In 1982, the haunted-house film “Poltergeist” terrified audiences and etched the image of the home in people’s minds for many sleepless nights. For fans of this 1982 supernatural horror film, let’s revisit the terrifying events in the movie (spoiler alert!) and explore the Poltergeist filming location.
Named one of the scariest films ever made, Poltergeist is about a young family terrorized by a host of evil spirits in their home.
The real house used in filming 1982's "Poltergeist," located at 4267 Roxbury St. in Simi Valley, Calif., is on the market for the first time since it was built in 1979. It is being listed by Lauren Murdock with Equity Union Real Estate, who is representing the property owners.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live in a home with a story, minus the spooks,” Murdock says.
“This home is well-loved by its original owners and is ready to welcome a new family, without the ghostly antics,” Murdock says. “The exterior of the house is immediately recognizable from the film, which focused on a suburban family whose home was invaded by ghosts that abducted their young daughter, played by Heather O’Rourke.”
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The home has changed little since filming and does not have ghosts in real life, the press release says.
According to the property description, “the formal dining room leads to the infamous kitchen where fans of the movie will love to see it’s still in its original form.” The home has the original staircase but it is not the one seen in the film, which was created especially for the movie.
The 2,373-square-foot home on a large lot is listed for $1,174,999. It has four bedrooms and 2.5 baths.
And, yes, it has a pool - just not that pool.
Located centrally in Simi Valley, the property is close to major film and production studios, offering convenience alongside its visual appeal.
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With upgraded electrical systems and the ability to transform its 1980s decor into traditional Tudor or mid-century suburban styles, the home provides both flexibility and functionality.
The large 3-car garage, additional driveway with RV hookups, and oversized lot offer ample space for equipment, parking, and staging, ensuring seamless logistics for production crews.
Security and convenience are top priorities, with a 10-camera 4K system and new alarm setup to keep equipment safe.
Additional features, such as a like-new 2022 Airstream International available for rent and plentiful street parking, further enhance the property's practicality.
They say a home is a place of refuge that creates a sense of security and belonging.
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Poltergeist / Filming Locations / Then And Now / 1982 / Horror
The Freeling Family and Their Suburban Nightmare
Steve Freeling (Craig T. Nelson) lives in one of the comfortable and modern Cuesta Verde homes with his wife, Diane (JoBeth Williams), and their three children, Dana (Dominique Dunne), Robbie (Oliver Robbins), and Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke).
Carol Anne begins sleepwalking and is drawn to the television, hearing faint whisperings and conversing with unknown entities through a dead channel on the TV. Then, her pet bird suddenly dies.
At first, they seem friendly, playing tricks and amusing the family. These include moving and stacking chairs in funny ways or pulling things and people across the floor. However, things go out of hand when the sinister poltergeists arrive, horrifying the family to death.
During a thunderstorm, Carol Anne was taken by the hostile ghosts, sucking her into their dimension. The family doesn’t know she was kidnapped, so they search everywhere in and around their home until Robbie hears his sister through the TV set.
The movie takes its viewers to the suburbs of Cuesta Verde, California. It’s a fictional planned housing community in Southern California where a series of horrendous events occurred, frightening the Freeling family.
The neighborhood you see at the beginning of the movie is located in Agoura Hills. It’s a small suburban town in Los Angeles County and is one of the state’s best places to live today.
If you see the Poltergeist filming location and compare it to what was depicted in the film, it might seem almost unrecognizable unless you’re familiar with the place. That’s because the filmmakers made the area look like an over-developed space.
Although the exterior shots were taken on location at an actual house, the crew also built a Poltergeist film set at MGM Studios in Culver City.
This movie was initially titled Night Skies and wasn’t supposed to feature evil spirits but evil aliens instead.
In the movie's opening scene, you’ll see kids biking on a residential street and around a massive tree in the middle of the road. This scene in Poltergeist was filmed in Agoura Hills. The tree featured here is the same as the one between Rustling Oaks Drive and Hollow Oak Court.
But don’t expect to find the same tree when you visit the area or plan to bike around the tree in the middle of the road, or you’ll be disappointed.
