M.A. Kleen

The filming location of A Christmas Story has attracted tens of thousands of nostalgic tourists over the years, but according to at least one paranormal investigation team, it may also be home to restless spirits.

• In 2004, A Christmas Story superfan Brian Jones bought the iconic house on eBay for $150,000 and restored it to look exactly as it did in the film.
• Though set in Indiana, the movie’s famous scenes were filmed in a real 1895 Victorian home located at 3159 W. 11th Street in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood.
• In 2014, a paranormal investigation team filmed inside the house, claiming it could be haunted. Though no official evidence was released, the mystery still lingers.

Largely overlooked upon its release in 1983, A Christmas Story has since become a beloved holiday classic. Set in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana, during the 1950s, the film is based on stories from In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by humorist Jean Shepherd. This simple yet enduring tale of a young boy who dreams of receiving a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas was filmed in several locations, including a now-iconic single-family home in south Cleveland, Ohio.

That home, an 1895 Victorian located at 3159 W. 11th St. in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood, has been open to the public for tours year-round. In 2004, San Diego entrepreneur and A Christmas Story superfan Brian Jones purchased the house on eBay and painstakingly restored it to match its appearance in the film.

Jones had already found success selling replicas of the movie’s infamous “leg lamp,” and his passion project soon grew into a full-blown tourist destination. Directly across the street, he opened the A Christmas Story House Museum, which houses original props, costumes, rare behind-the-scenes photographs, and memorabilia from the film’s production.

But beneath the cheerful veneer of 1950s nostalgia lies a lesser-known mystery. In January 2014, a team of paranormal investigators conducted a full investigation to determine whether the famous house might be haunted. According to Cleveland.com and Fearnet, investigators from a then-upcoming television series called American Haunts visited the house, claiming it would appear in the show’s seventh episode.

The show’s co-hosts and lead investigators, Dave Rhode and Craig Gozzetti, founded their group, Investigating American Haunts, in 2012. According to their official Facebook page:

“For each investigation we partner with a local group and joint investigation of that groups favorite haunted locations. Using technology and proven methods of paranormal investigation, along with personal experiences, research conducted by our research team can lead to a more complete picture of any possible paranormal activity. Thereby provide our viewers with the best possible evidence available. We then take our cooperative investigations and edit them for narrow-cast networks, Internet Broadcasts and Television.”

The team returned in December 2014 for a follow-up investigation, but the show never aired. Their Twitter account has not been updated in years, and any findings from the investigation remain a mystery. As of today, there are no publicly confirmed paranormal claims associated with the house.

Angela Dickerson, a spokesperson for A Christmas Story House, confirmed the filming took place. “American Haunts came to us and asked permission to film in the home due to the age of the structure (1895) and the popularity of the house as a Cleveland landmark,” she told reporters. However, she was unable to share any additional details since the episode never aired. “We had no reason to believe the house was haunted,” she added.

Whether or not there are spirits lingering in its halls, A Christmas Story House and Museum remains a heartfelt tribute to one of America’s most cherished holiday films. No visit to Cleveland is complete without stopping by. Daily tours are available, and yes, you can even purchase a glowing “leg lamp” to proudly display in your own front window.

Update: In 2023, Brian Jones sold the house to Joshua Dickerson, then museum CEO, who became its managing partner.

Donate