Castle Noel in Medina, Ohio is where Cousin Eddie’s RV from the 1989 holiday classic Christmas Vacation currently resides. Having watched the movie a dozen times, I was a little giddy to see the prop in person.
Castle Noel is home to a myriad of movie props from Christmas films. I wouldn’t really recommend a visit to the place unless you’re a die-hard fan of Christmas movies, and would really appreciate seeing some of the costumes and props they have. Casual movie watchers will likely be deterred by the steep $28 admission fee—yikes!
The RV is a 1973 Ford Condor II, a model that was manufactured to be rust-proof, my tour guide said. The rust spots you see now are actually some Hollywood magic painted on just for the movie.
The vehicle was driven from Los Angeles all the way to its new home in Ohio.
I put my phone up to the windshield to get a glimpse of the interior. It’s not in bad shape, considering its age. There doesn’t appear to be anything interesting inside, but you can see the same type of glassware that Chevy Chase (Clark Griswold) and Randy Quaid (Cousin Eddie) drank from in one scene.
Griswold House, Wadsworth, Ohio
Around the winter holidays, there’s a house in nearby Wadsworth that the owners transform into the “Griswold house,” adorning it with decorations to resemble the home seen in the movie.
The house is located at 173 Duane Ln, Wadsworth, OH 44281. They also have mannequins around the property that recreate iconic scenes from the movie.
And the pièce de résistance—a tribute to Cousin Eddie and his rust bucket RV:
Christmas Vacation is a true American classic, and it’s cool to see an iconic prop from the film—both the authentic RV in Medina and the replica in Wadsworth.
