Potter Schoolhouse
Potter Schoolhouse
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A landmark from an Alfred Hitchcock film.
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4.0
175 reviews
Excellent
57
Very good
65
Average
47
Poor
5
Terrible
1
K & S
Chicago, IL9 contributions
Nov 2020 • Couples
If you’re a Hitchcock fan, you’ll love visiting this place. We went to San Francisco in the early 90’s and took a rented car straight north through Marin County and just kept going. We stopped for BBQ oysters just outside of Bodega and then found the schoolhouse. We had no navigation or GPS, just a big map from the gas station.
Written 7 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fairyknob
Oakland, CA318 contributions
Apr 2014 • Couples
As a fan of the movie "The Birds", I was excited to see the museum only to find that as we drove by, it was a private residence. What a bummer! As such, we refrained from taking any photos and went next door instead to the St. Theresa of Avila Church which was also in the movie and very picturesque.
Written 14 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sparrowdreams
San Francisco1 contribution
We took the "tour" of this former school and now a private home awhile ago. The tours are no longer given (as of now when this was written), but you are not missing anything. When I called to inquire about a res. for the tour the owner answered my questions then said curtly, "you know it's in Bodega, NOT Bodega Bay!" As if countless morons had previously- god forbid, not known the difference. Didn't give it a lot of thought at the time but looking back, this was just a preview of her sour attitude that arose on a later visit.
The owner, who was also the tour guide, gave a bland presentation and seemed disinterested. The first part was a long-winded breakdown of how Hitchcock chose Bodega and the surrounding area for its moody atmosphere, etc.
Then a "tour" of the upstairs, which was just one room, surrounded by walls concealing other rooms which where off limits to the public. The best part was the view from that room of cows grazing on the hillside. No mention was made of the fact that it is known to be haunted and/or an energy vortex is supposed to be located there, which would have made what she continued to drone on about interesting.
Some time later we stopped in the gift shop and asked if tours were still available (a visiting family member wanted to go) as info. about it was impossible to find online. The owner's response was a huffy "God no! I don't do those damn tours any more! I got so sick of doing that!" Then she went back to ringing up someone's purchase. I felt like saying in response that the tour was super lame anyway! I didn't though, I just walked out, making a point not to buy anything in the cheesy gift shop.
I still would highly recommend stopping by to take photos of the schoolhouse and the Saint Teresa of Avila Church next to it, which was also in "The Birds" film.
The owner, who was also the tour guide, gave a bland presentation and seemed disinterested. The first part was a long-winded breakdown of how Hitchcock chose Bodega and the surrounding area for its moody atmosphere, etc.
Then a "tour" of the upstairs, which was just one room, surrounded by walls concealing other rooms which where off limits to the public. The best part was the view from that room of cows grazing on the hillside. No mention was made of the fact that it is known to be haunted and/or an energy vortex is supposed to be located there, which would have made what she continued to drone on about interesting.
Some time later we stopped in the gift shop and asked if tours were still available (a visiting family member wanted to go) as info. about it was impossible to find online. The owner's response was a huffy "God no! I don't do those damn tours any more! I got so sick of doing that!" Then she went back to ringing up someone's purchase. I felt like saying in response that the tour was super lame anyway! I didn't though, I just walked out, making a point not to buy anything in the cheesy gift shop.
I still would highly recommend stopping by to take photos of the schoolhouse and the Saint Teresa of Avila Church next to it, which was also in "The Birds" film.
Written 21 July 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SalsaJoe
Tucson, AZ147 contributions
Jun 2012 • Couples
If you love the movie "The Birds" don't miss these other bird location. Potter School House is one but you can't go inside. St Teresa of Avila Church sits right next to the school house. It's famous not only for being in movie but also because Ansel Adams took a famous B/W photo of the church back in 1953. Visit the Bodega Country Store it's just down the hill from the church and school. The country store has a Hitchcock/ The Bird museum inside the store, it's free. They make good sandwiches too. Across the street between St Teresa Church and Bodega Country Store is a bar call The Casino. The Bird film crew frequent this bar when they were not working. When the filming ended they left behind some of the original birds used in the movie. Those birds are in the bar up in the ceiling. The Tide Restaurant has nice photos of the movie. The school children running from the birds was filmed on Taylor St in Bodega Bay. Have fun
Written 8 July 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CruiseWhere
Toronto, Canada274 contributions
May 2011
We had been there before but we had missed the hours of which it was open to take a look around (February 2009). We thought we would pop by this time (May 2011), how disappointed we were to find it no longer open to the public!!!! The fence in front which held the sign of its name and history had also been removed as had the sign and it was replaced with "caution" tape attached to a wire fence.....
Sad that we missed the opportunity to visit it years ago!
From what we could see it looks as if they are turning it into a multi room apartment by all the hydro meters outside its front door..... :(
Sad that we missed the opportunity to visit it years ago!
From what we could see it looks as if they are turning it into a multi room apartment by all the hydro meters outside its front door..... :(
Written 10 May 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
glennie1
Michigan4 contributions
My name is Glenn. I loved it! Vistited the Potter House in 2007 and I was thrilled. Didn't get the tour yet the house was open and I went inside to buy gifts. I purchased a birds coffee mug, and three t-shirts. I've loved the moive ever since I was a child and getting a chance to visit there was like a dream come true. We drove in from the highway and went right into the bay area of town. When we got out of the truck, there were sounds of birds or crows over head. We were at a Union 76 gas station right across from the Tides Resturant. Ironically this gas station was bright red and white almost like the one in the movie. The infomation center next to the gas station had great gifts and bird memorabilia.
