Famous Movie Houses in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is home to America’s film industry. We’ve all heard of the famous places such as “Hollywood”, “Beverly Hills”, and landmarks such as the Chinese Theater or Hollywood’s star-studded sidewalk, the Walk of Fame. However, some of the most interesting landmarks in Hollywood film history are also some of the most innocuous.

So many items and places have been made famous movie houses by being featured in an iconic production, and there are several homes throughout the LA area that have similarly been immortalized. Some of these homes are truly majestic mansions, some of them are just regular homes, and many of these places can be visited. If you are a film buff or someone who likes the aesthetic of fame and Hollywood glamor, we recommend adding some of these famous houses to your list of landmarks to visit.  

Where Are LA’s Biggest Homes?

Beverly Hills is home to the stars and a fashion hub.

Beverly Hills is easily one of the most visible “Hollywood star” neighborhoods. It’s a picturesque place of well-manicured lawns, massive mansions and houses in movies, and upscale shopping venues. It is perfectly possible to see Hollywood stars in these spots going about their days, and car enthusiasts will especially appreciate the opportunity to see some rare and stupendously expensive vehicles prowling the suburbs' wide avenues.

Of course, the curse of being a famous place everyone knows is that, well, everyone knows about it and so everyone wants to be there. That means it can get pretty busy, and since most of the homes are the residences of stars you are unlikely to be allowed in for a look-see. If you want to truly see some famous movie houses and not just glance at them through wrought iron fences you’ll have to seek out the more innocuous parts of the city of angels.

The Classics You Have to See

You might not be able to go into these homes, but they are far easier to see and we recommend you go see them since Hollywood has made them into classic landmarks. 

The Golden Girls House 

The Golden Girls' house design allows for plenty of light.

Children of the eighties will remember the television staple that was Golden Girls. This feel-good sitcom was on the air for seven years and during that time it became a major part of American television culture and retains relevance even today thanks to its relatable characters and timeless sense of humor.

Although set in Miami, the actual Golden Girls house sits in Los Angeles and has recently undergone an extensive renovation and modernization. This spacious four-bedroom adobe sold for $4 million in 2020 and so serves as a regular home.

The home’s styling is inspired by mid-century Japanese and Hawaiian motifs, with a design that allows for high ceilings, an open concept design, and plenty of natural light for good well-being. Custom-built in 1955, this is a unique and beautiful home in its own right and has certainly earned its place as a landmark.  

The Brady Bunch House 

Much like this split-level home, the Brady Bunch is rather standard seen from the outside.

Here’s another classic setting for one of America’s most famous sitcoms. The 1960s and 1970s show The Brady Bunch had an enduring legacy in the American cultural zeitgeist and one of the most distinctive aspects of the show was the rather large and modernist home that was the Brady Bunch house.

Located in Studio City, California, this home is an integral part of the show as anyone who has watched it can tell you. There is an entire generation of Americans who remember this airy open concept living room with its distinctive brick and stone pillars and wooden staircase. As you might expect, this is not an average home and is in fact a luxurious mid-century modern estate worth $3.5 million.

Like the Golden Girls house, it has recently gone through a full renovation undertaken by HGTV (its current owner), restoring it to its former kitschy glory. In fact, the home has essentially been restored to exactly what it looked like during the filming of the show, making it an amazing time capsule of an iconic piece of Americana. It is no surprise that this is one of the most photographed homes in the country after the White House. 

The Holiday Mansion

The Holiday is notable for featuring a massive mansion complete with many deluxe amenities.

Now, this is a big one. At over 10,000 square feet this San Marino mansion is best known for being Cameron Diaz’s mansion in The Holiday, where a starstruck Kate Winslett leaves her small British cottage to live it up in this amazing mission-style abode. With a home this big it’s no surprise that there’s a lot inside.

This mansion features a fully-fledged media room in the basement, has a pool and spa, a rose garden, and even a paddle tennis court. It goes without saying that it's a pretty nice place to live and the Spanish styling in concert with the colorful flower gardens makes it quite photogenic as well.  

Ferris Bueller’s House 

The iconic Chicago colonial featured in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is actually located in Long Beach.

“Didn’t Ferris Bueller spend his day off in Chicago?”

Yes, the iconic 1986 film’s plot was set in Chicago but this neat colonial home is actually in Long Beach, California not far from Hollywood itself. Starring Matthew Broderick, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is an American teen comedy film that has become such a ubiquitous reference that you have almost certainly seen nods to the film in later Hollywood productions without even knowing it.

The sheer success and fame of this film make this landmark all the more remarkable, the home itself does not stand out much in its neighborhood. It’s a large colonial next to other large colonials all a stone’s throw away from the beach. Of course, that doesn’t mean this home is not luxurious as indeed it is. It is quite spacious at 5,000 square feet and its semi-circle driveway and well-kept hedges are quite quaint.    

Famous Movie Houses You Can Stay In

Stay in a Craftsman-style cabin with some Hollywood star power.

Believe it or not, there are even some famous movie houses that you can spend a night in for the right price. These homes may not necessarily have featured in any movies but they were once the residences of some of Hollywood’s most famous celebrities, and that carries some charm for sure. 

Charlie Chaplin’s Cabin 

Silent films might not be your thing, but one thing that’s for sure is that “The Little Tramp”  had a pretty luxurious lifestyle, which is no surprise given just how famous he was in his heyday. One of his most distinctive residences was this mountain cabin in Los Angeles. Built in the distinctive Craftsman style, the cabin is a celebration of handmade craftsmanship and a rejection of industrial interior design.

It’s filled with old-world charm in the form of stained glass windows, a medieval-style staircase, and hand-cut wooden doors. At $165 a daily rates are actually within reach, although a six-night minimum is mandatory. 

Orson Welles’ House 

Welles was a film director, actor, and screenwriter and he is considered to be one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, being the creator of iconic films such as Citizen Kane and The Lady from Shanghai. Put simply, he was one of the closest things to royalty in the Hollywood world, and his famous house is appropriately regal in appearance and features.

It might be pricey, but Orson Welles’ mansion is the ultimate spot for a Hollywood vacation.

Built in the Hollywood Regency style, Welles’ 3,000-square-foot estate has four bedrooms, a swimming pool, and a rather large deck with a view of Hollywood’s iconic avenues. Living like a king means spending like one too, and staying here means paying $924 per night. Still, anyone classic film buff is going to love spending time at this amazing address. 

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Residence 

DiCaprio remains one of the most famous actors on the contemporary Hollywood scene making this a truly special residence. This property is also unique because it is a classic midcentury design conceived by Donald Wexler, one of the most influential architects of the mid-century style. Built in 1964 the home has a majestic desert oasis aura that captures well the expansive beauty of the natural features of the area such as the tall palm trees and mountain vistas.

This famous house has actually been the residence of other famous Hollywood stars as well such as Marilyn Monroe and is quite palatial with six bedrooms, seven and a half bathrooms, and huge windows. It is the most expensive place on this list to stay, costing $3,750 per night.

Houses from movies are everywhere in Los Angeles, so gear up, get your sunscreen, and get discovering!