Was the Iconic ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ House Used Years Prior in ‘Halloween’?

Just when you think you already know everything there is to know about the original Halloween, little tidbits have a way of coming to the surface that completely surprise even the most knowledgeable Halloween fanatics–even 40 years later.

Convention king and Horrors Hallowed Grounds host Sean Clark made a post to his personal Facebook page last autumn and it’s been on my mind ever since. He was fortunate enough to snap a few pics of his visit inside the original Nightmare on Elm Street house when it was for sale back in 2006–before the property was sold, gutted, and completely modernized. 

Now, it’s important to note that the iconic green-roofed house as seen in the original Nightmare was mainly only used for exterior shots. Aside from a few shots of Nancy’s bedroom, the interiors were filmed at an entirely different location. 

As Sean toured around the inside of the Elm Street house, he began to get a sense that the interior of the home seemed rather… familiar. But it didn’t click until he was looking back at the photos he had taken, and noticed the large wooden rocking horse sitting in the living room. He had seen that horse and this living room in a movie–but it wasn’t Craven’s Nightmare on Elm Street.

It was Carpenter’s Halloween. 

Need a refresher? In the extended television cut of Halloween, there is a scene of Laurie fresh out of the shower, getting ready for babysitting. She rushes down the stairs to answer the phone, and in that shot you can catch a glimpse of the horse.

Take a look at Sean’s photos taken inside the Elm Street house:

See the horse by the front door? Now, look at the screen grabs from Halloween:

That’s the same horse and layout! Even the window drapes and door frame are identical.

Not convinced? Take a look at this comparison featuring P.J. Soles’ Lynda.

Sean’s photo inside Elm Street house:

Halloween screen grab:

Again, the window drapes and railing are exactly the same in both photos.

Oh, and that’s not all. Carpenter utilized the location to his full advantage and even used an upstairs bedroom to stand-in as Annie’s room. But not just any bedroom–Nancy’s bedroom! Ya know, the one with the window she looked out of in Elm Street. Those same windows can be seen in Annie’s bedroom scene.

Take a look at the side by side below:

Sean also recalls that the owner of the Elm Street house had a piece of paper signed by Jamie Lee Curtis–providing further evidence that the Halloween crew must have filmed there.

[Related] Robert Englund Reveals That He Worked On the Set of ‘Halloween’ 1978

While it can’t be 100% confirmed, the evidence is pretty substantial, and the filming locations for both flicks aren’t far from each other, so it’s totally possible. What do you think? Is that the same house? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks to Sean Clark for the images and the story.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on October 28, 2019.