Countless households gather around the television each year and watch “A Christmas Story” to spend a couple of hours with the Parker family. This holiday season could bring one family a lot closer, however, as the real house used for the film’s exterior shots is now for sale.
“You’re looking at pretty much the most natural, holiday themed house and museum in the world,” the listing reads. “And now, it can be all yours. Wall-to-wall anecdotes throughout, this lovely classic is both spacious and intimate…[and] based on a beloved Christmas classic.”
The Cleveland, Ohio, property at 3159 W. 11th Street was put on the market Friday without a public asking price. It spans 1.3 acres that include a museum and gift shop dedicated to the movie, a parking lot for employees and the film’s Bumpus house, according to NBC News.
Owner Brian Jones spent nearly two decades acquiring the property piece by piece. The San Diego native was obsessed with the 1984 film since childhood and purchased the main house on eBay in 2004 before buying the rest, the listing explained.
“I’m looking for the right buyer,” Jones told NBC affiliate WKYC. “It’s something you not only own but that you have to take care of.”
The campus includes five buildings on seven parcels and numerous parking lots. The main house was built in 1895, according to the listing.
Jones restored the house to resemble how it looked in the film and opened it to tourists in 2006. It’s since drawn more than 1 million visitors. The house is ranked fourth on Trip Advisor’s “Top Attractions in Cleveland” list and offers nightly stays for $545, per People.
The second house, used for the exterior shots of the Bumpus home, also offers overnight stays in the Hound Dog Haven suite — named after the family’s ravenous canines — and Stolen Turkey suite, which respectively host four and six guests at $195 per night.
The main house has become such a destination that annual paid admissions exceed 75,000 people, per the listing, while the museum holds “the largest collection of original costumes, props, behind-the-scenes photos and other items from the movie.” The garage holds a 1939 Ford LaFrance firetruck seen in the film, according to the listing.
Locals have been both frustrated by and grateful for the tourism, while fans are likely enthused by HBO Max’s recent announcement of a sequel.
“It’s got its drawbacks, with the backup of crowds and the fact that it’s all one-way streets around here,” neighbor Byron Roberts told WKYC. “But otherwise, it’s been very beneficial for the neighborhood. This is a treasure in Cleveland.”