Google Sightseeing takes you on tour of the world as seen from satellite, using the free Google Earth program, or Google Maps in your web browser. Each weekday your guides James and Alex present new weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

The editors: James & Alex

The Lake House

Monday, 2nd July 2007 by James

Please note that some or all of the objects mentioned in this post are no longer visible on Google Earth or Google Maps.

Has anyone ever seen the Sandra Bullock / Keanu Reeves chick-flick The Lake House?

I’ve not, but I watched the trailer, and the movie seems to be based around a lake house where both characters live, years apart, yet can communicate via a mailbox TARDIS.

The house was actually a temporary structure built purely for filming. But in the Google Earth aerial photo it can still be seen on the banks of Maple Lake. Look closely and you’ll also see a camera boom, trailers, a blue pick-up truck (driven by Reeves’ character), and fake snow around the building.

Soon after filming was completed the lake house was destroyed.

Thanks: Charlie Koerner, Dave & knouff

13 Responses to 'The Lake House'

  1. 1. Dan says:

    There sure seem to be a lot of cars along that entry road, huh?

  2. 2. Peter says:

    At first it looks like the spot is way out in a rural area, but then scan out a bit and it turns out to be right outside Chicago.

  3. 3. Ben says:

    What does this place on the next lake down have out front? Armoured vehicles? Is it a museum / church / ??
    Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

  4. 4. Cookie monster says:

    Do you think that access road was built especially aswell - it would seem so? Film makers seem to go to so much effort (and waste) to make very mediocre movies nowadays dont they?
    Couldnt they have found a suitable location already built?

  5. 5. Vincent Clement says:

    Dan: Those would be trailers and support vehicles associated with filming the movie.

    Ben: That is the Little Red Schoolhouse

    Cookie Monster: This is part of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Illinois. The “access road” was not specially built. It’s a road with parking on either side with picnic areas throughout the forested area.

  6. 6. Cookie monster says:

    Thanks Vincent! I thought it was a bit excessive but the road didnt seem to have any function apart from serving the temporary film set. Now i know otherwise.

    Hey Alex and James - didnt we catch a commercial being filmed in Holland a year or so back? I seem to remember helicopters being involved!

  7. Google Sightseeing Admin
    7. James says:

    Yes we did Cookie, the African village in Belgium.

  8. 8. Jel says:

    Which probably explains why the Tardis isn’t where it usually is.

  9. 9. useduser says:

    Ah, they destroyed the lakehouse uh? The next step should be that every copy of the movie should be destroyed as well. What a dud.

  10. 10. Sheldon Kotyk says:

    1. No I haven’t seen the movie.
    2. If I did, I would have burned the part of the brain with that memory in it until I could answer your question in the negative honestly.
    3. I’m with useduser. Burn those movies. Oh and throw Speed 2 in the bonfire as well.

  11. 11. Rico says:

    As a designer, I’m interested as to who designed the Lake House for real, and please don’t tell me it was Louise Wyler, Alex’s pop.

  12. 12. Rico says:

    Did I say Louise Wyler? Sorry, he was named Simon; I stand corrected. I found out too who designed it. Nathan Crowly, the production designer, who also has a degree in architecture (see http://www.celebritywonder.com/movie/2006_The_Lake_House_the_lake_house.html).

    Cheers, all.

  13. 13. Mark says:

    How can you say the movie was horrible.. when you haven’t even watched it?!? It’s just not fair… you got to give it a chance…

    ..I gave it a chance…… BURN THE DVDS, MOVIES, ACTORS/ACTRESSES, LAKE HOUSE, DIRECTOR, AND EVERYONE INVLOVED!

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