A Christmas Story is undeniably one of the greatest holiday movies of all time and there is a sequel now streaming on HBO Max called A Christmas Story Christmas. Released back in 1983, the original movie was only a moderate success at the box office, grossing nearly $21 million on a $3 million budget (as per The Numbers). However, the movie's popularity quickly grew thanks to home viewing and repeated TV airings, eventually leading to its status as a bonafide classic. It is now in the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
As it's been over 30 years since A Christmas Story's release, the filming locations look quite different than they did in the early '80s, and it's fun to see what the settings have become now.
Updated on December 4, 2022 by Aya Tsintziras: In the sequel A Christmas Story Christmas, Ralphie Parker is now an adult who is married with his own family, and the movie has a similarly nostalgic feeling. In the decades since the original film was released, fans have been watching A Christmas Story every year, as Ralphie's excitement over the presents that he wished for is always charming and joyful to see. When looking back at the filming locations of A Christmas Story, it's exciting to see what some of these settings look like now, as some things have definitely changed.
The House Is Still Standing In Cleveland
The house from A Christmas Story is still standing and has been renovated both inside and out to look exactly like it did in the movie. Fans can visit the house and surrounding complex for a full tour year-round. While several scenes are filmed in Toronto, which is a fun Christmas Story BTS fact, the house is in Cleveland.
The house is located in the Tremont neighborhood, and the address is 3159 W 11th Street. In 2004, an entrepreneur bought the house off eBay for just $150,000 and completely reconfigured the interior and exterior to make it look exactly like it did in the movie (despite the interiors being filmed on a sound stage). Movie-locations notes that there is A Christmas Story museum across from the home. The house is now for sale, according to the website, and for a while now, fans have even been able to stay the night here.
Higbee's Is Now Jack Cleveland Casino
Higbee's plays a major role in A Christmas Story. Ralphie first sets eyes on the BB gun in the window of Higbee's at the beginning of the movie and later visits the department store to see Santa. It's probably the most iconic scene in the whole movie.
Unfortunately, Higbee's closed down in 1992 and was converted to Dillard's. In 2011, it underwent significant remodeling and reopened as the Horseshoe Casino. It is now known as the Jack Cleveland Casino after a change in management. According to Cleveland.com, people still think of the building fondly since they remember seeing it in the classic holiday movie.
The Cleveland Public Square Is A Beautiful Green Space
Cleveland Public Square is directly tied to Higbee's (and the sequence where Ralphie goes to see Santa). In the movie, Ralphie and his family watch a parade just outside the department. This parade goes through Cleveland Public Square, which was shot on location at 3:00 AM, according to the A Christmas Story House website.
Audiences can see the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in the background of the scene. The area was significantly redesigned in 2016 to include significantly more green space and to make the general area more pedestrian-friendly. Cleveland.com notes that it took 15 months and cost $50 million.
Ralphie's School Is Now A Women's Shelter
Ralphie attended school at Warren G. Harding Elementary in Cleveland, the actual school that the book's author, Jean Shepherd, attended. But the physical building in the movie is located in Canada.
The real school was called Victoria School, and it was located in St. Catharine's, Ontario, a small city just south of Toronto. While the school closed in 2002, the building remains standing and is now the home of a women's shelter called Gillian's Place.
The Antique Fire Truck Still Exists
The "tongue stuck to the pole" scene is one of the most iconic A Christmas Story moments, which makes this filming location a lot of fun. When Flick gets his tongue stuck on a pole, a vintage fire truck can be seen arriving to help him out. This fire truck is informally known as the Chippawa Fire Truck and is still in working order.
The fire truck is an authentic 1938 Ford La-France and is available for public viewing at the Chippawa Volunteer Firefighters Association in Chippawa, Ontario, a small town just outside Niagara Falls.
The Bridge In The "Oh Fudge" Scene Is In Toronto
If the visit to Higbee's isn't the film's most iconic scene, it's probably when Ralphie uses a dirty word in front of his father. The scene is dark and has many close-up shots, so it can be hard to make out, but the scene was filmed on the Cherry Street lift bridge in Toronto.
This bascule lift bridge spans the Don River. According to a Daily Hive story from 2022, the Port Lands area is being redeveloped and there has been a lot of work done on the Cherry Street bridge.
Chop Suey Palace Is Now Batifole
A Christmas Story famously ends in the Chop Suey Palace, as the dogs ruined the Christmas turkey. This scene was also filmed in Toronto and is very memorable to fans who revisit the movie each Christmas season.
The building itself is located in Toronto's East Chinatown at 744 Gerrard Street East. The restaurant has changed over the years and is now called Batifole and serves French cuisine.
The Christmas Tree Lot Is A Restaurant
In one of the movie's segments, Ralphie and his family head out to buy a Christmas tree and the Old Man haggles the price. This scene looks like Cleveland, but it was actually filmed in Toronto as well.
In fact, it's just a quick walk north from the CN Toronto. The tree farm is said to be located around 232 Queen St W/, which is a now a restaurant called Queen Street Warehouse that has comfort food like chicken wings, sweet potato fries, cheesy garlic bread, nachos, sandwiches, and burgers.
The Fight With Farkus Took Place In A Toronto Alley
While A Christmas Story is a heartwarming Christmas movie, there are some serious scenes, like when Ralphie and Farkus, face off against each other and Ralphie wins against the bully with yellow eyes. Attentive viewers will notice that this takes place in an old subdivision, as old-fashioned houses can be seen in the background.
According to torontoist.com, this fight sequence was filmed at 64 Sears Street in Toronto, an old subdivision east of downtown. The area looks different today because of the modern buildings.
Farkus Chases Characters Down An Alley That Is Now Condos
One early A Christmas Story scene involves Farkus and his friend chasing the protagonists down an alley. There's not much to the alley itself, as it's covered in snow, bordered by a traditional wooden fence, and capped with a graffiti-ed sign reading "Keep out."
According to the Toronto website, this little area was filmed just east of the aforementioned Sears Street. While the location is tough to pin down, it can be traced to a small alley on Minto Street.