Twenty-five thousand Italian imported lights. That is what Clark W. Griswold Jr. used to decorate the national lampoon christmas vacation house, at least according to the 1989 script. It’s a lot of bulbs. Honestly, it’s a miracle the circuit breakers held out as long as they did before the big reveal. We all have that one neighbor who goes a little too hard during the holidays, but Clark turned it into an Olympic sport.
Most people assume the house is a real residence tucked away in a quiet Chicago suburb like Winnetka or Glencoe. It makes sense. John Hughes, the writer, loved Illinois. He filmed Home Alone and Ferris Bueller's Day Off there. But if you’re planning a road trip to find the Griswold family home, you’re going to be pretty disappointed. It doesn't actually exist in the real world. At least, not as a standalone house you can knock on.
The backlot reality of the Griswold residence
The national lampoon christmas vacation house is located on the Warner Bros. Ranch in Burbank, California. Specifically, it sits on Blondie Street. This is a famous circular street on a backlot that has hosted some of the most iconic families in television and film history. If you stand in the middle of the street, you aren't just looking at Clark’s house; you’re looking at TV history.
The house itself is a facade. It’s a "shell" house, meaning it has an exterior that looks perfect for the camera, but the inside is mostly empty space or storage for lighting rigs. It’s weird to think about. You see Clark falling through the ceiling or the family gathered around a dried-out turkey, but those scenes weren't filmed inside that specific structure. They were done on soundstages nearby.
Interestingly, the house has neighbors you definitely recognize. Right next door is the house where the Murtaugh family lived in Lethal Weapon. Just down the street? The house from Bewitched and the one from The Partridge Family. It is a strange, suburban purgatory where the grass is always green and the sun always shines, even when they’re trying to fake a Chicago blizzard.
Why the house looks different today
You can't really "visit" it the way you used to. In recent years, Warner Bros. has been making big changes to their backlot properties. Much of the Ranch, including the legendary Blondie Street, has undergone significant redevelopment. For a long time, fans could catch a glimpse of the house during studio tours, but it has been remodeled and repurposed so many times it barely looks like the Griswold home anymore.
Filmmakers are constantly changing the siding, the shutters, and the landscaping to fit different projects. One year it’s a cozy family home; the next, it’s a crime scene for a procedural drama. That’s the nature of Hollywood. It’s disposable.
Also, the snow. Oh man, the snow.
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Since they were filming in sunny Southern California, they couldn't exactly wait for a cold snap. The production used a mix of crushed limestone, white plastic shavings, and even fire-retardant foam to create that winter wonderland. If you were there in person during filming, it probably smelled more like a chemical factory than pine needles and cocoa.
The neighbor's house wasn't just a prop
Remember Todd and Margo? The yuppie neighbors who absolutely hated Clark? Their house is right there too. In fact, that house is actually more "real" in terms of its cinematic footprint. It was used as the main house in Lethal Weapon.
There’s a funny bit of trivia here: the window that Clark breaks with the ice chunk? That was a very specific stunt setup. The production had to be careful because even though these are "fake" houses, they are expensive pieces of studio equipment. They couldn't just go around smashing things. Everything was calculated.
Dealing with the "Real House" rumors
Every year, a rumor circulates on social media that the national lampoon christmas vacation house is actually in Brecksville, Ohio, or some random town in Colorado. It’s not. People get confused because some of the exterior "scenic" shots—like the family trekking into the woods to find the tree—were filmed near Silverthorne and Breckenridge, Colorado.
The scene where the Griswold station wagon gets stuck under the logging truck? That was filmed on Highway 9 near Frisco, Colorado. But the house? Total Burbank.
Why does this matter? Because fans often harass random homeowners. There is a house in the suburbs of Chicago that looks vaguely like the one in the movie, and the poor people living there have to deal with fans taking selfies on their lawn every December. Don't be that person. If it’s not on a studio lot, it’s not the house.
The technical nightmare of 25,000 lights
Let’s talk about the electricity for a second. Clark says he has 25,000 lights. If those were the old-school incandescent C9 bulbs popular in 1989, the power draw would have been astronomical. We’re talking about roughly 175,000 watts.
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A standard 100-amp or even 200-amp residential service would have literally melted. In the movie, the lights cause a massive power surge that forces the city to kick on their backup generators. It’s a joke, obviously, but technically, Clark would have needed a commercial-grade transformer sitting in his front yard just to keep the filaments glowing.
