You know that house with the bleeding walls and the creepy eye-shaped windows? Most people think it’s tucked away in some quiet neighborhood on Long Island. I mean, the movie is called The Amityville Horror, so it makes sense. But if you’re looking for the actual house James Brolin and Margot Kidder ran out of in the 1979 classic, you’re looking in the wrong state.
Basically, the Toms River Amityville house is the real star of the film.
While the "true" story happened at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, the town officials there weren’t exactly thrilled about a Hollywood production setting up shop. They wanted to distance themselves from the 1974 DeFeo murders. Can you blame them? So, the producers went hunting for a look-alike. They found it in Ocean County, New Jersey.
The Search for the Perfect Haunted Look
The house they picked is located at 18 Brooks Road in Toms River. It was a big, beautiful colonial built in 1920, sitting right on the water. But there was a problem. It didn’t look enough like the real "High Hopes" house in Amityville.
The solution was kinda wild.
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Instead of finding a different house, they just rebuilt the outside of this one. They literally built a "superstructure" around the existing home. They added that iconic gambrel roof. They put in those quarter-circle windows that look like demonic eyes. If you ever wondered why the house in the movie looks so massive and imposing, it’s because it was essentially wearing a costume.
Why Toms River?
Honestly, it came down to cooperation. Toms River was much more welcoming to the film crew than Amityville was. In the late 70s, seeing a major movie production in town was a huge deal. They used plenty of other local spots too:
- Toms River Town Hall (the municipal building on Washington Street).
- The Bishop Building (which served as the library where George Lutz does his research).
- St. Peter’s Church in nearby Point Pleasant.
- Georgian Court University in Lakewood.
Life After the Movie: Moving the House?
Here is where things get weird. If you drive down Brooks Road today, you might get confused. The house doesn't look like the movie version anymore. The "eye" windows are gone. The spooky exterior was stripped off after filming ended for the first few movies.
But there’s also a persistent local rumor—that’s actually true—about the house being moved.
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Back in the day, the house sat closer to the corner of Brooks Road and Dock Street. Because so many tourists were stopping their cars to take photos, it was causing a ton of traffic accidents. People were literally crashing while staring at a house they thought was haunted.
To deal with the "gawker" problem, a later owner actually had the house lifted and moved. It was shifted about 100 feet back and turned sideways on the lot. Then, a second house was built on the vacant space where the "Amityville" house used to sit. It’s a clever way to hide in plain sight, honestly.
Is the Toms River Amityville House Actually Haunted?
Short answer: No.
There were no murders at 18 Brooks Road. No demons. No flies in the sewing room. The hauntings were all special effects and clever editing. While the real Lutz family on Long Island claimed they were terrorized by spirits (a claim that’s been debated for decades), the New Jersey house is just a high-end piece of real estate.
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In fact, it sold fairly recently. In January 2023, the home closed for about $1.46 million. It’s got four bedrooms, five bathrooms, and a pool. It’s a gorgeous riverfront property that just happens to have a very creepy resume.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often visit the real Amityville in New York and feel disappointed because the house there looks different now. The windows were changed specifically to stop tourists. But the Toms River Amityville house is the one that lives in our collective nightmares. It’s the one with the architecture that feels like it’s watching you.
If you’re a horror fan, visiting the area is still worth it. Even though the "eye" windows are gone, the vibe of the neighborhood is exactly what you see on screen. You can still see the bridge James Brolin drove over and the library where the mystery unfolded.
Actionable Tips for Film Tourists
If you decide to take a drive to see the filming locations, keep a few things in mind to keep it respectful and legal.
- Don’t trespass. The house at 18 Brooks Road is a private residence. The current owners are just people living their lives, and they don't want strangers on their lawn at 2:00 AM looking for Jodie the pig.
- Check out the Bishop Building. It’s right next to the Toms River library. It looks almost exactly the same as it did in the film, and it’s a public-facing area.
- Visit St. Peter’s. The church in Point Pleasant is another great spot that hasn't changed much since the 70s.
- Drive the Mathis Bridge. This is the bridge that leads into Seaside Heights, which appears in several driving sequences in the film.
The legacy of the 1979 film is inextricably linked to the Jersey Shore, regardless of what the title says. It’s a piece of cinematic history that turned a quiet riverfront street into one of the most famous "haunted" locations in the world.