Tatooine_Todd
Sr Member
This was just restored and opens on Saturday for year round tours. The owner also has a company that makes the leg lamp "Major awards". This should be fun for Christmas, its only about 30 minutes from me, so me and the kids are going to check it out.
Cleveland Plain Dealer article
'A Christmas Story' lights up Cleveland again
Tremont house in 1983 movie opens Saturday
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Julie E. Washington
Plain Dealer Reporter
Switch on your leg lamp and warm up the Ovaltine. The Christmas Story House and Museum will be ready for visitors starting Saturday.
Imagine being inside Ralphie Parker's 1940s home on Christmas Day. Stand on the staircase where Ralphie modeled his hated bunny suit. See the table where Ralphie's dad wanted to display his tacky leg lamp. Gaze out a back window at the shed where Black Bart hid out.
Please ignore the anachronistic cell phone tower beyond the backyard fence.
This weekend is the grand opening of the Christmas Story House and Museum. The Tremont home seen in the 1983 movie "A Christmas Story" has been renovated to look just like the house in the movie. Ian Petrella (Randy), Scott Schwartz (Flick), Zack Ward (Scut Farkas) and other actors from the holiday classic will kick things off Friday with a fan meet-and-greet session at SouthPark Mall in Strongsville.
They will also greet fans at the house and museum Saturday.
Buy an elf hat or a chocolate BB rifle at the museum gift store near the house. Later, head over to C&Y Chinese Restaurant on St. Clair Avenue for a Peking duck dinner just like the Parkers order in the movie. C&Y isn't in the movie; they just want to be part of the "Christmas Story" experience.
"He'll bring out the Peking duck with the head on and chop it off for you at your table," said Christmas Story House owner Brian Jones.
Jones, 30, who lives in San Diego, is a lifelong "A Christmas Story" fan. The movie, starring the late Darren McGavin, tells the story of a Cleveland family coping with the excitement and disasters of the holiday season. The movie was filmed in Tre- mont and on Public Square.
In 2003, Jones, a former Naval Intelligence officer, started Red Rider Leg Lamps, which makes replica leg lamps like the one in the movie. Two years later, he purchased the Tremont house for $150,000 and spent an additional $200,000 on renovations.
He bought a nearby house to use as the museum in January for $129,000.
"It's gonna be awesome. It's gonna be cool," Jones said now that his project is nearly finished. " 'The Christmas Story' mecca will be complete."
Unfortunately, the mecca isn't calling to actor Peter Billingsley, who played Ralphie. Billingsley, now a Hollywood producer, chose not to participate in this weekend's events. "He's tired of being known as the kid from 'Christmas Story,' " Jones said.
In Billingsley's absence, the Tremont house takes star billing. It was used primarily for exterior shots; most of the interior scenes were filmed in Toronto.
Nonetheless, Jones asked his contractor to make the house's exterior and interior look as they did in the movie.
The contractor worked from movie stills; donations of period furniture and fixtures helped complete the look.
At the grand opening, after speeches from actors and politicians will come the ceremonial delivery of a very special wooden crate. Jones will sign for it with a flourish, remove the leg lamp (one made by his company, of course), and set its glow in the Parker's window.
Let a Cleveland Christmas begin.
Cleveland Plain Dealer article
'A Christmas Story' lights up Cleveland again
Tremont house in 1983 movie opens Saturday
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Julie E. Washington
Plain Dealer Reporter
Switch on your leg lamp and warm up the Ovaltine. The Christmas Story House and Museum will be ready for visitors starting Saturday.
Imagine being inside Ralphie Parker's 1940s home on Christmas Day. Stand on the staircase where Ralphie modeled his hated bunny suit. See the table where Ralphie's dad wanted to display his tacky leg lamp. Gaze out a back window at the shed where Black Bart hid out.
Please ignore the anachronistic cell phone tower beyond the backyard fence.
This weekend is the grand opening of the Christmas Story House and Museum. The Tremont home seen in the 1983 movie "A Christmas Story" has been renovated to look just like the house in the movie. Ian Petrella (Randy), Scott Schwartz (Flick), Zack Ward (Scut Farkas) and other actors from the holiday classic will kick things off Friday with a fan meet-and-greet session at SouthPark Mall in Strongsville.
They will also greet fans at the house and museum Saturday.
Buy an elf hat or a chocolate BB rifle at the museum gift store near the house. Later, head over to C&Y Chinese Restaurant on St. Clair Avenue for a Peking duck dinner just like the Parkers order in the movie. C&Y isn't in the movie; they just want to be part of the "Christmas Story" experience.
"He'll bring out the Peking duck with the head on and chop it off for you at your table," said Christmas Story House owner Brian Jones.
Jones, 30, who lives in San Diego, is a lifelong "A Christmas Story" fan. The movie, starring the late Darren McGavin, tells the story of a Cleveland family coping with the excitement and disasters of the holiday season. The movie was filmed in Tre- mont and on Public Square.
In 2003, Jones, a former Naval Intelligence officer, started Red Rider Leg Lamps, which makes replica leg lamps like the one in the movie. Two years later, he purchased the Tremont house for $150,000 and spent an additional $200,000 on renovations.
He bought a nearby house to use as the museum in January for $129,000.
"It's gonna be awesome. It's gonna be cool," Jones said now that his project is nearly finished. " 'The Christmas Story' mecca will be complete."
Unfortunately, the mecca isn't calling to actor Peter Billingsley, who played Ralphie. Billingsley, now a Hollywood producer, chose not to participate in this weekend's events. "He's tired of being known as the kid from 'Christmas Story,' " Jones said.
In Billingsley's absence, the Tremont house takes star billing. It was used primarily for exterior shots; most of the interior scenes were filmed in Toronto.
Nonetheless, Jones asked his contractor to make the house's exterior and interior look as they did in the movie.
The contractor worked from movie stills; donations of period furniture and fixtures helped complete the look.
At the grand opening, after speeches from actors and politicians will come the ceremonial delivery of a very special wooden crate. Jones will sign for it with a flourish, remove the leg lamp (one made by his company, of course), and set its glow in the Parker's window.
Let a Cleveland Christmas begin.
