If you’re looking for evidence that the best scary movies are set in seriously great houses, then watch the 1992 suspense thriller The Hand That Rocks the Cradle again.
The movie was filmed almost entirely on location at this gorgeous old home in Tacoma, Washington.
Keep scrolling to compare how it looked onscreen to how it looks today!
“The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” House in Tacoma
“The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” house was built in 1891.
Trulia estimates that it’s currently worth about $1.2 million.
When Rebecca de Mornay lost the role of Tinkerbell in Hook to Julia Roberts, she took this one instead. Probably a career blessing in disguise. She certainly made an impression in her role as evil disguised as a nanny.
I always think it’s funny that Claire (played by Annabella Sciorra) hires Peyton as their live-in nanny because she’s going to build a greenhouse in the yard for her plants. As if building a greenhouse in your yard is a full-time job. Is she working on it at night, too? 😉
Oh, well. Suspension of disbelief and all that.
This shot from the living room that shows the dramatic staircase and the doorway into the dining room:
The kitchen is warm and homey with the checkerboard floors and glass-front cabinets:
The Dining Room:
The built-ins, woodwork, and windows in this room are all pretty fabulous.
Dad Michael (Matt McCoy) and adorable daughter Emma in the upstairs bathroom:
The master bedroom has an entire wall of windows:
Baby Joey was played by triplets, two of whom were actually girls. His nursery was sparsely furnished
but had a brick fireplace and some yellow accents here and there:
When Claire gets home from the hospital after her asthma attack, she’s surprised to find that Peyton
has redecorated the nursery. Now it’s blue instead of yellow, and there’s a turtle border around the room:
According to Zillow:
“808 N Yakima Ave, Tacoma, WA is a single family home that contains 4,070 sq ft and was built in 1891. It contains 4 bedrooms and 2.25 bathrooms. This home last sold for $785,294 in December 2001.”
The infamous greenhouse:
The homeowners kept the greenhouse that was built for the movie. Here’s what it looks like today:
The front of the house in the movie:
Thanks to Lindsay at I Am Not a Stalker, we can see what the house looks like today.
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle house as it appeared in the movie (below):
The house from the same angle today:
They painted it, but otherwise it looks much as it did in the movie over 20 years ago.
Apparently this is a popular stop on area tours. Everyone wants to see “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” house!
For more information, visit I Am Not a Stalker and check the listing.
Go to my Houses Onscreen page to see the other movies I’ve featured.
Hi Julia! Oh, I love this house and the movie too! We were in Tacoma a few months back and I surely wish I had known this house was here ~ I would have loved to have driven by!
Thank you again for all your work on these posts!
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 🙂
.-= Shelia´s last blog ..Almost =-.
I was pretty young when I saw this movie for the first time, but I fell completely in love with the house. I adore wraparound porches.
I used to watch this movie all the time growing up! No idea why I would like this warped movie so much! Anyway, I will admit I never paid much attention to the house. I am so glad you highlighted it today!
Love this! That movie totally creeped me out – but I remember loving the house!! Those arches are beautiful!
.-= Jess @ Frugal with a Flourish´s last blog ..Centered and loving it! =-.
I loved this movie when it came out! I haven’t seen it in so long. I had forgotten how beautiful the house was.
.-= Carmen @ Life with Sprinkles on Top´s last blog ..Halloween Mantel =-.
A beautiful house… displaying that good taste is timeless! I would love that kitchen even though it’s 19 years old! Lx
.-= Laura´s last blog ..Unfinished jobs and a recipe for Lemon Chocolate Chip Cookies =-.
I just love this house and have watched it over and over. Whatever happened to Rebecca DeMornay? She sure doesn’t do enough. I just love her. She is the daughter of infamous TV host Wally George, who southern Californians knew well.
I just found this on her, plus she lived with Tom Cruise for 2 1/2 years after Risky Business and was married to Ryan O’Neal and Leigh Taylor Young’s son Patrick and has two young daughters by him. Pretty interesting person. Also married to Leonard Cohen or Cohan.
“De Mornay was born in Santa Rosa, California. Her grandmother was child actress Eugenia Clinchard, and her father was the conservative radio and television commentator Wally George (born George Walter Pearch). De Mornay was raised by her English mother, Angela, and her stepfather, Peter James De Mornay,[3][original research?] and her surname was changed from Pearch to De Mornay in her childhood. She has a billionaire[3][original research?] elder brother of one year, businessman Dr. Jonathan De Mornay, and a younger brother, guitarist Peter De Mornay.
