As an American Jew, I am well acquainted with the classic holiday film A Christmas Story, which plays all day long, on repeat, on Christmas Day. Let's just say I've seen it more than a few times.
Did you know that
A Christmas Story was filmed right here in Cleveland? Even cooler, it was filmed
in my neighborhood! When you drive into Tremont, there's a sign pointing you toward various parts of town - including the
Christmas Story House, now a museum that offers tours, an annual 5k, & a gift shop full of "Major Award" leg lamps.
Despite the fact that the Christmas Story House is a mere .8 miles away from my own home, I am ashamed to say that I've not yet been. I meant to go this holiday season, I did! But as so often happens, life got away from me & I never made it over there.
Luckily, Cleveland's
Christmas Story pride is strong, & the city - especially my neighborhood - is chock full of leg lamps come Christmastime. They're everywhere, you guys.
Everywhere. They're in the windows of homes & bars & office buildings. They come in the form of nightlights & keychains & coffee mugs. They're on T-shirts & on bags (
I want all of these) & even
tattooed upon flesh.
I, unsurprisingly, find this endlessly quirky & charming, & once I started to realize how many of them are on display across town, I started documenting them to share with the world. Here, I've gathered for you photos of every leg lamp I could photograph, though there are many, many more that I was unable to capture. There's a house near the highway that has three of them in the front windows - & these things sell for $170 a pop!
Merry Christmas, Cleveland. Don't stick your tongue to frozen flagpoles (though it wouldn't matter, in this weather) & please, please: Don't shoot your eye out.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkTzD2TTVUXEbmrWJ3esBHwpls-Y7aXOQrMV9t52IU2PqGI45VKnFLiQlBcZeRmJys7ZuoLE4qO1SJJAx68oo9kpSNaaQSg5FQlvHTQ-67sfguppJhmVmDMW2pHxThTfvvFjgF99kCqo/s640/LegLamp1.jpg) |
This purdy leg lamp sits atop the bar at Ty Fun restaurant in Tremont. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKuefhuP1sA11h7bh9BBUfIWEK7RPMB08Fqq49PFvagCyExNVRjjDaU1NshmP4N7s19PJ8eYdF0nLENcAPPCtDbvr3fX4w1eMe_9LzrYN5iKglBnjbHdW9V_I5BYrLu2sc2wkC3DiROk/s640/LegLamp2.jpg) |
This one's all lit up at Deagan's Kitchen in Lakewood. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65n-P_OYyCW8paQHTQfwV-FKA087vud1IFdQ6JPYKYbL2hk3STWUY01ZKx6rifcMiu74njqXvsLjz-HGefxDs0V4njsEBqEwyNjXQ_aRjk4YUGx-zdZFWXoSWagcvDGuMA2ay2unz2eU/s640/LegLamp13.jpg) |
Git yerself a tiny version of the Major Award at Banyan Tree in Tremont! |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7usaNnAQosL5WlBZ1OoT_CogLRBIlLKpNK0Nt114nm33vKgt4OkT8o7YSZQd7cHiUxsXhslMNId1Y5RPtUQdnr0ddLsnxGiSz5unYT6t2mLB7GZhFHBmJX9wBfl4lgKa_wM0Hw6s44Y/s640/LegLamp9.jpg) |
They're keeping the (leg) light on for you at The Treehouse in Tremont. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibiJE-IzNxlrR_rdEzhCX_5-si8JkwuWI2HMQnGzdDLbLtCv9MgQ7UHplWrH438bKvzG25iDpKCjBZCFY9V-q6LL4bdO_vhxDeJQVkAEs8PeutWVeOIHA_8oZQCUUVeRahIL3bOcgZYv8/s640/LegLamp8.jpg) |
