Our pilgrimage to the house from A Christmas Story

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When we decided to visit Cleveland, Ohio, this past summer, we knew there was one place we just had to go – the house from A Christmas Story.

It’s one of our favorite Christmas movies. This classic tale is set in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana, inspired by the real Hammond, Indiana, in the northern portion of our state. Any Hoosier worth their salt should make pilgrimage to this spot. If it isn’t, it should become one of our quirky laws. It’s a matter of civic pride, you know.

So we went on a pilgrimage to this important piece of American cinematic (and Hoosier) history.

The house where they filmed A Christmas Story is dedicated to all things Ralphie & Co. They offer guided tours that include the house and a small museum across the street with all kinds of memorabilia from the film. And there’s a gift shop.

Oh, boy. Is there a gift shop. They have everything from leg lamps to soap to pink bunny pajamas to leg lamp and bunny pajamas shaped cookie cutters. It’s quite the experience.

You can also spend the night in either Ralphie’s house or the Bumpus house. We didn’t do that this time. But we might have to sometime. I’m sure you have to book it waaaay in advance, though.

We toured the house from A Christmas Story

As we gathered in the family’s living room, I must admit I was a little hesitant to take photos. I didn’t want to seem weird. But then it hit me, everyone in our group paid 18 bucks a pop to go on this thing. We’re all a little weird. And I’m not going to see these people again anyway.+ So I went all out when we were given free time to walk through the building.

Because all of us were fans. So why not lean into our fandom?

I don’t think very many people went to the extent that we did with our photos. I don’t remember seeing anyone try to hide under the kitchen sink or eat their dinner like Randy.

via GIPHY

But I did. And it was magical.

The house from A Christmas Story in Cleveland, Ohio.
Ah, there it is – the house at good ol’ Cleveland Street.
The kitchen inside the house from A Christmas Story.
Don’t eat that turkey.
You’ll get worms.
“Daddy’s gonna kill Ralphie!”
“How does a piggy eat?”
“He looks like a pink nightmare.”
“It’s a major award!”
“You were always jealous of this lamp.”
The soft glow of electric sex still gleams in the window.
He said “the big one. The Queen Mother of Dirty Words.”
You know the soap.
She’d better not get soap poisoning.
Poor Randy.
Still can’t put his arms down.
“A can of Simoniz.”
The Old Man’s hat (replica, of course).
A prop Red Ryder BB gun from A Christmas Story with a sign that has this quote from Ralphie: "I want an official Red Ryder carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time!"
Ralphie’s theme.
“Don’t shoot your eye out.”

I hope you enjoyed our trip to the house from A Christmas Story. This should be on your travel bucket list. Don’t have one? Well, write one and put the house from A Christmas Story on it.

Now…to get that new law put on our books….

I’m going to contact my district’s representative. Hopefully I’m more persuasive than the theme Ralphie wrote.

I’m sure the epic struggle that follows will live in the folklore of Cleveland Street to this very day.

Endnotes

+That wasn’t quite true. When we went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a few hours later, I did recognize a few people who were in our group tour of the A Christmas Story house.

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Matt Todd

Howdy. I'm Matt. My wife, Christy, and I have four kids and two dogs, I'm passionate about orphan care. I'm a die-hard fan of the Evansville Aces, the Indiana Hoosiers, and Star Wars. I'm trying to live life by the Todd family motto: "It behooves us to live!"
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