- Heat Output: Those bulbs would have been hot enough to melt any "fake" snow nearby instantly.
- Cost: Running those lights for the month of December in 1989 would have cost Clark roughly $2,000 to $4,000 depending on utility rates.
- The Staple Gun: Clark uses a staple gun to attach the lights. Don't do this. You'll pierce the wire, short the circuit, and potentially start a fire. Use plastic clips.
The interior vs. the exterior
When you watch the movie, the layout of the house makes no sense. This is a common trope in "set" houses. The front door leads to a hallway that shouldn't exist based on the exterior dimensions. The attic where Clark gets trapped is a massive, cavernous space that wouldn't fit under the roofline we see from the street.
This is because the interiors were filmed at an old gymnasium/soundstage at Ambassador College in Pasadena. They built the rooms specifically to allow for camera movement and to accommodate the chaos—like a squirrel running through the living room or a Snotts the dog chasing a cat.
The "attic" scene is particularly famous. It was actually quite cold on that set, which helped Chevy Chase’s performance. He wasn't just acting like he was freezing; he actually was.
How to get the Griswold look safely
If you’re obsessed with the national lampoon christmas vacation house and want to recreate it, technology is finally on your side. In 1989, Clark was a pioneer. Today, you can do what he did with about 1/10th of the effort.
First, use LEDs. You can string together 25,000 LED lights and probably run the whole thing off a single dedicated 20-amp circuit. They don't get hot, they don't break as easily, and your electric bill won't look like a mortgage payment.
Second, skip the staple gun. Use universal light clips that attach to your gutters or shingles. It’s faster and won't ruin your house.
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Third, if you really want that "Griswold" vibe, you need the "over-the-top" density. Clark didn't just outline his house; he covered every square inch of the siding. That’s the secret. Most people just do the roofline. To truly honor the movie, you have to treat your house like it’s a canvas and the lights are the paint.
Acknowledging the "Movie Magic"
We have to admit that part of the charm of the house is the nostalgia. It represents that frantic, desperate desire to have a "fun, old-fashioned family Christmas." We've all been there. You want everything to be perfect, so you overcompensate with decorations or food or gifts.
The house is a character in itself. It’s grumpy, it breaks down, it refuses to cooperate, and then, in the end, it finally shines. Even if it is just a plywood facade on a lot in California, it feels like home to anyone who has ever had a disastrous holiday.
What to do if you want to see it
Since the Warner Bros. Ranch is largely closed off for the massive "Ranch Lot" redevelopment project, your best bet for seeing the house is through high-definition 4K releases of the film. You can see the details—the slight chipping of the paint, the way the "snow" looks like carpet in certain shots, and the wires hanging everywhere.
Some fans have built incredible replicas. There’s a guy in Australia and another in New Jersey who recreate the entire display every year. They even park a muddy Ford Taurus station wagon with a massive tree strapped to the roof in the driveway. Those are the real destinations now.
Actionable steps for your own display
If you're feeling inspired by Clark, here is how you actually execute a high-density light display without burning your house down or ending up in the bushes like Clark.
- Calculate your load. Look at the wattage on the box. Most LED strings are low, but if you're hitting the thousands, you need to know how many amps you're pulling. Total Watts / 120 = Amps. Don't exceed 80% of your breaker's capacity.
- Map your roofline. Clark’s biggest mistake was a lack of planning. Use a drone or a high-res photo of your house to plan where the "focal points" are.
- Buy a "Clark" kit. Several companies now sell pre-made light sets that mimic the warm-white glow of 1980s incandescents but with modern LED efficiency.
- The "Big Reveal" Switch. If you want the movie moment, don't just plug them in. Get a heavy-duty outdoor remote switch. Have the family stand in the yard. Make them wait. Then hit the button. Just make sure the cat isn't chewing on any wires first.
The national lampoon christmas vacation house isn't just a building; it’s a symbol of the beautiful, messy, lighted-up chaos of the holidays. Even if we can't walk through the front door in real life, we can certainly try to match Clark's spirit. Just maybe skip the part where you kidnap your boss.
Key Takeaways for Fans
- The house is a facade on the Warner Bros. Ranch in Burbank, CA.
- Interiors were filmed on a separate soundstage in Pasadena.
- The "snow" was mostly chemicals and plastic.
- The actual house has been remodeled and is no longer easily recognizable.
- To recreate the look, use modern LEDs to avoid the massive power issues Clark faced.