Leg lamps aren't just for bars! This one lights up a neighbor's window. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3FVTY9msxAZ-p_91EchAvPopCt01WG5q4LdqdmUv0Cr6JhdJOMNqIAWAtCOJxg_Hl7TKfVFEArR_w6vKKbVrE_8cchRkb6Z4Z55-8A8zG98-LUL4IaivPd6VRl17obhwmaboVmxRqFa0/s640/LegLamp3.jpg) |
This leg lamp, in the window of a Tremont real estate business, can be seen only in daylight. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztyNBBm1EHkSHWi0PLMbiJzrKzSRLFzAeVS3BMWHcuqzE_XN3Z8_y4g3fLSQpoO1GXmMiAh4bw8SQDhveOlR2vfwH4QrwvUMdtv3BN6W49MU7lvZOKU-8RlLwps4qUUJiXbgXvtH_4UA/s640/LegLamp4.jpg) |
This one passed us on a float in the Light Up Lakewood parade earlier this month. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwiE1P49XsFVspsuSXk8WjDGh-Z8zZhWeDPHz-RO24IZbsGYyEuCBPa341cjTjuFYy2qcxO3plC8-EG67kM8qmyf8l8Wf1F63RgRnf7Rrox5yMq1UB-CVRVP33EUUQv5RxB7AEK9m46-o/s640/LegLamp10.jpg) |
No room for a lamp? You can still show your love with a bottle opener. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1o5uiiagaqak2KBqxmSH0C6g1idFR-GERqr29NAPicbWs2fLt-HxGxGZ-M6z0Tszb-m7jRBwFEHM_VETf9moK-X9ObIaIUV5_RSzy4emKSWZiIFrQa1YfaXyD7SAxXa-2Yh6R48YX2k4/s640/LegLamp14.jpg) |
My friend Lindsey sent me this pic of a glass leg lamp candle holder. Fancy! |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4VBG6pbRkeRzL1XzhZxKw_QdCMlkVb9G3v4n8eOUWyelQl4Xl5ZyvhT0jHDnYbfMH2468jR6LNvEfkn1WIeRFR_ZXXakjHx8EmYTF0AjFHgwq83Ds5GyxBnu9_xUwvjbe9Ju-Rcewds/s640/LegLamp11.jpg) |
These tiny leg lamp replicas line the bar inside Deagan's. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1Q49Qlt2mw9GrN_bPDuDfQ4S_-GiSDrtEMB-0alMTRrnQIcFfE0ZYkjivepyCZtBTGkzGoq_CF-XJru2gJxOQbENtA0kEtWOKyCU3h5udxUJUbiIrXH1zu7uC3SFUjfjDcXBROrQN5k/s640/LegLamp12.jpg) |
Banyan Tree sells tiny versions but keeps the big one on full display for Christmas ambiance. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaBpSqz817WCBVfYFPV_CiLjS9f2-LA51d1kuooXU3LY6M9ggUJ8s8yQkXMCy1wh741bqaH6JbAft3BWMPbBv-qWzl2CQjJp0hDctanDT_LWVvibofZRj_vilS9TiHxVgFSjdtVkco7w/s640/LegLamp6.jpg) |
A Great Lake sign & a leg lamp: What could be more Cleveland than these scene at Press Wine Bar? |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwN8aYsv7ep9JbcuhzpH3pTKu0EG1FKuNZGZVtwFoZYKtmmbjtvTq01JhV-uUtjjdy5PZii0pMJtcfsty7s1r-c5u6oiMGcKHgDp3Q9FU6sYBz4MHFrihBMwQ4HkG-9KPsxxZWOJjAQoQ/s640/LegLamp5.jpg) |
This one's on display in the window of an old church converted into an office building in Tremont. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bnpGuzLLgJMSfydUcIeDYbmmFF9raB17ZmvBJpm1MXc661Ar2qBCMlpg2VoSoEthZTQnN7smecUxbMbZgVwiMSwMPL3btd7pExxGnEGqc2wkUzFy0dGzYyPuaeXdM8rRxirr9OUedcY/s640/LegLamp7.jpg) |
This one's in the window of the fanciest loft apartment in Tremont, of which I'm forever jealous. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy51i_ruDOW_YA8Phei36puui0KdheNj4L4gFvGm-ckP-gIASlguktEL1xm2UjF6jOFmzz5M7JQ_MhPPswJtndejpJH6CaxQdDMyCYLpJoUrp6bMO77MvRIqS14E1BOB7euT186HIx0bs/s640/Leg+Lamp+0.PNG) |
Waiting for a cab outside my favorite coffee shop, Tremont's Civilization, & its leg lamp |
(PS: This is just a Cleveland thing, right? Your city isn't full of leg lamps come Christmas...? OK, that's what I thought. Just checking.)
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