A Christmas Story: Touring the Cleveland House
Ralphie’s bunny suit…the leg lamp….the red ryder bb gun…Who hasn’t seen the timeless Christmas classic which now runs 24 hours on TBS starting every Christmas Eve evening? I watch “A Christmas Story” at least once every holiday season! Who can forget all the memorable lines and narration!
“A Christmas Story” house tours in Cleveland
When we found out that the house from the movie was located in Cleveland (a stop on our road trip), we just had to make time for the tour! The tour guide will give you a brief synopsis of the filming process, and then you will be able to roam around each room of the house. The tour guide will take any pictures of your party & even suggest a few next to famous props. Make sure to take your picture with the famous BB gun! Also be sure to drive by the house at night to see the lamp lit in the window (they leave it on all night).
The house looks exactly as it appeared in the movie, which is pretty neat for fans. Check out my photo gallery below, profiling each room of the Parker House.
The living room with the famous leg lamp in the window
The “Fra-gee-lee” box with the leg lamp inside
Family photos in the living room
The kitchen with the turkey in the oven!
The sink that Randy hid under
The Little Orphan Annie secret decoder pin
Ralphie’s bar of soap
Ralphie & Randy’s room
Ralphie’s shed in the backyard
A glimpse of the driveway and back of the house
Unique film facts
Our friendly tour guide gave us plenty of fun interesting facts about the filming process. Here are a few interesting tidbits:
*The year the movie filmed was one of the few years in which Cleveland did not get any snow. All the snow you see in the movie is fake, compliments of a snow blower.
*Some parts of the film were shot in the house, while the rest were shot in a sound stage. Watch the movie closely: when the curtains are closed, a set is being used, when open, the actual house is being used.
*The man who owned the home did not want it used for filming. However, he quickly changed his mind when offered $20,000.
*Years later, the house was turned into a duplex. It was sold on eBay for $150,000 and remodeled to the original setup used in the movie.
*The director of the film, Bob Clark (who also directed Porky’s) refused to do a sequel to Porky’s until he was given money to do “A Christmas Story.”
*Melinda Dillon (Ralphie’s mom) was offered a role without submitting a resume because the director loved her performance in “Close Encounters.”
“A Christmas Story” Museum
After your tour, make sure to visit “A Christmas Story” museum. Here you will find many of the original clothing and artifacts from the movie. Check out a few of the photos I took below of some of the best movie props. Surprisingly, the bunny suit is not on site.
A few of Randy’s actual outfits on display
The original castings for the fake teeth scene in the classroom
Photos of Peter Billingsley on set & a letter sent to a fan
Various movie stills and memorabilia
French movie poster “It is better to give than receive”
A beautiful Thomas Kinkade painting
The front desk features a beautiful display of light up houses, set up like the town in the movie (you can buy several of the light up houses in the gift shop)
“A Christmas Story” Gift Shop
The gift shop features plenty of novelty movie themed items such as mugs, glasses, T-shirts, cookie cutters, board games, magnets, and more! You will also find a few Elf and Christmas Vacation souvenirs. A great shopping stop for fans of any of these movies! We picked up a few fun souvenirs as holiday gifts.
30th Anniversary
2013 marked the 30th Anniversary of the film. This holiday season was the perfect time to venture out to Cleveland for a festive house tour and see actual movie props. A look below at the special tickets for the anniversary.
Additional Details/Special Events
Overnight stays. You can stay in either A Christmas Story House or the neighboring Bumpus house. Rates are quite high at $395 per night. However, if you are a big fan, this may be a great opportunity to relive your favorite holiday movie! For more details on overnight stays, visit the website.
A Christmas Story 5k: One of the most unique things you can do is sign up for the annual 5 or 10k. The sprightly race starts in front of the old Higbees department store. Feel free to dress up in the Bunny suit or leg lamp costume – you will see lots of crazy fans out there. Bonus – the race includes free admission to the house! Update: The run is cancelled as of 2022. Check the Facebook page for updated details.
“A Christmas Story” House Address: 3159 W. 11th Street Cleveland, OH 44109. Free side street parking available.
Admission Prices: $18 Adults, $16 Seniors, Aged 3-12 $13, 3 and under are Free
Tour Dates & Hours: Monday-Saturday tours run every half hour from 10:15am-4:30pm. On Sundays, tours start at 12:15pm.
More info on the house, tours, and overnight stays
Dining at The Rowley Inn
Located directly across the street is the popular dive bar, The Rowley Inn. By showing your ticket stub, you will receive a 10% discount. In addition to a leg lamp outside the window, the inn showcases many behind the scenes filming photos on their wall. On an interesting side note, the makeup and wardrobe dept. used the upstairs of the building. Darren McGavin (“The Old Man”) was a regular each day after filming.
The menu is quite varied with a bit of something for everyone. Bonus – GF and vegan options. As Cleveland is known for pierogies, I tested the Pierogi Omelet. It was different, yet delicious. This interesting dish includes a pierogi pancake loaded with eggs, kielbasa, home fries, cheddar, and served with a side of sauerkraut. For anyone who follows Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives, Guy Fieri visited the bar in winter of 2022.
Also be sure to check out my guide to the top ten things to do in Cleveland!