‘Christmas Story’ house attracts Shocker fans in Cleveland (VIDEO)

CLEVELAND – When planning her family’s itinerary for the Sweet 16, Cat Smith of Wichita made sure to include an unassuming yellow house at the corner of 11th Street and Rowley Avenue.

Shining like a beacon in the front window is a leg lamp – just like the one featured in “A Christmas Story,” the 1983 cult-classic film that runs on an endless loop during the holiday season.

“We love it, watch it every season,” Smith said of the movie. “We had to come and see it, to relive every scene.”

The house-turned-interactive-museum in the heart of Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood is the actual house used in the film – the one a grown-up Ralphie Parker narrator describes as “the house on Cleveland Street.”

Inside, fans can see the staircase where Ralphie modeled his pink bunny suit, hide in the cabinet under the kitchen sink, listen to “Little Orphan Annie” on the old-time radio, and even unpack the leg lamp from a sawdust-filled wooden crate marked “FRAGILE” (frah-JEE-lay!).

It’s a bucket-list attraction well worth the $10 admission.

Tour guide Kim Crevar said about 65,000 visitors toured the Christmas Story House & Museum last year, most of them during the holiday season.

“But we have visitors every day, all year long,” she said.

Many of the movie scenes were filmed on a Hollywood sound stage. But shots of the house from outside or through a window, as well as scenes of villain Black Bart’s backyard hideout and the Old Man yelling at the Bumpus’ dogs, were filmed on location in Cleveland, Crevar said.

Because it was filmed during one of the coldest and most snow-less winters on record, she said, crews had to make snow using equipment from regional ski slopes.

And because the film had a $5 million budget – low by most Hollywood standards – director Bob Clark also used “snow” made with fire foam and soap suds.

After touring the house and hearing about its history, visitors can step across the street into the accompanying museum and gift shop to see original movie props, including Randy’s snowsuit, the classroom chalkboard, Mom’s pink robe and the Old Man’s Oldsmobile.

Cat Smith toured the house with her husband, Brad, and 15-year-old son, Jake, on Thursday morning. Whenever the devoted Shocker fans travel with the team, Cat Smith sets their schedule and tries to include off-the-beaten-path restaurants and attractions.

“I am the tour director,” she said, smiling. “When we go on basketball trips, I come for them for basketball, but they come for me to do the cultural experience.”

Brad Smith smiled.

“On non-game days, we just show up and she tells us where we’re going,” he said.

This story was originally published March 26, 2015 at 2:55 PM with the headline "‘Christmas Story’ house attracts Shocker fans in Cleveland (VIDEO)."