She attended the independent Summerhill School in Leiston, Suffolk, England[4] and earned her high school degree summa cum laude from German-speaking St. Johann in Tirol[clarification needed] in the Austrian Alps. She is fluent in German and French.[citation needed]”
Thanks Julia!!!
I’ve been waiting for this post! You made my night!
Heather
.-= Heather Collins´s last blog ..Free to wait a while =-.
I remember this movie! And the house! what a house! It really seemed to be an extra “character” in the movie.
.-= Handy Man, Crafty Woman´s last blog ..Shed Ramp =-.
Great house! I like it better painted white too.
One of the things I remember most from the movie is that greenhouse. What a great greenhouse!
Thanks for the post! =)
.-= Vicki @ In The Sandbox Comic Strip´s last blog ..Fundraising =-.
Hi Julia, I remember when this movie came out…it looked really scary…so I avoided it! LOL I’m a total chicken when it comes to scary movies…like suspence but can’t watch the really scary ones. Neat seeing the inside. I love it when movies use real houses and not just sets.
.-= Susan´s last blog ..Rat Infestation Across Blogland! Welcome to the 91st Metamorphosis Monday! =-.
I loved the house from What Lies Beneath but not sure it wasn’t just a set and CG.
It was a real house–one of my favorites. I wrote all about it here:
https://hookedonhouses.net/2009/10/18/a-house-to-die-for-what-lies-beneath/
-Julia
Great movie! The lady who played the nanny did such a good job.
What a gorgeous house! I would love to live in a place like this. That staircase reminds of me of the white staircase in Pratical Magic.
Oh wow, I just remembered how much I love this movie!!!! And, I had totally forgotten about the turtles! Thanks for posting this!
.-= Tracy´s last blog ..Deck Makeover! =-.
Nice house Julia! This house is one I would love to have. Love the porch and the staircase. Looked much better white.
.-= amy@maisondecor´s last blog ..Frenchy Mrs Hemingway- A chandelier lover too =-.
I had forgotten how fabulous that house is!! I loved the light fixture above the kitchen sink…I want something similar in my kitchen. 🙂
.-= Amanda @ Serenity Now´s last blog ..Thank You- Mr Columbus =-.
I love the house from The Good Son with Macauley Culkin:)
After reading this post- I thought of The Good Son too! Another great house…
.-= Melanie {The Tiny Tudor} ´s last blog ..Haunted Historic Cleveland Tour =-.
I think it’s a sign of good design when a house that was decorated for a 1991 film could be moved into (at least by me) without the need to change much. Love all the dark wood and window treatments against the white walls. And the vintage stove. And the porch…etc. etc. Thanks for showing!
Alison
.-= Alison Agnew´s last blog ..autumn decor =-.
I watched that movie so many times as a kid…. super creepy! And I grew up wanting to live in a house like that. I prefer it white as well.
.-= Sugar Mama´s last blog ..What Narcissists Do For Fun =-.
Julia loved the movie! Thanks for the tour again, annd agree liked the house better in white!
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
.-= Karena´s last blog ..Into the Light & A Surprise Giveaway Coming Up This Week =-.
I have asthma. I remember that movie scaring the crap outta me! Great house.
.-= Becky @ Farmgirl Paints´s last blog ..to be different =-.
lovely old home..and she was some kinda nanny..AND who would put that kind of glass in a greenhouse…sheeeeesh! Just watched this again, like 3 months ago!
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..When one really needs to just FALL ON THE FLOOR =-.
Interesting how well the kitchen stands the test of time (except the dishwasher!) – only the scrunchies & characters’ bangs give the game away.
Madeleine Zima is FAB in Californiation. (Hey – amazing houses in that show, too!)
.-= Lauren´s last blog ..Scared of saws =-.
I love this movie. Thank you so much for posting these pictures.
BTW, Madeline Zima is also (probably) most famous for playing little “Gracie” Grace Sheffield (the youngest daughter) on the television comedy series “The Nanny” starring Fran Drescher.
I own this movie and I like it better white also!
Growing up, I was obsessed with the house in Beetlejuice. Is it even real or was it filmed on a set? I also liked the house in Pacific Heights.
That is one gorgeous house!! I saw that movie when I was a kid, so I don’t really remember much about it. I’ll have to add it to the Netflix queue, just to get a closer look at that house. 🙂
Oh, by the way, we just watched Pet Semetary, and even though you don’t get to see a lot of the house, the farmhouse the main characters live in is beautiful!
Hope you have a great week!
Beth.
.-= beth´s last blog ..Bamboo shades and white curtains =-.
