The Real ‘Christmas Story’ House Is Just Over In Hammond, Indiana
First of all, let's clarify what "real" means. "A Christmas Story" has become a classic in the almost 40 years ago that it came out. It's all over television, especially the week leading into Christmas. The house used in the movie, is in Cleveland, Ohio. Some guy bought it a few years back and has turned it into a museum. But the house you see here, is the actual house that the author of "A Christmas Story", Jean Shepherd, grew up in. And that house is in Hammond, Indiana, so it's about two hours from here, give or take a traffic jam on I-94.
I was at a Christmas party last week, and a co-worker, Joann, was talking about it, because Hammond is her hometown, too. And she went to the same grammar school down the street.
(greenteablend via YouTube)
The house in Hammond was one of several the Shepherd family lived in in the 1930's during the Depression, but this one had "signatures" carved in the attic.
"They moved into the house at 2907 Cleveland Street in 1935. The 1032-square foot bungalow dates from the early twentieth century. A carving in the attic contains the autographs “17 yrs. old. Jean Shepherd. 2/18/39” and “15 yrs. old. Randall Shepherd. 2/28/39.” - Chicago History Today.
Shepherd became a humorist, and if he were alive today, would probably be a popular podcaster, with his talent for storytelling. Back in the 50's, he was on New York City radio station WOR, and would tell these kind of stories every night. His work was also in Playboy Magazine among others, and he wrote and did a public television series in the early 1970's, Jean Shepherd's America.
You should know, the house in Hammond is a private residence. The owners are going to welcome you, unlike the Cleveland museum, which will be glad to charge you.