Pee-Wee’s Playhouse: See Inside Paul Reubens’s Childhood Home in Oneonta

*PLEASE NOTE: The house mentioned in this article is presently not on the market. The images below were captured from a public real estate website during a period when it was available for sale.

People of a certain age group lost a significant figure from their childhoods as Paul Reubens, AKA Pee-Wee Herman passed away on July 30th, 2023 after a private battle with cancer.

Reubens first debuted the Pee-Wee Herman character in the late '70s during a stage show. With his trademark laugh, red bowtie and childlike mannerisms, the character caught on in a big way, and it wasn't long before Hollywood came calling. The Pee-Wee Herman character became a pop culture phenomenon, spawning a TV series, toy line and several feature-length films.

But before Reubens was appearing on TV screens every Saturday morning, he spent his formative childhood years in Oneonta, New York.

Born August 27, 1952, in Peekskill, New York, Reubens spent much of his childhood in this modest 1,586 square foot home, located on Richmond Ave, at the west end of Oneonta.

It has four bedrooms and two baths, and is located near Greater Plains Elementary School.

At some point during childhood, the Reubens family moved to Florida. Paul graduated from Sarasota High School in 1970.

Following high school, he enrolled at Boston University before being accepted into the California Institute of the Arts. Reubens then relocated to California, becoming a member of the famous Groundlings comedy troupe-- the birth of the Pee-Wee character occurred during one of his improv scenes.

Paul Reubens' career has been marked by a rare ability to create a character that goes beyond even himself. It's cool to know the man behind the character is connected to our region.