My husband and I saw that movie on a date before we were married, and I’ve always remembered it because of the great house!
I live near that house! And it is in good condition. I love seeing the inside. Great post!
.-= Erica´s last blog ..Grandpa update =-.
I was just thinking this weekend while I was reading your site, “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle had a really gorgeous house. I wonder if she’s ever done a feature on it?” And here you are today with the house featured! Loved that house. Thank you so much for all of the great pictures.
.-= Elizabeth´s last blog ..A Trip to the Big City-Part II =-.
Holy cow Julia…I completely forgot how eerie this movie was and Rebecca de Mornay did a great job of acting out the creepy nanny character. The house is gorgeous though, like it a lot. BTW, I’m having a little gift raffle over at Marie’s Maison…hope you can join.
-marie
.-= Marie´s last blog ..Blog Award and Gift Raffle at Maries Maison =-.
I remember watching this movie when I was younger and was way more in love with the house than the movie. 🙂
My favorite scary movie house has always been the house in House By The Cemetery and in Ghosthouse, which is the same house. The Ellis Estate House in Mass., check it out sometime, it’s very cool.
.-= Kelly´s last blog ..1924 Colonial- Sanford- FL =-.
Can I just say that I love how you give spoilers? That way, I don’t have to watch the movie to know what happens. 🙂 It is a very lovely house, but now blue turtles creep me out! Haha
.-= Amanda´s last blog ..New floors! =-.
That house is less than 3 miles from where I live! I’ll have to bike down there and take a look. There are so many beautiful old houses here in North Tacoma. I was just thinking the other day that you should do a post on “10 Things I Hate About You” which was also filmed primarily in Tacoma.
.-= Valerie´s last blog ..Quilting Class & A New Tool =-.
Well, I never saw the movie because it seemed a little too spooky for me, but I do love the house shots! Thanks for all your hard work and research…great post! 🙂
~Kim
.-= Kim @ Everything Etsy´s last blog ..Etsypreneurcom — An uplifting & helpful community =-.
I watched Rosemary’s Baby (for the first time) this weekend and thought of your site. It’s based in the Dakota building in New York. I loved the redecoration Mia Farrow does – although I could live with a few more colors (everything is white and yellow), it still really holds up as a beautifully done home 40 years later.
.-= Kai´s last blog ..Only 20 More Days Until Halloween! =-.
I can’t wait for you to do a Hooked on Houses Monday on the movie “Life As We Know It”. I loved that house – a lot of us have been talking about it on facebook.
Have a great week!
Bonnie
.-= Bonnie @ The Boatwright Family´s last blog ..Making Peace – Oak and Popcorn =-.
My friend was one of the children playing on the playground in one of the scenes. He says that Rebecca de Mornay was actually super nice in real life and Annabella Sciorra…..not so much. 🙂
.-= Susan´s last blog ..Starting a Collection =-.
Interesting!
It seems like that playground scene is shot at 2 different schools in the neighborhood–Washington at 25th and Proctor and then the little primary school (grades K-3…Mary Lyon?) down the street. I don’t recall Washington having a swingset by a retaining wall, but the shot of the school is definitely Washington.
Oh wait, that would be 26th and Washington streets.
Love this movie for the fantastic set. I have it in DVD and it is stored in a bin that I have labeled” favorite House Movies”. I have watched it over and over. Thanks for showcasing this !! 🙂
Wow so glad you put this house on your website 🙂 I like it white better as well but thanks for the current pic =D !! All these wonderful pics , I still wished I lived in that house like I did so many yrs ago , when I went to the movies to watch it. I love the white inside the house with the accents of green, yellow all my walls are white in my house now because I loved the look in this movie SOOO much !! I just LOVE this site you do an amazing job !!! =)
The timing of this post was … too weird! I have slowly been replacing all of our VHS movies with DVDs and only have a handful left. (I don’t get rid of the VHS tapes until I have it on DVD.) Today, I was going through and deciding which ones were definite keeps and which ones I would send on to Goodwill. No. 1 on the keep list was “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle.” This post confirmed that I must buy this movie on DVD. Great post, Julia. I really enjoyed this one!
Whoa. I can’t believe the daughter is all grown up.
.-= Juju at Tales of Whimsy…´s last blog ..Free Kindle Reads- Christian Fiction Sunday =-.
I was a teenager when this movie came and, boy, it was creepy. Madeline Zima also played Gracie Sheffield on the Nanny, which also featured a nice house. But that was shot in a studio, right?
.-= Daisy´s last blog ..Top 15 Christmas Toys 2010 =-.
