All filming of our favorite New Year's comedy took place in the USA, in the cities of Chicago and New York. The director does not use specially built sets, so everything we see in the frame are real buildings in New York, most of which can still be visited. There are many landmarks, such as the Plaza Hotel and the toy store in Manhattan, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Carnegie Hall, and many others. The McCallisters' house itself was filmed just like in the first part – in a private house on the shore of Lake Michigan. Recently, this house was available for purchase by anyone.

Filming Locations:

McCallister House

In the Movie

Scene where at the very beginning of the film we see Kevin's house, where the entire family of his father, Peter McCallister, and Uncle Frank have gathered. Traditionally, both families gather at this house before going on a trip. In the evening, as always, a conflict awaits the family.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in the same house that participated in the filming of the first part of the film and has now become a Mecca for tourists. This is a private house and cannot be visited. But apparently, the attention of fans has so annoyed the owners of the house that its image is not even on Google Maps, and it cannot be viewed in street view mode. The house is located on the third line from Lake Michigan in Chicago.

Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge

In the Movie

Scene where Kevin rides a taxi through New York from the airport to the city center. Along the way, he passes the famous Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, at which point he sticks his head out of the taxi window and takes a photo with his Polaroid.

In Reality

The scene was filmed on the real Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, which connects Long Island and Manhattan. This scene takes only a few seconds in the film's runtime, but it is very important. This is where Kevin's journey through New York begins. Although the bridge has two levels, the scene was filmed on the upper level to emphasize the scale of the city and the view from the bridge.

Street near Cafe "Empire"

In the Movie

Scene where Kevin walks the streets of New York and at the corner near a cafe meets a Santa Claus on stilts, takes a flyer from his hands, waves at him, and continues his walk.

In Reality

The scene was filmed near the famous Cafe "Empire", which is located in Manhattan. This establishment is still operating and anyone can visit it. In summer, the sidewalk near the cafe is occupied by a terrace, and now a huge graffiti adorns the building.

Fulton Fish Market

In the Movie

Scene where the van stops at the market. When the door opens, we see that the escaped "Wet Bandits" are hiding inside. They have a dialogue about what it smells like, leave the van full of fish, and finally find themselves free.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at the Fulton Fish Market – unfortunately, it moved to a new location in 2005, so you cannot visit it, but it used to be on Fulton Street. We mark the former location of the market on the map. It is now marked on Google Maps as a landmark.

The Plaza Hotel

In the Movie

Scene where Kevin first visits the hotel and meets Donald Trump in the lobby, then goes to the reception. Also filmed here were scenes where the hotel manager asks where Kevin's father is, then the next day brings his apologies, and of course the scene where Kevin's parents, Kate and Peter McCallister, arrive at the hotel.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in the real Plaza Hotel, where the lobby, rooms, and exterior of the building served as sets. The hotel is still operating and is located in Manhattan opposite Central Park. The director chose this hotel because it is a symbol of New York and luxurious city vacations. The location also played a role, as from this point it was convenient for Kevin to reach all other locations in the film.

Duncan's Toy Chest

In the Movie

Scene where Kevin orders pizza, gets into a taxi, and goes to one of the largest toy stores – "Duncan's Toy Chest." At the entrance, he is greeted by a Christmas-decorated window display, and inside there is a huge number of toys.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in the real toy store FAO Schwarz, as the store "Duncan's Toy Chest" does not exist; it was invented for the film. The store is still open and free to visit. By the way, an interesting fact: in the film, Kevin went to the toy store in a limousine, but in reality it is very close to the Plaza Hotel, and walking there takes no more than 3-4 minutes.

Carnegie Hall – The Pigeon Lady's Home

In the Movie

Scene where Kevin meets the Pigeon Lady in the park and goes to her home. She lives in the attic of Carnegie Hall, and she explains in detail why she lives there and shares her life story with him.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at the Carnegie Hall concert venue in New York. The filmmakers chose this location because of its location – the building is a few hundred meters from the Plaza Hotel and Central Park, and indeed a huge number of world-class stars have performed here.

Rob McCallister's House

In the Movie

Scene where Kevin goes to his Uncle Rob's house, but discovers that the house is under renovation and everyone has left. Later, he decides to return to the house to set up traps and fight off the bandits.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in a large townhouse that is under renovation during the film. The director chose this house to show that not only Peter's family is quite wealthy, but also his brother's, as a three-story house in the center of New York would be very expensive.

Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center

In the Movie

Scene where Kevin, having escaped from the "Sticky Bandits," decides he needs a miracle and goes to the very center of New York to find the city's main Christmas tree and make a wish there – to see his mother again.

In Reality

The scene was filmed near the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. This is a favorite spot for New Yorkers and the city's main Christmas tree. Access to this space is free, and it is best to go exactly at Christmas. The director chose this location because it is an important point in the celebration of Christmas and is a symbol for both residents and visitors of the city.

Miami International Airport

In the Movie

Scene where The McCallister family lines up at the baggage claim belt at Miami Airport. They receive bags and pass them from hand to hand until Kevin's bag ends up in Fuller's hands (played by Kieran Culkin). He tries to pass it to Kevin, but discovers he is not there.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at Los Angeles Airport, not Miami as per the film's plot. The choice is somewhat strange, since the McCallister house was filmed in Chicago, and all of Kevin's adventures are in New York, so they could have used the nearest airport to another filming location and not brought the entire film crew and actors to a new point. The only explanation is that the departure scene of all the characters was already filmed in Chicago, and the arrival scene in New York. But if you look closely at the footage, it was not necessary to use an airport at all, since apart from the wall behind, not much is visible.