No buses pass by this area, so you’ll have to walk for a few minutes to get to the bus stop. Buses 161 and CE422 have routes that pass near Thousand Oaks/ Kanas Rd.
Agoura Hills, California
Exploring Key Filming Locations
Private House, Roxbury St.
No list of Poltergeist locations will be complete without mentioning the house, which was haunted by demonic ghosts, featured in the film. It’s inside this home that the youngest member of the family, Carol Anne, eerily announces, “They’re here,” after a violent tremor that wakes everyone up in the middle of the night.
If you want to go on a personal journey of experience and see the physical location of this famous horror house, you’ll have to go to Roxbury Street in Simi Valley, California. The actual house used in the film still looks a lot like the Freeling home. It isn’t as frightening as portrayed in the classic horror movie.
However, keep in mind that the house is private property, so you can’t just barge in and take pictures inside the home. Perhaps, you can make a special trip here during Halloween for Trick-or-Treat; otherwise, you’ll have to respect the occupants.
You can also explore the area or go on a walking or hiking trip, as it’s close to several trails. The fastest and most convenient way to get to the neighborhood is through a car or taxi.
Residential Neighborhood, 6126 Canterbury Dr.
Halfway through the film, we’ll see Steve and his boss, Mr. Teague (James Karen), discussing a new housing division to be made. They walk by the hillside cemetery, and Mr. Teague directs Steve to the spot where they will build a housing development. “It’s right here where we’re standing. All of these can be your master bedroom suite,” Mr. Steve’s boss says that they had done it before, building homes over a cemetery, digging up coffins, and moving them along with their headstones. Besides, “it’s not ancient tribal burial grounds; it’s just people,” as Mr. Teague reiterates.
This particular filming location of Poltergeist looks different now from how it was depicted in the movie. When you visit the area, you’ll see a quiet neighborhood with nice houses with swimming pools. It’s a clean and safe area to walk around and close to several public parks.
University of California, Irvine
Frightened by the odd occurrences the night before and worried about their missing child, Steve goes to the University of California and meets with a group of parapsychologists. Then Dr. Lesh (Beatrice Straight) asks if the Freeling family would welcome “a serious investigation of the disturbances by someone who can make firsthand observations.” To this, Steve responds that he doesn’t care about those disturbances, as he just wants to find his little girl.
An exterior shot of the University of California appears on the screen, suggesting that the meeting with the parapsychologists takes place there.
Founded in 1965, the University of California - Irvine is ranked the fourteenth best public university in the country. The university takes pride in being at the heart of a lovely community brimming with world-class entertainment, pristine biking and hiking trails, destination beaches, and endless possibilities.
You can visit the university during a campus tour and explore the ins and outs of the institution, which requires advanced registration. The most popular mode of transportation to get there is via train. You can take OCTA route 473 to UCI or 473 to North Campus if you’re coming from Tustin Metrolink Station.
University of California, Irvine
Other Locations
One of the first characters that appear in the movie is Jeff Shaw (Dirk Blocker). He leaves his home on a bike with cans of drinks to take to the Freelings to watch a football game with the guys. Later, it cut to Roxbury St. in Simi Valley, leading to the Freeling house. It’s where he dropped nearly half of the cans of beer because of the kids’ toy cars.
Perhaps, you can walk to Gleam Ct on your way to the tree in the middle of the road, as they’re only a short walk from each other.
At the end of the movie, dead bodies and coffins explode from the ground, tearing the entire house apart. Without a home to return to, the Freeling family checks into a motel for the night.
The film’s final minute on the motel’s balcony was shot at a Holiday Inn. The motel’s location was a mystery for many years, with some sources claiming that it took place at a hotel in Westlake.
Since Ontario Airport Inn is located off the freeway between Los Angeles and Palm Springs, it’s an ideal spot to stop by when visiting the City of Angeles. It is also only minutes from the Ontario International Airport, meaning you can take a taxi there without worries. It is complete with services and amenities for a convenient stay, including free WiFi.
Ontario Airport Inn
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