Makes me feel old 🙂
Hello Julia!
Wow! I remember this movie… I was so scared!!! But who wasn’t? I watched this movie back in Brazil, being translated in Portuguese… pretty funny. But still, pretty scary! 🙂
Thanks for posting new and old movies… it’s always nice to compare houses in different periods. Have you noticed that the classic ones never look ugly?
That’s why I like to stick with “classic”. 🙂
Have a great one!
Luciane.
http://www.homebunch.com
This was a beautiful house.
The actual Amityville Horror house is truly stunning. A 5 bedroom Dutch Colonial, though the 1970’s decor of the time was pretty… well, 1970’s.
Great post! One of my favorite things about G**gle maps is to check out houses. Looks like the address is correct (808 North Yakima), and if you look at satellite view you can see the greenhouse is still there.
Wow… I love this movie! It was one of my favourite!! I’ve seen it like 15 times for real, but I didn’t remember the house… it’s really beautiful…
I love this house! I gasped when Annabella Sciorra punched Rebecca deMornay not out of fear, but because no one in their right mind would risk damaging that quarter-sawn oak table and hutch in the dining room!!!
The 1996 remake of “Fear” showcases another great scary movie house.
If you need me, I’ll be rewatching “What Lies Beneath” for a glimpse at the dining room 😉
.-= Janet´s last blog ..The following conversation actually took place =-.
Gorgeous, timeless home. Great movie. I rarely make it all the way through scary movies but this one had me hooked – in large part because of the house. To this day the hair on my arms stand on end when I hear wind chimes. About eight years ago I received four sets of wind chimes for my birthday. Not wanting to offend my generous friends I found spots for them outside – but I tied the chimes together so they wouldn’t make noise all because of this movie!
That movie still gives me the creeps, Rebecca De Mornay, like Anthony Hopkins, will forever freak me out because of their iconic roles. Rebecca was in an episode of Law and Order SVU and her ice blue eyes still scare me! But it is a beautiful house nonetheless. I love the high ceilings, archways, and the fabulous wrap around porch. I like it better white too, but I think you’re onto something with the current owners wanting to disguise it a bit. Love Movie Mondays!
.-= Bre´s last blog ..Halloween Fauxtos =-.
One of my favorite movies. I love this house! Have you ever featured the house from Practical Magic? I paused the movie over 20 times just to get a good look at the kitchen! I think we both love houses :). I’m a new follower. Thanks for the great pics.
Nancy
.-= Nancy´s last blog ..Fast & Fancy Cupcakes =-.
Nancy–
You can see my post about the Victorian house in Practical Magic here:
https://hookedonhouses.net/2009/10/25/practical-magic-a-victorian-house-fit-for-a-witch/
It’s one of my favorites! -Julia
I remember the movie! Rebecca deMornay was scary-creepy. I was too busy hiding behind my hands that I hardly noticed the house. But thanks to this post, I get a tour of it! And it’s an awesome house–just beautiful.
.-= Nathalie´s last blog ..Tips and Tricks for a Bathroom Fix Part 2- Architectural Elements =-.
Ha, we locals got a kick out of scoping out the house, too! One time the people who lived there were out back as we drove slowly down the alley. They stared at us right back…probably thinking, “Oh no, not another one.” The North End of Tacoma is filled with homes with intricate woodwork and built ins. I want my mom’s house!
Thank you so much for showing this house. I had requested that you include this house a while back, and I am so happy that you did! I have always loved “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle”, and would frequently pause the movie to study the exterior and interior. I don’t know why I love this house so much, but I do…
Thanks again, it is so much easier to see the rooms the way that you presented them here. Great job! I love your website.
My best friend actually lives in the house. After seeing the movie it always gives me the creeps to go there. And the scariest part is, when we play hide and seek in the basement!
What a wonderful tour! I was living and working in Tacoma when this movie was filmed. My mom lived on Yakima at the time and the chaos surrounding the shoot was always a hoot. I worked at the Sheraton hotel where most of the actors were staying. (Not Annabella Sciorra, who insisted on living in a rented home elsewhere. Another commenter mentioned that she was not so nice — totally correct. Where is she now?) Hmmm…. I saw Rebecca DeMornay often. Served coffee to her in her hotel room. She answered the door once wearing only a t-shirt and undies. Oops! But the real standout in this production was Matthew McCoy. Oh. My. God. He was DREAMY!! He has THE bluest eyes – like transparent lapis. He is truly a kind person, a real gentleman. Just lovely. The house itself was and is very beautiful. The green house was destroyed for the movie, but the production crew rebuilt it for the owners when shooting was over. Wasn’t that nice? :-p I believe there were a few scenes shot at the W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory and Wright Park in Tacoma, too. You can search for images and see the conservatory building, which you might recognize from the movie.
