If this house looks familiar to you, congratulations, you survived the 60s! It was the home used in The Munsters, a popular TV show that spooked young kids from 1964-1966. Despite its short stint on the air, Herman and Lily’s quirky family had some pretty dedicated fans!
This is the Munster’s home, 1313 Mockingbird Lane, Mockingbird Heights, California. Before you ask Siri to take you there, you should know, this house was built on the Universal Studios lot. It was constructed in the Second Empire Victorian style in 1946 for the movie So Goes My Love. Twenty years later, when Universal decided to use it to film their new show, The Munsters, they spent $1,000,000 “dressing” the exterior. Call me crazy, but that seems like a high price for a bunch of dead trees and a bent weathervane.
Even if you enjoy cheerful paint colors and leaves on your shrubbery, you have to admit, the house is charming, in its own eternal winter kind of way.
If you dream of sleeping in a coffin at night, or like painting a faux widow’s peak on your forehead, then this couple might be your new best friends. Let me introduce you to Charles and Sandra McKee from Waxahachie, Texas. These two hardcore fans made it their life’s work to build their house as an exact replica of the Munster Mansion! I know what you’re thinking, he looks like he should be holding a pitchfork in this photo. I hear ya, but I think I know why he’s so glum. There were never any blueprints of the Munster house for them to copy. That meant that this happy couple had to watch all 70 episodes of The Munsters over and over and OVER until they came up with the perfect house plans. See! The look on his face makes sense now, doesn’t it?
This dining room would be the perfect place to gather friends and family for a pre-trick-or-treat feast. I have a harder time envisioning Christmas morning pancakes, but maybe that’s just me.
If we’re going to be honest here, I do see one pro to living like a Munster. Okay, hear me out! You never have to dust, like EVER! You just sit back and relax in your comfy electric chair and let the house spiders spin a muck! When people question your housekeeping abilities, you take a sip of your bloody Mary, roll your eyes, and tell them it’s all part of the decor.
This is actually really impressive! Sandra literally cooks in this kitchen, on this stove! There is probably a brew in that cauldron at this very moment! All you, “I can’t live without a double oven” people, think about this picture the next time you complain about a lack of counter space!
This is the closest picture I could find to a normal living room. It all seems relatively doable except for one major item. The phone! Munsters didn’t have cell phones, or even cordless phones, or even those 20 foot long spiral cords you could get after market! No, they had to sit, practically cheek to the wall, while they gossip, or serenade the person on the other end with a harp solo, or whatever.
Jurassic Park fans will enjoy this special surprise. I am not sure why a t-rex is living under their stairs, but I do know one thing for sure; you better have a heart defibrillator close by! “Hey Granny, go up the stairs! Just trust me, it’ll be funny!”
Of course the Munster Mansion wouldn’t be complete without the trap door leading to the basement dwelling Grandpa. The McKee’s did such a good job recreating this house that word spread all the way to Hollywood where Grandpa Munster caught wind of it. He visited a few years back and when he toured the home, he had tears in his eyes. He said the house brought back warm memories for him. I am sure any Munster fan would feel the same way.
Whether you grew up watching The Munsters, or still get them confused with the Adams Family, I still think you should wax your hachie and head on down to Waxahachie, Texas!