You Can Actually Visit The House From Halloween

When John Carpenter's "Halloween" debuted in 1978, it changed horror movies forever. The story of straight-laced teenager Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) being forced to take on escaped serial killer Michael Myers (Nick Castle and Tony Moran) on the spookiest night of the year popularized the slasher genre in a whole new way. It even sparked plenty of tropes within the sub-genre itself, such as the inclusion of eerie synth scores and having a masked murderer be a movie's ultimate big bad. The success of "Halloween" has led to several remakes and sequels, most recently the upcoming 2021 horror film "Halloween Kills." But none of them can ultimately hold a candle to the lasting cultural influence of the original, a true spine-tingling classic.

Unsurprisingly, a story as wild as "Halloween" isn't actually based on real-life horrors, but the creators' desire to make a scary movie as culturally impactful as "The Exorcist." Even so, you can actually visit one of the movie's iconic locations in real life.

One of the most memorable parts of "Halloween" is its terrifying opening scene, in which a 6-year-old Michael Myers (Will Sandin) stabs his older sister Judith (Sandy Johnson) to death with the family's kitchen knife on Halloween night in the franchise's central town of Haddonfield, Illinois. When Michael's parents come home and pull a clown mask off his face, it foreshadows the masked killer he will continue to be in adulthood. Fifteen years later, Michael's fate becomes intertwined with Laurie's when she visits the house, which her father is trying to sell, and he begins stalking her.

Believe it or not, the Myers family house is real and still exists today. However, it's changed locations since the movie was filmed. For years, the house could be found at 709 Meridian Avenue in South Pasadena, California (via Los Angeles Magazine). To escape demolition in 1987, it was moved to 1000 Mission Street in the same town, and later designated a historical landmark, per California Curiosities. 

So, the next time you watch "Halloween," remember that house is actually out there — but probably not to truly haunt your dreams.