My mom lives on Yakima too–across the street from this house! You are so right about the chaos surrounding the shoot, that entire neighborhood was miserable while the film was being made.
I actually live in this neighborhood. North Tacoma is such a great place to see old houses! Every couple of years they do a tour of houses in Tacoma that are over a hundred years old. There are some really gorgeous houses you get to see from the inside!
I grew up in Tacoma and my ex-husband once worked for a landscaping company that did a job at this house. A older lady owned the home at the time and was very gracious to my former huband and his crew, even preparing lunch for all of them. She shared stories about the filming. Originally most of the interior walls of the home were wood paneled or painted dark, but this made filming difficult. So the production company paid to have the walls painted a lighter color and the lady liked it so much she kept it that way.
Also originally there was no greenhouse on the property, but after the filming the owner liked it so much they left it for her and it was still there when my ex was there (this was back in 1998).
Hi! Not sure if it has been said or not, but Tacoma also is where “10 Things I Hate About You” is filmed… and judging by the styles of the home you showed here, the houses have to be in the same North End area! I used to live there and my husband and I would walk through those streets and pick out our favorites…the “10 Things” topped my list…but I am a sucker for baby yellow painted homes.
You MIGHT want to put in there that Madeline Zima was in ‘the nanny’ for HOW MANY years (6) as Gracie…can’t believe you missed that one…
I can’t believe I did, either. I hang my head in shame. It has been duly noted.
Great house, but too bad they painted everything white, as in the stunning (and huge!) Victorian in “Pacific Heights”, mentioned by Tami, who also wondered about the house in “Beetlejuice”, painted a hideous grey-fleck, pseudo granite by Catherine O’Hara***
**do I need to say SPOILER?***
after poor Gina Davis and Alec Baldwin bite the big one.
I’m NOT an opponent of 80’s-90’s white in decor at ALL (some of my fondest memories are from that era) but when it comes to Victorians, I’m a stickler! No Victorian would EVER have allowed white anywhere on a house like this, except in a bath or kitchen. Period. Esp. not on a Queen Anne. There would also not be any of the “Painted Lady” nonsense, so popular in the late 80’s and 90’s (that was only common in the 1700’s, as in Old Deerfield, MA). The colors, though varied, would be duller, more earth-toned (ochre, dark green, brown, dark red).
Fave scene in “Pacific Heights” regarding decor: Two young guys come to check out the apartments and observe (quite correctly) that all the white “is rather…CHALKY”! LOL. So true! Poor Melanie and Matthew…all that painting!
As for the Beetlejuice house. It exists, in the village of E. Topsham, VT (My sister lives there), but the “transformed” house, with that weird outdoor wall and gray stuff, does not. That was built on site but dismantled. The town is unimaginably quaint, but, if you ever go there…which you should, given its beauty, don’t expect the locals to be too forthcoming about “Flatlanders” poking around their town looking for movie sites!
As for the film (The Hand that Rocks the Cradle), I found it moderately suspenseful, and DeMornay was pretty creepy (check her out as “that actress” in the John Cusack/Ray Liotta creepfest, “Identity”!), but not that much. It was far scarier watching Annabella Sciorra mishandle her asthma inhaler over and over and lay there gasping! I have asthma, and I know that feels. They needed a medical consultant on this one (like they had on ER and The X-Files!).
This is a movie I will never forget. I’m a Nigerian, my dad got this movie during one of his trips 2 America back then when I was little, I really can’t remember how many times I saw this movie because I never got tired of seeing this movie. Even after so many years I can still remember the movie very much. This movie is simply wonderful and amazing, and I totally love it.
This is a movie I will never forget. I’m a Nigerian, my dad got this movie during one of his trips 2 America back then when I was little, I really can’t remember how many times I saw this movie because I never got tired of seeing this movie. Even after so many years I can still remember the movie very much. This movie is simply wonderful and amazing, and I totally love it. Not to forget, I love the house and most especially the glass house.
I love this house and movie! I visited Tacoma and took some pictures of this house in 1994. It was a beautiful neighborhood, and I absolutely fell in love with the place. The house did look better in white. Thanks for posting all of these great pictures!
I love the use of Bauerware in this movie. Their collection is gorgeous — and used on an everyday basis, not just on display for viewing.