It had been years since I saw the 1992 movie A League of Their Own, about the first professional women’s baseball league in the U.S.
But when a reader told me that the Victorian mansion that doubled as their boarding house was on the market for $799,000, I sat down and watched it again. I’d forgotten what a good movie it is.
Besides that, it was a great old house in Henderson, Kentucky, that they filmed in. Let’s take a look back at how it looked onscreen.
The House from “A League of Their Own”
It has 3 stories and a full basement that have all been restored and updated.
The Staircase:
The home was built in 1894 and has 9 (!) fireplaces.
For the movie, the house was decorated to look like a 1940s boarding house:
Penny Marshall directed A League of Their Own.
She had previously directed Tom Hanks in the movie Big, which was the first movie
directed by a woman to gross more than $100 million domestically.
Set decoration was done by George DeTitta Jr.,
who also worked on films like Sabrina and Stepmom.
The house was period-perfect in the movie, setting the mood for the story.
I always tear up at the end of the movie when all the players get together again years later as old women for their induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
In real life they were honored with a permanent exhibit in the museum.
Check the listing for more photos and information about the property in Henderson, Kentucky.
(Update: it sold in 2017 for $525,000).
Visit my Houses Onscreen page to see the other movies I’ve featured, listed A-Z.
It’s amazing seeing Madonna like that! 🙂
The house has is beautiful, sure needs some work, but its architecture is outstanding!
Thank you for sharing this, Julia!
Wishing you a great week!
xo
Luciane at HomeBunch.com
I loved this movie so much and the end always makes me tear up a little bit.
What a beautiful house. The decor isn’t anything I’d pick out for myself but there’s so much character.
Also, how cool would it be to have a ballroom with a bar? I’d have to go and find lots of new friends to fill up all the parties I would have there!
We just bought this move not too long ago. Good story, but the house in the movie is fantastic, although I think I would get lost in 17,000 square feet!
BTW, The 3rd to last picture, the one with the girls in the movie sitting on the railing is actually the front of the house. The railing design and the window/wall location match the upstairs porch of the movie house (first picture). The owners must have changed the railing design to what is now seen in the listing photo as they no longer look the same.
You’re right! Thanks for pointing that out, Arie. I made a note about it in the post. -Julia
I could watch this movie a thousand times! The first 3 times because I love the movie and the rest so I could lookiloo at the sets!
Kerry at housetalkn.blogspot.com
That house is absolutely gigantic!
As someone who grew up in the town where this house is located (Henderson,KY), I am tickled to see it featured here! I was only 3 or 4 when the filming took place, but I always recall stories of how, um, “unhappy” Madonna was to be here– apparently, Tom Hanks was incredibly nice, though (as if that’s any big surprise)! Even though I live in Chicago now, it’s so good to see a bit of nostalgia from my childhood. 🙂
“There’s no crying in baseball!” Love that movie…they did a great job with recreating that 1940s look, didn’t they? You’d think the Realtor could have taken some better shots though, huh??
Those ceilings, that porch, the balcony! What a gorgeous Victorian home. I love all the intricate details, and that bar/saloon area is so fun! I haven’t seen the movie in forever, but I will always remember the line, “There’s no crying in baseball!”
I love this movie! Love, love, love it! If I had a spare $800K lying around, and wanted to live in KY, I’d totally buy that house!
How fun that you featured this movie. I saw it years ago, but couldn’t remember what it was called. I too loved the part when all the players got together again years later as old women. It made me smile.
That victorian home is to die for and I’m a huge fan of victorians. I love how most of the era is intact, but sad to see that they updated the kitchen. They couldn’t try and salvage the old cabinets or find some vintage ones that match the style? Maybe someone will buy the house and fix the kitchen.
“The place is huge, with nearly 17,000 square feet. ”
The MLS listing says 8400 square feet. What’s up with that?
Interesting! They changed it since I posted the info this morning. The other listing (Trulia) still has it as 17,000. I think 8,400 sounds much more likely, so the first number must have been wrong.
Thanks for pointing that out, Margot! I’ll update the post. -Julia
Zillow says the house is 8,400 sq ft and it would be most accurate I think.
I love, love, love this movie! So glad you featured the house! It got me to wondering if you have featured The Forrest Gump House or any of the houses from Fried Green Tomatoes? For some reason I find those 3 movies all a bit similar and I LOVE them! I will have to check your TV/ Movie houses tab now!
I live in Henderson, KY and it is so neat to see you feature this home! It is just gorgeous and it a quant, small town that I am happy to raise my family in 🙂
You have to check out the home video tour. It has a picture of a chandelier that has 2 40 or 60 watt light bulbs! It also has a summer kitchen. I would love to see want the buyers do with this historic beauty!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this movie – SO much! Thank you so much for this post!
Love the house and the movie…wish it could have been left in it’s ‘movie state’, that always seems to be better. The railing and the corbels were so pretty in the movie, wonder why they were changed.
xo J~
Great house! Too bad I cannot remember much about the movie, I wasn’t hooked on houses back then. 🙂
Looking at the pictures I’m thinking of gallons of white paint to cover that gloomy, dark wood. The woodwork is beautiful and the staircase is spectacular but in it’s period dark colour and busy wallpaper, it gets lost in the murk. Sufficient lighting would work wonders, too.
I hope someone with the means and taste would bring the house back into it’s full potential, kitchen makeover included.
I love that movie. The fireplace is gorgeous too. I really prefer the balcony in the movie–so much more interesting than the current railing.
I have always loved this movie. Thank you for bringing the house in view.
I sure hope the new owners DON’T paint the woodwork – the next new owners will have to strip it all and all the patina will be gone. Paint the walls, sure, but if you want white and beachy, then don’t buy a Vic or a Craftsman with old growth or quartersawn oak.
(Sorry, a bit of my personal hobbyhorse – staying true to the original architecture and style.)
I love white, I’m not a dark wood fan, but I totally agree. Buying this house and painting all the original wood work white would be sacrilege!! Why buy something to ruin it simply because it isn’t your taste? Buy something that is!!
Such a fantastic place! I remember it well.