Every Christmas season, over 40 million people watch A Christmas Story. Did you know that in Cleveland, Ohio you can go inside the house where the movie was filmed?
Check out my video to go inside the house where the movie was filmed as well as a museum and gift shop dedicated to A Christmas Story.
Welcome to Cleveland
The 1983 film is based on short stories by writer Jean Shepherd about growing up in the 1930s and ’40s. He lived in Hammond, Indiana on Cleveland Street!
When director Bob Clark set out to make the movie, he scouted twenty cities, but only one department store, Higbee’s, would allow him to film inside. So Cleveland became home to much of the filming.
Clark needed a home to stand in for the Indiana steel town. When he spotted this Victorian home in the historic Tremont neighborhood overlooking the steel mills, he made an offer to the owner to film there before even stepping inside.
A Major Award
The house was built in 1895, but in 2004 a fan of the film purchased it and renovated it to match scenes from the movie. He paid for the down payment by selling replicas of the leg lamp from the film.
He opened A Christmas Story House & Museum in 2006 and now 200,00 visitors a year come from around the world to admire the glowing leg lamp, hide under the kitchen sink, and pose with the Red Ryder BB gun.
The complex also includes a museum with props from the film, including Randy’s snow suit. The gift shop delivers Christmas cheer all year round with hats, costumes, and leg lamps of every size.
Spending the Night at A Christmas Story House
The festive fun doesn’t stop at touring A Christmas Story House and museum. You can also opt to spend the night! There are three accommodations available to sleep in between A Christmas Story House and the Bumpus House next door.
A Christmas Story House offers a private third-floor loft to rent and use of the whole house after tour hours. The loft can accommodate up to six guests. Rates start at $545 per night and vary by season, climbing to $2,995 per night on Christmas Eve.
Right next door, you can rent two accommodations or the entire home at the Bumpus House, home to the Parker family’s rowdy neighbors. The “Hound Dog Haven” suite accommodates up to four guests and is handicap accessible. The “Stolen Turkey” suite, accommodates up to 6 guests. Rates start at $195 and range up to $445 per night in December. No hound dogs are allowed.
Visiting A Christmas Story House
A Christmas Story house is open all year, but it’s most especially festive to visit during the holidays. For the ultimate Cleveland Christmas itinerary, pair a visit to the house with grabbing a Great Lakes Christmas Ale, just a seven-minute drive away in Ohio City or ride the tallest, fastest toboggan chute in Ohio.
A Christmas Story House is located in the Tremont neighborhood and is easily visited by car. From downtown Cleveland, take 90 West and get off at the W. 14th Street exit. Continue on W. 14th Street and turn left on Clark Street and right on W. 11th Street.
There are two free parking lots at A Christmas Story House. One lot is located to the left of the house and the other lot is located across the street on the right side of the gift shop. There is also plenty of free street parking in the neighborhood.
A Christmas Story House
3159 W. 11th St.
Cleveland, OH 44109
Sources
- “A Christmas Story House.”
- “Movie Facts & Trivia.” A Christmas Story House, 2021.
Like it? Pin it.
Jessica Mlinaric founded Urban Explorer in 2010 to inspire curious travelers by highlighting history, culture, and hidden gems in Chicago and beyond. She is the author of ‘Secret Chicago’ and ‘Chicago Scavenger.’ Jessica has visited 20+ countries and 30+ U.S. states. She has more than 16 years of experience as a marketing strategist and works as a freelance writer and photographer.
