As we begin to look at Christmas around Cleveland, I’d like to take us out to Medina, Ohio and Castle Noel (this will be a two part post). Castle Noel is the largest indoor, year round, Christmas entertainment attraction in the US. The “castle” was created by Mark Klaus and is inside an old Methodist church building in downtown Medina, about 30 miles from Cleveland.
It features props from Christmas movies like “Elf”, “Christmas Carol”, and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” to name a few. Each room focuses on a different Christmas theme. One room is full of nothing but Christmas ornaments, thousands of colored balls all over the ceiling and walls. One of my favorite rooms is the “I Had That” room, full of old toys and games that span the decades. It is fun walking through and finding toys that you had as a kid.
There is even a replica of the slide that Ralphie slid down in “The Christmas Story”. You can get your picture taken in Santa’s chair at the top and as you slide down.
Part II of this post will take a look at some of the window displays from famous New York department stores on display at Castle Noel.