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One of my family’s favorite holiday activities is sitting by the fire with a bowl of popcorn and binge-watching Christmas movies. Bonus points if it is snowing outside and there is a real-life Christmas tree twinkling in the background.
Because my family also loves to travel, I imagine the following five festive Christmas movie destinations would make memorable holiday vacation settings. (That is if we can manage to pull ourselves off of the cozy setting of our couch, fireside on a frigid late December night.)
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Bah Humbug, London!
It doesn’t feel like Christmas in my home without watching George C. Scott bring Scrooge to life in the 1984 version of A Christmas Carol. Meanwhile, in London, Victorian England awakens with Christmas magic every December. Visitors are sure to feel the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come in every alleyway and cozy, wayward pub.
Jolly visitors should begin with the Charles Dickens Museum on Doughty Street, Dickens’s former home. At the museum, guests will find magic lantern shows and readings from A Christmas Carol that bring this haunting story to life. Guests can even book a very special Christmas Eve tour! Or trace the magic on a guided walking tour of A Christmas Carol.
Are those roasting chestnuts? Leadenhall Market is a buzzy spectacle any time of year, but in mid-November and throughout December, the Victorian-style architecture is draped in twinkling lights and filled with Christmas decor and song. A trip to Leadenhall will fill an entire day with shopping, entertainment, and so many dining options.
Stop for a cozy Christmas meal at The George Inn, a 17th-century pub said to have once been frequented by Dickens himself. Be sure to make Tiny Tim proud- order a traditional Christmas pudding.
Where to Stay In London
When traveling with little ones, the best place to stay in London at Christmas is at The Connaught Hotel. Families will love the Children’s Concierge, children’s books and board games, and special pool hours for families.
What Kind of NYC Hotel Allows a Child to Check in Alone?
In December 1992, Kevin McCallister boarded the wrong plane and ended up in dazzling New York City with his dad’s credit card. A boy after my own heart, Kevin checks into The Plaza Hotel. The palatial hotel is situated at the corner of 5th Avenue and Central Park South. Fans of the movie should start their visit with a wintry walk through Central Park. There is so much holiday magic happening at Central Park in November and December. Of course, there will also be plenty of pigeons, so be sure to bring some breadcrumbs!
Any vacation celebrating Kevin’s stellar trip to NYC absolutely must include a stop at Rockefeller Center and its towering Christmas Tree. Feeling adventurous? Grab some skates.
Whether celebrating the movie or Christmas in general, a stop at FAO Schwarz is the equivalent of visiting Santa’s workshop. There are several in-store experiences that kids and adults will love – a putty station, style-your-own-Barbie section, Build-a-Bear, and more. I can’t imagine visiting this toy shop with little children. Is it possible to get them out of the shop?
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Where to Stay In New York
Well, this is a no-brainer: The Plaza Hotel, of course. And guess what?! They offer a Home Alone package. This means there is no planning. Families show up and live out Kevin’s adventures (including the 16-scoop ice cream sundae).
Listen to the Bells in Seneca Falls
The citizens of Seneca Falls are so sure that their town was the inspiration for Bedford Falls, the small town in It’s a Wonderful Life, they have created an annual It’s a Wonderful Life Festival. Each December, fans can explore themed events like a George Bailey look-alike contest, holiday parades, and special screenings of the classic film.
Guests can visit the It’s a Wonderful Life Museum to see memorabilia from the movie and to learn about the stories behind the scenes.
The Seneca Falls Bridge over the Seneca-Cayuga Canal is thought to be the model for the movie’s pivotal bridge scene. During the holidays, the town dresses up the canal in holiday lights. Visitors might notice that the street’s names are thematic- Clarence Street and Angel Avenue. It makes a magical walk.
Where to Stay In Seneca Falls
The Gould Hotel is a modern boutique hotel in Seneca Falls. The Gould channels the movie’s 1940s charm with its elegant design that is only elevated by its glistening holiday decor. Families will love that it is centrally located and within walking distance of shopping, dining, and things to do, like The Women’s Rights National Historical Park.
©Discover Seneca
Visit Santa’s Pre-North-Pole-House in Chicago
Santa knows that a child’s imagination doesn’t require an actual trip to the North Pole to believe in him. But we know that a trip to Chicago in celebration of Santa Claus can be just the ticket to a very jolly Christmas vacation. It is Chicago that is the setting for Tim Allen’s transformation into Santa in The Santa Clause.
Visitors will love the holiday festivities at Christkindlmarket, Chicago’s annual German-inspired market. It is filled with seasonal crafts, tasty treats, and plenty of mulled wine and gourmet hot chocolate.
Families of all ages and stages will get a kick out of Millennium Park. Here, guests can see the city’s colossal Christmas tree and enjoy ice skating at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink.
Lincoln Park Zoo’s ZooLights is basically Chicago’s North Pole. Guests will feel inspired by thousands of lights and magical holiday displays.
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Where to Stay In Chicago
My family’s favorite spot to stay in the city is The Palmer House Hotel. It’s glamorous all of the time, but Christmas brings an extra layer of charm with elaborate decorations and seasonal menus to round out a holiday getaway worthy of Santa himself.
Millennium Park, Chicago, IL, USA ©Photo by Vincent Yuan @USA on Unsplash
Shoot Your Eye Out in Cleveland
In Cleveland, A Christmas Story fans can visit the iconic A Christmas Story House and Museum. Complete with the leg lamp shining in the front window, it has been restored to mirror Ralphie’s family home from the movie. Guests will enjoy seeing film memorabilia and taking photos with the famous leg lamp. In the gift shop, Dad can purchase his own leg lamp and a matching set of pink bunny jammies. True fans can even spend the night in the house. It sleeps six and even offers Wifi which we don’t think Ralphie was able to enjoy.
Visit the Public Square, where holiday lights and seasonal displays bring even more Christmas cheer. Nearby, the Great Lakes Brewing Company serves up a cozy Christmas Ale in a cozy atmosphere that feels straight out of a Midwest holiday family party.
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Where to Stay In Cleveland
The recently renovated Renaissance Cleveland Hotel is centrally located and gussied up for the holidays. Visitors will be near all the places that will let them relive their favorite moments from the movie. Just do us a favor—do not stick your tongue on a metal pole. Seriously.
Wherever the holidays take you – Scrooge’s Victorian London for a traditional Christmas pudding or to a glowing leg lamp in a Midwestern town – we hope that all of your Christmas wishes come true.
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