Where is the 2006 Cult Classic “Monster House” Really Set? (Spoiler: It’s a Wisconsin Story)
Previewing Milwaukee Film's Screening of My Favorite Halloween Flick Ever
Every generation has its defining holiday films, and if you’re an early-2000s kid like me, you won’t be surprised to hear that I consider Monster House one of the greatest Halloween movies ever. It’s definitely my all-time favorite.
But, if you’re clueless about the 2006 masterpiece, I’ll fill you in quickly(ish). Monster House follows three preteens named DJ, Chowder and Jenny who discover that the creepy old house across the street is alive. The cult classic is packed with voice talent that keeps the humor sharp and the characters lively: Steve Buscemi, Jason Lee, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kevin James, Catherine O’Hara, and Fred Willard, to name a few.
The movie pulls off something rare for a family-friendly feature: it layers in sly nods to classic horror films and icons. From Stephen King’s The Monkey to subtle winks at Nosferatu and Poltergeist, it rewards horror fans while still being super fun for kids. The jokes are genuinely hilarious and perfectly in tune with the early-2000s vibe, though the story was set in 1983.
Speaking of setting, did you know the town of Mayville in Monster House is based on the real-life Mayville, Wisconsin? It’s just an hour’s drive from Milwaukee, where co-writers, Rob Schrab and Dan Harmon, first began shaping the story. Although Wisconsin isn’t named on-screen, both writers have talked about the inspiration, and all signs point back to Schrab’s childhood Mayville neighborhood.
After some digging, I came across a local rumor that one of the houses said to inspire the film was demolished around 2018 and replaced with a funeral home parking lot (how fitting). Some Mayville residents insist that old house was haunted, though I couldn’t verify those claims. Looking at a map of the site, I noticed the house once stood just two blocks from an Oak Street, which happens to be the name of the street where DJ and Mr. Nebbercracker live in the movie.
Aside from a few scattered Reddit comments, I couldn’t find much ghost lore tied to that house, so local audio engineer Ele Gallegos and I traveled to the town of Mayville to see what we could learn from the residents. Were there any truths behind any of these claims?
Our first stop was the Mayville Historical Society, where we met local historian David Mueller. He confirmed the Walnut Street house had existed and…