The picturesque retreat takes place in the context of Amanda (Cameron Diaz) and Graham (Jude Law) after she swaps her LA home with Iris (Kate Winslet) over Christmas.
Although the cottage itself was not used in the actual film, the producers used a property as the basis for the specially designed set.
Honeysuckle Cottage in the London residential village of Holmbury St Mary, near Dorking, was the inspiration for the home of Kate Winslet’s character Iris in the 2006 film.
The exterior of the property is virtually identical to that in the film, including the small fence and arched porch.
The White Horse: the holiday
Fans of The Holiday can enjoy a pint at The White Horse pub in Shere, Surrey
Fans of The Holiday can enjoy a pint at The White Horse pub in Shere, Surrey, where Jude Law and Cameron Diaz’s characters go on a date.
However, residents of the picturesque town say they dread the holiday every year.
They claim they are forced to stay in their homes and can’t enjoy activities on their doorstep because their main street is packed with movie fans every winter.
According to The Sun, tensions between homeowners and visitors have risen to such an extent that local councils are planning to introduce parking charges.
Local residents hope this could deter people from visiting and reduce the number of cars parked in the town.
Other productions in which Shere has appeared include: Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Wedding Date, The Mummy, The Silent Witness and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?
Although there is no snow at the White Horse most of the year, the Grade I listed building still offers a cozy British pub atmosphere all year round.
Macy’s: Wonder on 34th St
In the 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street, a girl finds the real Santa Claus at Macy’s in New York
Macy’s in New York starred in the 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street, in which a girl discovers the real Santa Claus in the store.
And every Christmas, the huge department store regains its character.
The windows on the 34th street side of the store are decorated with scenes from the classic Miracle film, while “Santaland” opens on the 8th floor and visit and photo packages start at $39.99.
On Tripadvisor, where Macy’s Herald Sqaure has a rating of 4 out of 5 from 4,905 reviews, many visitors praised the holiday efforts.
One visitor said, “Outside brings back memories of Miracle on 34th Street, the Macy’s Day Parade and Christmas in the snow globes of Herald’s Square.”
Another fan wrote: “Walking in here felt like I was back at the moving Miracle on 34th Street (one of my favorites).
“As we went higher and higher, I could imagine that Mr. Macy going up these very, very old wooden escalators. I love wood and I love recycling old wood.”
Outside of Christmas, Macy’s looks like any other department store and has undergone several upgrades since its appearance in Miracle.
Gimbels: Eleven
The Gimbels store at 295 Fifth Avenue in New York has reportedly undergone CGI work to transform it into a Christmas wonderland
Gimbels, Elf’s New York department store, seems to have come a long way from its cinematic roots, having recently undergone a renovation to transform it into a more modern space.
The elf Buddy works in the shop and meets his great love, Jovie.
There he also realizes that the Santa Claus in the shop is not the real Santa Claus and he exposes himself with these antics, which lands him in prison.
‘You make me sick. How can you live with yourself?’ he says to the fake Santa. “You sit on a throne of lies.”
The Gimbels store at 295 Fifth Avenue has reportedly undergone CGI work to transform it into a Christmas wonderland, and the facade is decorated with a giant arch and a nutcracker.
Although no longer in existence, Gimbels was once a true department store was active for over a century, from 1842 to 1987.
Today, the building, known as the Textile Building, serves as a modern office complex.
Julia’s House: Love, actually
St. Luke Mews in London is used in the scene where Juliet, played by Knightley, is knocked on the door by her wedding best man, Mark (Andrew Lincoln), on Christmas Eve.
Fans of the romantic comedy Love Actually still flock to it 20 years after she appeared in one of the film’s most famous scenes.
Every day, dozens of tourists stand outside the three-story pink house in St. Queue Luke Mews in London’s fashionable Notting Hill district.
According to residents, over the weekend people armed with cell phones and selfie sticks lined up outside the townhouse and on the residential street where homes sell for more than $2.5 million.
The street – and the pink house – are used in the scene where Juliet, played by Knightley, is knocked on the door by her wedding best man, Mark (Andrew Lincoln), on Christmas Eve.
He arrives with a boombox playing Christmas carols and shows Julia, who is married to Peter, a series of cards expressing his love for her.
The house is seen as Mark walks away before Juliet runs after him and gives him a quick kiss. He then decided to continue his life without her.
Today, the property looks much the same as it did twenty years ago, which means that many film fans still flock there to take a picture.
However, residents of St Luke Mews have asked tourists to stay away as they find the constant stream of Instagrammers “annoying”.
The woman who lives in the pink building spoke to reporters anonymously and said she knew nothing about the property’s past before she bought it in 2006. She claims that even tourists came to her house.
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James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
