COLORADO NEWS

A bunch of the movie ‘Christmas Vacation’ was filmed in Colorado – Here’s where

Dec 3, 2024, 4:33 PM | Updated: Dec 4, 2024, 8:42 am

I’ve always kept the Christmas movies going for that week between Christmas and New Years. Elf and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation are just a couple that’ll be on repeat in my house this week. However, until just now, I had no idea that a bunch of Christmas Vacation was actually filmed in Colorado!

Although the movie was set in Chicago, much of the filming happened in the Colorado high-country in the spring of 1989.

According to the Breckenridge Tourism Office, the movie begins with a tree-cutting scene as the family heads out to the country to pick the perfect Christmas tree. That happened near the Breckenridge Golf Course near Tiger Road. The subdivision nearby hadn’t actually been built yet.

This wasn’t the only “Chicago”-oriented situation that was filmed in Breckenridge.

The sledding scene was filmed at Breckenridge Ski Area’s Peak 8. When Clark is dodging traffic on the slick saucer, that was on Frisco’s Summit Boulevard.

According to GoBreck, Clark’s sled eventually ends up in a Toys For Tots bin in front of the Walmart in Frisco.

GoBreck said local crew was also involved in filming and a producer did everything they could to keep money in town. In fact, the shopping scenes with Clark and Eddie were shot at the Frisco Walmart.

Meanwhile, Summit High School in Frisco was converted into a cover set for the throwback home video scene.

Now I cannot wait to get home with this new knowledge to watch the movie for the 20th time this season!

Colorado News

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images...

Shawn Patrick

Country music legend Randy Travis will bring his More Life Tour to Denver

One of the main reasons I sit here writing articles on a country radio station’s website is because of Randy Travis. My love for him and his music runs deep, […]

3 days ago

Photo by Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images...

Shawn Patrick

Thanks to PETA, Colorado snakes in captivity will now live much more comfortably

Have you ever slept in a bed that was too short for you? Having to curl up to fit the whole night is one of the more uncomfortable things you […]

3 days ago

...

Shawn Patrick

Man who lives in Cousin Eddie’s house from ‘Vacation’ in Colorado threatens YouTubers

I love the National Lampoon’s Vacation’ movies, but even I had no idea that Cousin Eddie’s house from the movie is in Colorado. The house is in Boone, Colorado, which […]

3 days ago

Bojangles...

Shawn Patrick

Chicken chain Bojangles opens first Colorado location

I wouldn’t say there is a need for more fast food fried chicken joints in Colorado, but judging by the lines at Raising Canes and Chick-fil-A, if you build it, […]

4 days ago

Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images...

Shawn Patrick

At age 83, Beatle announces Coors Field concert

The last time Paul McCartney performed in Denver was in 2010 at the Pepsi Center (now Ball Arena), but after 15 years, the former Beatle is headed back to the […]

4 days ago

Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post...

Shawn Patrick

Reservations for all of 2025 at Casa Bonita open July 14

As the hype continues to die down at Casa Bonita in Lakewood, more and more opportunities for reservations continue to pop up. What started as an invite-only situation turned into […]

4 days ago

A bunch of the movie ‘Christmas Vacation’ was filmed in Colorado – Here’s where