Stay the Night at the House from A Christmas Story
By Rich Warren
Stay the Night at the House from A Christmas Story
Photography by Kevin Kopanski, Picture your family staying at the House from A Christmas Story
The Complete Experience!
The Complete Experience!
Where is it possible to wake up and find it’s Christmas morning, no matter what day of the year it is? And where can you score the perfect trifecta of having yourself photographed wearing a pink bunny suit standing beside a leg lamp and holding a Red Ryder BB gun?
The answer is simple. Make your way to the House from A Christmas Story in the Tremont neighborhood near downtown Cleveland. It’s the authentic structure seen in the cult classic film beloved by millions. Since its release in 1983, the film’s been a holiday viewing tradition for many families.
Now a major tourist attraction, the house draws tens of thousands of visitors per year who either take the hourly tours through the interior or who rent on-site suites for overnight stays in either the main house itself or in the adjacent Bumpus House, home in the film to the hillbilly Bumpus family and their horde of hound dogs, each and every one intent on stealing your Christmas turkey.
“It’s so much fun to watch people’s faces light up when they visit this house,” says Assistant Manager Josh Krystosik. “Of course, little kids love it, but even their parents, who’ve probably been watching the film since they were kids themselves, get a special gleam in their eyes like they can’t quite believe they’re in the place where the movie magic happened.”
And indeed, the sense of excitement among the visitors waiting outside to start the tours is almost palpable. Even though the home’s interior was too small to accommodate camera crews for all of the indoor shots in the film, the home at 3159 W. 11th Street still manages to duplicate every important element of the beloved movie, making it look as though the Parker family residing there — the unforgettable Ralphie, his kid brother Randy, the irascible Old Man, and the ever-patient mother — have just stepped outside for a few minutes.
See Raphie’s Red Ryder BB gun
The quotable “you’ll shoot your eye out” scene was filmed in the backyard. A few interior scenes were filmed here as well — not just the exteriors. The scenes with the Bumpus hounds stealing the turkey, Black Bart and his marauders, and the closing scene with the parents looking out the window are just a few examples.
Step inside the front door and the first item you’ll encounter is the wooden box marked “Fragile” (or Fra-Jee-Lay, whichever you prefer) that held the leg lamp. The lamp itself stands in the front window of the adjacent living room, along with a Christmas tree with a star on top that’s askew, just like in the film. Beneath the tree, the presents include Randy’s fire truck, a bowling ball and Simoniz wax for the Old Man, and — of course — a Red Ryder BB gun just like the one that Ralphie longed for during the entire length of the movie. The 1940s era furniture includes vintage couches and chairs bedecked with doilies and an antique radio console. In the kitchen, a turkey in a roasting pan awaits its placement inside an old-time oven, and colorful Fiestaware adorns the table.
Upstairs, comic books and movie photos cover the walls of Ralphie and Randy’s room, where the boys’ twin beds are covered with chenille bedspreads. In the bathroom, Little Orphan Annie’s decoder ring awaits as well as a bar of Lifebuoy Soap. And be sure to pick up the telephone in the hallway. You’ll hear the conversation where Ralphie’s mom tells a neighbor lady that her son taught Ralphie to say a word that sounds like “Fudge.” And then you’ll hear the neighbor’s shrieks.
Visitors enjoy their ability to walk through the house and to touch and interact with everything in it. That means that people can hide beneath the kitchen sink, just like Randy did. I even heard one gentleman making piggy noises. I observed a woman on a tour appearing to stick her tongue to a flagpole, just like Ralphie’s poor friend, Flick. On another occasion, an actress who played Ralphie Parker’s mom had herself photographed doing the same thing.
Best of all are the insights offered by the informative tour guides. Stephen Misencik, our boisterous guide, told us how the beloved film was adapted from short stories collected in the book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by humorist Jean Shepherd, who served as narrator in the film. Stephen not only gave background on the film’s production and the stars’ bios, but he also offered amazing tidbits — like the fact that Jack Nicholson was briefly considered for the part of the Old Man. He also told us that the “snow” in the movie was artificial, created by blowers borrowed from a nearby ski resort, by firefighters’ foam, and even by instant mashed potato flakes blown by a fan. Perhaps his most memorable story was how Randy’s infectious laughter was created during the piggy scene. His real-life mother was hiding behind him and tickling him.
