You can visit several real Christmas movie locations in the U.S., and the best-documented ones are in three places: A Christmas Story House in Cleveland, the Rockefeller Center and Central Park sites in New York City, and the It’s a Wonderful Life Museum in Seneca Falls, New York. The Home Alone house in Winnetka, Illinois is a private home you can only view from the street. Many other holiday favorites were filmed on studio sets or in Canada, so it pays to know what is real before you book.
This guide sorts the places by how you can actually visit them and includes the 2026 dates that were published as of October 2026. Confirm hours and ticket details on the linked official pages before you go.
At a glance
| Place | Movie | City/State | How you can visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| House from A Christmas Story | A Christmas Story (1983) | Cleveland, OH | Ticketed tours and museum |
| Rockefeller Center and Central Park | Home Alone 2, Elf | New York, NY | Public spaces |
| The Plaza Hotel | Home Alone 2 | New York, NY | Working hotel |
| Macy’s Herald Square | Miracle on 34th Street (setting) | New York, NY | Working store |
| It’s a Wonderful Life Museum | It’s a Wonderful Life (inspiration claim) | Seneca Falls, NY | Small museum and December festival |
| The Home Alone house | Home Alone (1990) | Winnetka, IL | Exterior from public street only |
Cleveland, Ohio: A Christmas Story House
The yellow house with green trim in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood was the Parker family exterior in A Christmas Story, and it is one of the few Christmas film houses you can actually go inside. The attraction now goes by “House from A Christmas Story” and includes a guided tour, a museum of props across the street, a gift shop and overnight stays. According to its official hours and admission page, it is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with longer hours around Thanksgiving week and a closure on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Our full Christmas Story House visitor guide covers booking rules, parking, accessibility and nearby Cleveland sites, including the former Higbee’s building featured in the film. Book tickets before you travel if you plan to go in November or December.
New York City: Rockefeller Center, Central Park and the Plaza
New York appears in several Christmas movies, and many of its sites are public spaces or businesses.
Rockefeller Center
Wikipedia’s article on Home Alone 2: Lost in New York lists Rockefeller Center as a filming location and sets the film’s reunion scene at the Christmas tree. On Location Tours’ Elf page says Buddy and Jovie’s ice-skating date under the big tree was shot there as well.
The tree is the main draw each year. Time Out New York reported on September 29, 2026 that the tree arrives Saturday, November 7, 2026, and that the lighting ceremony is Wednesday, December 2, 2026. Visiting hours and ceremony details had not yet been announced. Expect heavy crowds around the plaza in December.
Central Park
On Location Tours lists Central Park as the setting of Buddy’s snowball fight and the sleigh scene, and names Bethesda Terrace and its fountain as the spot where the sleigh clips the fountain in the climax. These are public park areas that you can walk to. Wikipedia) lists New York City, Vancouver and Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, Canada among the film’s filming locations, so parts of Elf were shot in Canada. The North Pole is a set, not a place you can visit.
Empire State Building
According to On Location Tours, Buddy’s visit to his father’s office was set at the Empire State Building. It is a public building, so check its own site for visiting rules and ticket costs.
The Plaza Hotel
The Plaza Hotel was a major location in Home Alone 2. Wikipedia says the crew shot in the hotel lobby and one of its suites, and that Donald Trump, the hotel’s owner at the time, allowed filming in exchange for a cameo. The Plaza is a working hotel, so access to the lobby is up to the hotel. If you want to stay, check the hotel’s current offers directly, because news about a film-themed package dates from 2018.
Macy’s Herald Square
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) is set at Macy’s in New York, and Wikipedia links the story to the Herald Square store. The film was shot on location in New York, and the Thanksgiving Day parade scenes were filmed live during the 1946 parade, per Wikipedia. Wikipedia does not say which store was used for the shopping scenes. You can visit the Herald Square store as a customer, but do not expect to see a film location there.
Seneca Falls, New York: It’s a Wonderful Life
It’s a Wonderful Life was not filmed in Seneca Falls. Wikipedia reports that most of the film was shot at RKO studios in Culver City, California, and at the RKO ranch in Encino, and that some residents of Seneca Falls believe Frank Capra modeled Bedford Falls on their town. It adds that a film historian who curates Capra’s archives says there is no evidence for that claim.
The town embraces the connection anyway. The It’s a Wonderful Life Museum says it is temporarily at 76 Fall Street, and as of October 2026 lists hours of Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a suggested admission of $5 for adults. The museum warns that GPS directions lead to a back lot with no public entrance, so park on Fall Street instead. It also states that it does not know when its expanded museum will open.
For 2026, the museum lists an 80th Anniversary Celebration of the It’s a Wonderful Life Festival from December 9 to 13. Program details were to be added later, so check the museum before booking travel. Treat this as a fan pilgrimage to a town that celebrates the film, not a visit to a set.
Winnetka, Illinois: the Home Alone house
The Home Alone house is a private residence. NBC Chicago reported in 2023 that it does not open to visitors, though people still stop to take photos. Our guide to the Home Alone house in Winnetka explains what you can see from the street and which nearby places, such as Hubbard Woods Park, are public.
Places that are not real
Some well-known Christmas settings are sets or fictional.
- The North Pole in Elf is a movie set, and parts of the film were shot in Canada.
- Most interiors of the Home Alone house were built on a sound stage, per Wikipedia.
- Bedford Falls was a set at an RKO movie ranch in Encino, and Wikipedia says the ranch was razed in 1954.
Visiting etiquette
- Stay on public sidewalks near homes and stores.
- Do not trespass on private lawns or porches for holiday photos.
- Keep voices down in residential areas and cemeteries.
- Respect ticketed attractions by arriving on time and following staff instructions.
- Buy something when you photograph a business.
- Be patient in crowds, especially at Rockefeller Center and Seneca Falls festival weekends.
Our filming location etiquette guide has a longer checklist.
FAQs
Which Christmas movie house can you tour?
A Christmas Story House in Cleveland is the clearest example. It offers ticketed tours, a museum and overnight stays, according to its official site.
Can you visit the Home Alone house?
Only from the public street. It is a private home that does not open to visitors.
When is the 2026 Rockefeller Center tree lighting?
Time Out New York reports that it is Wednesday, December 2, 2026, with the tree arriving November 7. Check the official site for visiting hours.
Was It’s a Wonderful Life filmed in Seneca Falls?
No. It was mostly filmed in California. Seneca Falls celebrates a claim that it inspired Bedford Falls.
Can you stay at the Plaza Hotel from Home Alone 2?
Yes, if you book a room at the working hotel. Check the hotel for current availability and packages.