Visiting the real Amityville Horror house
The original house where the Lutz family supposedly fled from malevolent forces was located at 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, New York. The address was later changed to 108 Ocean Avenue to throw sightseers and horror movie buffs off the scent. Since it found infamy in the ’70s, the property has undergone major changes. Most significantly, the creepy quarter-moon windows that are such an iconic piece of “The Amityville Horror” imagery have been replaced with more typical square windows.
Understandably, the locals resent the publicity the book and the film have brought to their village. They definitely don’t encourage people to stand around on the pavement outside the house gawping and taking photos, and knocking on the door is an absolute no-no. Every effort has seemingly been made to respect the victims and the privacy of the current occupants. The street has no parking, and there is a sign warning “No Stopping or Standing” outside the house. The property is even blurred out on Google Streetview.
That isn’t to say you shouldn’t take a look — as long as you keep a low profile. You can either check it out while driving along or park nearby and take a stroll down Ocean Avenue. Photography isn’t prohibited, but it is best to be as discreet as possible.
Visiting the filming locations of The Amityville Horror
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After the bestselling success of “The Amityville Horror” book, a film version was inevitable — especially after box office hits with supernatural themes like “The Exorcist” and “The Omen.” Initially, the filmmakers wanted to use the real house in Amityville, but the local authorities understandably denied them permission. Instead, the production team found another Dutch Colonial-style home a few hours away in Toms River, New Jersey. The house was leased for the film and converted to look more like the original, including one key feature: The spooky quarter-moon windows that made the property look like a jack-o’-lantern and helped it become one of the most iconic haunted houses in horror movie history. The property was moved in 1981 and looks almost nothing like the house in the film, but you can still check it out at 18 Brooks Road in Toms River.
“The Amityville Horror” spawned several sequels and received a remake in 2005 starring Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George. Horror fans will need to travel to 27618 Silver Lake Road, Salem, Wisconsin, to take a peek at the property used in that movie. Again, the exterior was altered during the shoot to give the house its signature creepy look. Nowadays, both filming locations are just regular homes, but completists will have fun checking a little bit of horror history off the list.