The tour concludes in a museum across the street where genuine artifacts from the film can be seen, like the toys in the Higbee’s department store windows, the chalkboard from Miss Shields’ classroom (with Ralphie’s imagined grade of A+++++ scrawled across it), and of course one of the six Red Ryder BB guns custom-made for the film. Original costumes include Ralphie’s pajamas, Scut Farkus’ iconic fox skin hat, and even Randy’s enormous winter coat, complete with outstretched arms.
At the huge gift shop beside the museum, you’ll find all manner of movie memorabilia — including THE Major Award itself! Available in four sizes (plus an LED nightlight version), the iconic leg lamp also comes in a wooden crate option, so you can relive the moment the Old Man received his prized possession. Take home a pair of pink bunny pajamas, or even rent a suit for photos during your tour inside the house. We also carry replica hats from the movie, decoder pins inspired by Little Orphan Annie, house ware, T-shirts, pajamas, ornaments, those unforgettable elf hats inspired by the department store scene, and so much more. And when you check out, don’t be surprised if our staff reminds you: “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.”
Stay Overnight and Explore on Your Own
Stay Overnight and Explore on Your Own
But for true devotees of Ralphie’s Yuletide adventures, an overnight stay at the House from A Christmas Story is a dream come true. In the house itself, there’s not only a suite with a bedroom, living room, and kitchen, but guests get full run of the house after closing time, meaning two lucky visitors get to sleep in Ralphie and Randy’s beds. Four others can sleep in the guest suite itself.
Next door at the Bumpus House, two separate suites are available. The Hound Dog Haven sleeps four and has a kitchenette and living room as well as access to an outdoor deck. Upstairs, the two-bedroom Stolen Turkey Suite sleeps six with a spiral staircase leading to an attic with more sleeping space. General Manager Ary Dickerson describes the decor in both suites as “hillbilly chic,” continuing the vintage 1940s ambiance found in both properties.
The three rental suites are popular for birthdays, anniversaries, and even family reunions — some large extended families have been known to rent all three spaces. Others make a stay in the house an annual tradition. Popular pastimes during the nightly stays include game playing and, of course, taking photos reminiscent of scenes in the movie — one man even donned a pink bunny suit and stood in the front window waving to startled passersby. There’s also the option of cooking your own meals, even a roasted turkey, or bringing in food from the Rowley Inn across the street offering Cleveland-style fare like kielbasa and pierogis. The inn was the site of post-filming “meetings.” Some folks even order Chinese food for delivery, although most visitors probably stop short of ordering the long-necked “smiling” duck whose head is whacked off in the film’s final scene.
Have the house to yourself when you stay the night.
See the house from all sides.
Take home fun souvenirs from the movie.
Get takeout when you stay the night.
Kids can play games and try on Scut Farkus' hat.
Read the book of comments from previous guests in each suite:
Read the book of comments from previous guests in each suite:
“We had a wonderful time and didn’t shoot our eyes out.”
“This house has a special place in American history. Staying here is The Major Award.”
“A few robbers broke in, but I fought them off with an air rifle. Somehow, I got four of them with three shots.”
“This was the experience of a lifetime, and being able to wear the bunny suit was the cherry on top.”
Some guests drew illustrations, and more than one entry claimed that a stay in the house fulfilled a bucket list wish. One guest succinctly noted: “Bucket List. √ “
But perhaps no one had more fun than the guest who said: “I triple dog dare you to find another family who has had more fun than we did.”
Uh oh! A Triple Dog Dare! As Ralphie himself will remind you, you cannot ignore a Triple Dog Dare. Pick up the phone and make your reservation today!
Visit the House from A Christmas Story
Visit the House from A Christmas Story
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The Latest News and Events
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