Wisteria Lane, home of the Desperate Housewives

White painted fences, french windows, wooden shingles, pretty pastels; Wisteria Lane is everybody’s dream. I know it’s mine. But where is Wisteria Lane, does it exist?

The answer is yes and no.. Wisteria Lane as such doesn’t exist, but there is in fact a street where one can find the homes of DH’s characters Bree, Lynette, Susan and Gabrielle. The street is called Colonial Street and is located on a back lot of Universal Studios in Los Angeles California. As it is a mock street filled with stock materials and sets, many other films and series have been shot making use of the street or sets found there. The Burbs, Psycho, Providence, The New Lassie and The Munsters to name just a few. Further to this Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland and rap artist Nelly recorded the video to their hit single Dilemma on the lot.

Wisteria Lane

Colonial Street has its origins in 1946 when the first few homes were built at Universal Studios for the movie So Goes My Love. However, when the movie wrapped, the sets were placed in storage. A few years later the houses and other sets were all moved outdoors to a mock street named Colonial Street. Among the other sets was the famous Bates Mansion. When Universal Studios Hollywood opened in 1964, the Bates Mansion was one of the most popular attractions. Most of the sets were moved once more in 1981 to their current location. 

The house where Wisteria Lane resident Betty Applewhite lived with her two sons during the second season was carefully kept out of frame during season one. This was because it was considered to be too recognizable as the mansion in the popular 1960’s sitcom The Munsters. When they did introduce Betty’s family to Wisteria Lane, they had the house remodeled completely.

Left as the Munster's Mansion in the 1960's sitcom. Right as Betty Applewhite's house in Desperate Housewives

In 2005 the street underwent many changes for the second season of Desperate Housewives. The circular end of the street, the so called cul-de-sac where Edie lives was first shown in this season and to make room for Edie’s and other’s homes, a mock church that was featured in Murder She Wrote was removed. Funny enough, an 1988 episode of this popular detective series was called Mourning Among the Wisterias.

A sight seeing trolley shows visitors around Wisteria Lane in Universal Studios. In the background Mike and Bree's house

Wisteria Lane can be seen in areal view with Google Maps. If you look on map view as opposed to satellite, you won’t see the name of the street. It is simply called Universal Studios back lot. 

If you want to see the lot yourself, make sure to visit Universal Studios on your next trip to Los Angeles.

Check out where they are here

The cul-de-sac is clearly visible in the areal view