The Munsters proved that not everything is as it seems. This beloved sitcom took classic monsters and turned them into a quirky, lovable suburban family, showing kids that the things that go bump in the night weren’t so scary after all. But behind the scenes, the show had plenty of surprises, from unexpected rivalries to eerie cameos and even a bit of coffin theft. Whether you grew up watching The Munsters or are just discovering them now, these behind-the-scenes facts will take you deeper into the spooky fun of 1313 Mockingbird Lane.
1. The Pilot Episode Was Filmed in Color
When The Munsters debuted in 1964, viewers saw it in classic black and white. But what many fans don’t know is that the show’s pilot was actually filmed in color.
So why did they switch to black and white? The most common reason was cost—filming in color required more expensive equipment, and since many households still had black-and-white TVs, it wasn’t worth the investment. Some reports also suggest that black and white helped keep the show from being too scary, preserving the look of classic horror films. Either way, had the show remained in color, it would have had a very different visual tone.
2. The Writers Came Straight from Leave It to Beaver
The masterminds behind The Munsters were none other than Leave It to Beaver writers Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher. After their success writing about an average American family, they figured—why not apply the same formula to a monster family?
Their challenge was making these iconic horror figures relatable and funny without scaring off younger viewers. Thanks to their careful writing, Frankenstein’s monstrous Munsters turned into one of TV’s most beloved families. Their approach gave The Munsters a major advantage over The Addams Family—while the Addamses had to create their characters from scratch, Universal Studios owned the rights to classic monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein, giving The Munsters instant name recognition and a devoted fanbase.
3. Lily Munster Almost Looked Like Morticia Addams
When The Munsters was first being developed, Lily Munster wasn’t Lily at all—she was originally called Phoebe and was played by Joan Marshall. But producers quickly realized her look was too similar to Morticia Addams, which would have made the inevitable rivalry between The Munsters and The Addams Family even more intense.
To avoid confusion, they recast the role with Hollywood star Yvonne De Carlo, who brought her own unique flair to the character. At first, her co-stars Fred Gwynne (Herman) and Al Lewis (Grandpa) weren’t thrilled about working with a film actress, fearing she wouldn’t fit in. But they later admitted they were wrong—De Carlo ended up being the perfect Lily Munster.
4. The Munsters Had a Secret Theme Song with Lyrics
Everyone remembers The Addams Family theme song, with its catchy snaps and lyrics that perfectly introduced the characters. The Munsters, however, didn’t seem to have a theme song with words—but actually, it did!
Composed by jazz guitarist Jack Marshall with lyrics by Bob Mosher, the theme included lines like “If you should meet this strange family / Just forget what some people have said”. The lyrics never made it to air, but they were released on the 1964 album At Home with the Munsters. Even if you haven’t seen the show, you’ve probably heard its iconic surf-rock guitar riff—it was sampled in Fall Out Boy’s song Uma Thurman.
5. Grandpa’s Lab Used Props from Classic Horror Films
Grandpa Munster’s creepy laboratory wasn’t just a generic mad scientist setup—it actually contained original props from the 1931 Frankenstein movie!
Special effects technician Kenneth Strickfadden, who had designed the original Frankenstein lab, reused some of his old equipment for The Munsters, giving the show an authentic horror-movie feel. And that wasn’t the only famous prop—Herman Munster’s Munster Koach was designed by legendary car customizer George Barris, who also built the 1966 Batmobile.
6. Grandpa’s Coffin Car Was Stolen—Sort Of
The Munster Koach was so iconic that producers wanted a special car just for Grandpa, leading to the creation of Drag-u-la, a hot rod made from a real coffin.
There was just one problem—funeral homes weren’t allowed to sell empty coffins unless someone had died. To get around this, George Barris’ team left cash in a funeral home while “borrowing” a slightly damaged coffin. The result was one of the coolest cars on TV, complete with a bubble canopy and organ pipes for exhaust.
7. Herman Munster Wasn’t Green—At First
Herman Munster is now famous for his green skin, but in the original black-and-white episodes, viewers had no idea what color he actually was. In reality, his makeup was a soft shade of violet, which picked up light better on black-and-white film.
When The Munsters made the jump to color in later films and reboots, Herman was officially given his now-iconic green hue. But if the original show had been in color, audiences would have been surprised by his purple complexion!
8. Fred Gwynne Hated Wearing the Herman Munster Costume
Playing Herman Munster wasn’t just about acting—it was an endurance test. Fred Gwynne’s costume was heavy, his platform boots were exhausting to walk in, and his full makeup application took hours.
During the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Gwynne was reportedly so miserable in his Herman costume that he secretly took whiskey shots just to get through the event. He also drank gallons of lemonade between takes to stay hydrated, but despite all his efforts, he still lost about 10 pounds from all the sweating.
9. Two Actresses Played Marilyn Munster
Marilyn Munster, the “normal” member of the family, was originally played by Beverley Owen. However, Owen left after 13 episodes due to personal reasons, and Pat Priest took over the role.
Producers didn’t want the transition to be jarring, so they cast Priest because she closely resembled Owen. They even used a wig to match Owen’s hairstyle. The swap was so seamless that many viewers never even noticed!
10. Al Lewis Was Younger Than His On-Screen Daughter
Grandpa Munster was supposed to be centuries old, yet the actor who played him, Al Lewis, was actually a year younger than Yvonne De Carlo, who played his daughter Lily.
Through a combination of makeup, costuming, and sheer acting talent, Lewis pulled off the illusion of being a much older character, but this fun fact just proves that Hollywood magic can make anything believable.
11. Herman and Lily Shared a Bed—Which Was Controversial
TV shows in the ’60s had strict rules about married couples sharing beds on screen—most shows, including I Love Lucy, famously showed couples sleeping in separate twin beds.
The Munsters broke that rule by showing Herman and Lily Munster lying in bed together, which sparked minor controversy at the time. Ironically, because they were monsters, the network was more lenient about letting them share a bed than they would have been with a human couple.
12. A Real-Life Munsters House Exists in Texas
If you’ve ever wanted to visit 1313 Mockingbird Lane, you actually can! In Waxahachie, Texas, Charles and Sandra McKee built a full-scale replica of The Munsters house, complete with crooked weathervanes, secret passages, and moving staircases.
The house is open for tours every Halloween, with proceeds going to charity. Meanwhile, the original Munsters house used for filming was located on the Universal Studios lot, just down the street from the Cleaver house from Leave It to Beaver!
The Munsters was full of surprises, both on and off the screen. What’s your favorite Munsters memory? Let’s hear it in the comments—just don’t be afraid if you see something spooky lurking in the shadows!
