The Holiday Inn: A Christmas Story House and Museum Celebrates the Season All Year Around

Nearly everyone has watched A Christmas Story on a lazy December 25, surrounded by family, food, and a big Douglas fir. It’s a Christmas classic, and it’s also a Cleveland classic. The house where much of the 1983 movie was filmed is right on West 11th Street.

“The house is a family fun place and the ultimate destination for any movie fan,” says Steve Siedlecki, executive director. “We offer guided tours that educate fans on why the film producers chose Cleveland and this particular house and once inside, fans get a chance to act out their favorite scenes by crawling under the kitchen sink like Randy, decoding their own secret message or getting a quick feel of the leg lamp in the front window.”

A Christmas Story house, museum and gift shop are open Thursday through Sunday year round, but its popularity really soars during the holidays, starting November 26-27 when A Christmas Story Convention beckons diehard film fans to town. Around 4,000 conventioneers will celebrate the movie with two days of big group screenings and documentaries, house tours, gift shop sprees, fire truck rides and a cocktail reception with many of the actors–Randy, Flick, Scut Farkus, Gover Dill, Miss Shields and the two Higbee Elves. They also get to meet the house historians, who are pure Christmas enthusiasts.

“Our staff is made up of fans of the movie, who are energetic, knowledgeable, and are here to make your A Christmas Story dreams come true,” says Siedlecki. “There is not a day that goes by that people don’t mention that the movie was like a mirror image of their own childhood. They relate to the time period, getting their tongue stuck to a flag pole or being bundled up in a snowsuit. We feel it is important because we ourselves are able to relate to the movie just like all the other fans.”

For more information on A Christmas Story House, museum tours, and the big convention, visit www.achristmasstoryhouse.com or call 216.298.4919. Take a photo tour here. — Submitted by Keith Gribbins, guest blogger