The lady behind the counter was an interesting woman. She had red hair and somewhat of a british accent. In fact she looked like she could have stepped right out of a Hitchcock movie. She was middle age and had eyes that followed you with a childish smirk. She told us where the Potter House was located (some five miles away from the bay, unlike how the movie portrayed it. Remember in the movie, when the kids were running down the hill from the school house, the bay was sitting at the foot of the hill).
This woman further stayed in character by telling us that the Potter House was Haunted. I had seen the Strange Universe television segment on the Bird's School House and was curious to see if anyone would confirm this rumour.
Once there we walked around and l talked with Mary (the owner) and bought plenty souvenirs and toured the town which looked much like it was stuck in a time warp back in 1963. St. Theresa, the catholic church still sits just south of the school house and both are kept up very well.
My wife and son and I ate at the newly remodeled Tides restaurant as we looked across the bay at where Mitch Brenners house would have been. It seems that Bodega Bay has built its infrastructure around the mystic of the movie The Birds. If you are a Hitchcock fan, or a fan of this great movie, I suggest you visit. We just stayed for a few hours. There is plenty of lodging up that way in Sonoma county. So go to Bodega Bay... "Where the Birds Are." So my coffee mug and t- shirt says!
The lady behind the counter was an interesting woman. She had red hair and somewhat of a british accent. In fact she looked like she could have stepped right out of a Hitchcock movie. She was middle age and had eyes that followed you with a childish smirk. She told us where the Potter House was located (some five miles away from the bay, unlike how the movie portrayed it. Remember in the movie, when the kids were running down the hill from the school house, the bay was sitting at the foot of the hill).
This woman further stayed in character by telling us that the Potter House was Haunted. I had seen the Strange Universe television segment on the Bird's School House and was curious to see if anyone would confirm this rumour.
Once there we walked around and l talked with Mary (the owner) and bought plenty souvenirs and toured the town which looked much like it was stuck in a time warp back in 1963. St. Theresa, the catholic church still sits just south of the school house and both are kept up very well.
My wife and son and I ate at the newly remodeled Tides restaurant as we looked across the bay at where Mitch Brenners house would have been. It seems that Bodega Bay has built its infrastructure around the mystic of the movie The Birds. If you are a Hitchcock fan, or a fan of this great movie, I suggest you visit. We just stayed for a few hours. There is plenty of lodging up that way in Sonoma county. So go to Bodega Bay... "Where the Birds Are." So my coffee mug and t- shirt says!
Written 2 October 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CLIConcierge
Sonoma County2 contributions
Located in the charming town of Bodega, about 5 miles East of Bodega Bay, lies the infamous schoolhouse where Alfred Hitchcock sent a dozen
or so children screaming for their lives as they were attacked by birds back in 1963. Perched on a slight hill on Bodega Lane, this stately manor in bright white with green trim is quite the awesome sight when coming in from the East. Although this is a private residence, the owners occasionally open their doors on good weather weekends to fans of the movie in order to browse a gift shop filled with "The Birds" merchandise and other fun things. If you're lucky, they'll even offer you a tour ($7 per person) that includes the one portion of the schoolhouse left in tact from the movie and the upstairs ballroom area. We took the tour and was pleasantly surprised to learn the long history of the schoolhouse and the fact that it is a real haunted house. (The TV show "Sightings" paid them a visit). I HIGHLY recommend that you contact the owners of the schoolhouse prior to your visit so you won't miss the tour or the gift shop.
or so children screaming for their lives as they were attacked by birds back in 1963. Perched on a slight hill on Bodega Lane, this stately manor in bright white with green trim is quite the awesome sight when coming in from the East. Although this is a private residence, the owners occasionally open their doors on good weather weekends to fans of the movie in order to browse a gift shop filled with "The Birds" merchandise and other fun things. If you're lucky, they'll even offer you a tour ($7 per person) that includes the one portion of the schoolhouse left in tact from the movie and the upstairs ballroom area. We took the tour and was pleasantly surprised to learn the long history of the schoolhouse and the fact that it is a real haunted house. (The TV show "Sightings" paid them a visit). I HIGHLY recommend that you contact the owners of the schoolhouse prior to your visit so you won't miss the tour or the gift shop.
Written 19 November 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DaisyB7
Chicago, IL125 contributions
Jul 2013 • Family
Beautiful building! And it looks like it did in The Birds. I just drove past it for a peek. It not a museum and is private. Keep in mind that Bodega and Bodega Bay are two separate towns. This school is in Bodega, but the street where the kids ran from the school toward the water (in the movie) is in Bodega Bay. The little row of shops just down the hill in Bodega was worth a quick stop, too.
Written 25 July 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rebecca W
Perryville 175 contributions
Sept 2019 • Couples
Someone actually lives here or in the back shed/cabin. Fun to see and take a picture of but feels weird because it’s privately owned . Quite a nostalgic building to see though if you remember seeing the Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Birds”
The church is right here as well from the movie .
The church is right here as well from the movie .
Written 28 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bags R Packed
Litchfield Park, AZ134 contributions
Sept 2019
For those of you who are movie buffs, don’t miss visiting Potter’s School in Bodega, CA. It’s a private residence now, but just standing in front of the front gate will give you flashbacks of Hitchcock’s 1963 horror film, The Birds. Still looks the same as in the film.
Written 12 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
On previous visits we were able to take pictures on property also had a small gift store inside - has ownership changed???
Written 14 July 2016
I don't know if ownership has changed but what I read was it is a private residence so it is not open to the public.
Written 24 July 2016
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