So, what’s your favorite Christmas movie? There are so many classic movies that air during the holidays, but I will never get over “The Christmas Story” as being my fave. I love the time period. I love the low-budget feel of the production that somehow endears it to me. And the angst of childhood. And I mean, come on…the fa-ra-ra-ra-ra moment!
Before heading to Cleveland a month ago, I planned to visit the house in Tremont outside of downtown Cleveland where the exterior shots and a few interior shots were filmed for this movie. Once I found out it was a 15-minute Uber ride out to the site, I had second thoughts. Thankfully, my husband convinced me that I would be upset if I didn’t take the time to have this experience. So I went.
My Uber driver, a retired steelworker, only had the street address for my destination. When he asked where I was going he was so excited he left his care to take photos after I got out.
My tour began at the gift shop across the street and one door down from the original movie site. Visitors could buy a full-size, pink bunny suit like Ralphie wore in the movie, a large range of apparel with movie quotes (elaborate here), a leg lamp in three different sizes, mockups of the house for your Christmas village collection and other movie franchise merchandise collection
s such as “Nightmare Before Christmas”, “Elf” and “Chevy Chase’ Christmas Vacation”.
Our first stop was the next door garage that held the fire truck used in the movie’s Christmas parade, and The Parker’s 1937 Oldsmobile.
Then we walked to Ralphie’s house. Once inside, we were allowed to wander, touch and check out the interior after our guide told us about the house’s history and other stories. Most of the movie’s filming was done in Ontariovon a soundstage and at a local school for Ralphie’s classroom and schoolyard scenes – Poor Flick. The house at 3159 W 11th Street, was used for exterior scenes mostly, except for a few scenes when Ralphie’s dad brought the leg lamp in the front door. (Fun fact: the crate had to be cut down six inches to fit through the front door. Check out the movie and you will see a crate that reads, “his end up”, then magically reads, “This end up”, once the interior scenes are shot.)
The family who owned the house during the filming and until the late 1900s, sold the house after the original owner’s death. The new owner, a huge fan of “A Christmas Story”, renovated the interior to resemble the movie set as much as possible. Nothing in the house was used in the movie, therefore guests can interact with everything. The front room is set up with period furniture, a Christmas tree, a leg lamp in the window and a Red Ryder BB gun guests can pick up and pose with. I couldn’t help having a fellow tourist take my picture in front of the Christmas tree while I pointed the rifle at the leg lamp :0)
The kitchen was set up like the movie complete with enamelware stove and fridge and period grocery packaging. Upstairs was Ralphie and Randy’s room at the front of the house. And, of course, there’s the famous bathroom where Ralphie had his mouth washed out with Lifebouy soup (You can buy a bar in vintage packaging at the gift shop), and the Little Orphan Annie decoder ring and secret message he decoded: “Be Sure to Drink Your Ovaltine”.
Next, our tour guide took us out the kitchen door to the backyard where Ralphie shot the bad guys and nearly put his eye out. Interestingly enough, the back fence is the only thing that separates the property from a valley full of steel mills. This was the biggest reason the house was chosen as it reminded the writer of his own childhood home. The movie was partly filmed in Cleveland because Higbee’s department store was the only large department store out of seven locations, they could take over in the spring, but keep it as a Christmas-themed store. They also had to build the mountain that Ralphie and his brother, Randy, climb and slide down after sitting on Santa’s lap. (Fun fact: the department store building in downtown Cleveland is now Jack’s Casino.)
After seeing the original shed that Ralphie shot at from this home’s upstairs window and The Bumpeses’ house next door (which was under renovation to be used as a bed and breakfast), we went across the street to the museum. Art
ifacts such as Ralphie’s mother’s mauve fuzzy bathrobe, one of the six Red Ryder special edition BB guns used in filming, tons of behind the scenes photographs of filming moments, a large collection of the actors’ wardrobe, a piece of the schoolroom blackboard, movie posters and more.
Once the tour was complete, we returned to the gift shop to purchase memorabilia. What did I buy? A $2.99 leg lamp cookie cutter. After all, my husband already owns a table top leg lamp and the adult-sized bunny suit was $99.99 — too rich for my budget.
I didn’t need a souvenir anyway. Visiting “The Christmas Story” house was well worth a few hours of my trip and I’m glad I wenthttp://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/. Apparently, Tremont is a great foodie destination. We will visit there next time we are in Cleveland.
http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/
