A Christmas Story Locations

Locations Manager(s): Michael MacDonald

A Christmas Story Filming Locations:

Ralphie's house has been completely renovated and is now opening to visitors with a Grand Opening on November 25th 2006! Although, in fact, it appeared rather dilapidated in the film. See the link, below for more details, pics and history... [Thanks to Kevin P. Lupo]

The outdoor scene in which Ralphie's family watches the Christmas parade was filmed in Public Square in dowtown Cleveland, Ohio on January 19,1983.

Buying the Christmas tree. This had to be shot in Toronto ON as Toronto was the only city in North America with red and cream PCC type streetcars in 1983. One of these street cars can be seen in the background going along the street. [Thanks to R. Collins]

The Christmas Tree Lot was at Queen Street West in Toronto at St. Patricks square, directly across from the famous Much Music building. [Thanks to Tyler Schwartz]

The department store where they went to visit Santa was a real store previously named "Higbee's" in downtown Cleveland. The bricks and mortar still exist but, having changed to Dillard’s, Cleveland’s last downtown department store closed it's doors Jan. 7 2002. The stairs/slide set where Santa sat was left at the store and Higbee's used it for their Santa for several years after the movie was released.

Higbee's in Cleveland was selected because the pre-production scout had been to Macy's in NYC and Strawbridge's in Philly looking for a Department story that hadn't been remodeled and still looked like it was from the 1930's. They sent him to Higbee's. He said it was perfect. Note the one quick scene of the wide wooden ribbed escalator when Raphie went to see Santa. That was the one escalator in Higbee's that was still the orginal.

The Santa scenes were filmed in January (1983) after the store closed at 9pm using employees as extras. Filming would last until 3am resulting in several tired employees for a week! [Thanks to Craig Shumaker]

It may have not snowed in Cleveland while they were filming the parade scene, but it was well below zero at 3:00 am! [Thanks to Marie]

I believe the "fudge" scene was actually filmed in the "Flats" in Cleveland. What is seen in the background is not a boathouse but part of the Cargill Salt Co. and what was said to be sand is actually salt. [Thanks to Tom Doyle]

Ralph's school exterior and interior shots were filmed at the Victoria School in St Catharines, Ontario Canada and the flag pole scene was also done outside the Victoria School (the flag pole was just a prop that is no longer standing).
[Thanks to Cathy]

Victoria Public school is located on Niagara Street in St. Catharines Ontario. It is now a womens shelter. They just filled what was once the playground with houses too. The local museum has a copy of the script and the BB gun on display, presented to them in honour of the Movie [Thanks to Stewart Harris]

Tyler Schwartz kindly wrote in to say that Victoria Public School was the ONLY one used, so the following schools mentioned are almost certainly wrong: Central Senior Public School, located in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada. And the post Ralphie`s friend sticks his tongue to is part of the dividing post between Central and LCVI (a high school). [Thanks to Alex] The elementary school used in the movie was actually closed at the time and is still standing, yet closed, today. It's located on Fulton Ave. I believe it was called Fulton elementary. The flagpole that flick gets his tongue stuck to is still standing as well. [Thanks to John W. Evans III]

Tracy kindly wrote in to say: "My sister in law was in this movie (in the classroom scene) and the tongue sticking to the pole was most certainly in St. Catherines ontario, she still has the release form and etc, from that day and the fire truck scene. They called the ACTUAL fire department, and explained afterward that the reason his tongue looked stuck is because there was a hole in the pole, with a vacuum inside, to make it look stuck."

Much of it is filmed in Toronto. Look closely when the old man is bargaining for the Christmas tree and you'll see a Red Rocket pass by in the background.

The famous "fudge" scene is filmed at the foot of Cherry Street. Look close and you'll probably see the boathouse in the background. And, that's sand, not snow...

Ralphie beating up on Farkas? Filmed in Toronto, down near Queen and Carlaw.
[Thanks to Owhatabs]

Jean Sheppard is from what is called "the region" which is Northwest Indiana, namely, Hammond, Indiana. I was born in Hammond and the town he calls Hohman is actually Hammond and the main street in downtown Hammond is Hohman Avenue. The large department store he is talking about in the movie is actually Goldblatts Department Store. We did not have a "square" in downtown Hammond so that part wasn't accurate. But the dirty, unrelenting snow was very accurate! It seemed like we had snow on the ground from the beginning of November to the end of April... and it was ugly snow... gray and full of trash. Unfortunately downtown Hammond went under after the invention of the "mall" and probably the fact that it was surrounded by railroad tracks didn't help. You never got in or out of downtown Hammond without waiting for at least one train - usually more than one. I had cousins that lived in Griffith which seemed like it was on the other side of the world when you were driving home in the dark with the snow coming down. I don't think they could have made the movie in Hammond as it just isn't a very attractive place. Steel mills, polution, dirt and grime everywhere. [Thanks to Kristi Baran]

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