If you drive down Duane Lane in Wadsworth, Ohio, during the holidays, there’s one house you absolutely cannot miss.
Every inch of Greg and Rachel Osterland’s home is wrapped in glittering lights, mannequins recreate scenes from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Cousin Eddie’s RV is parked on the lawn, and kids (and plenty of grown-ups) wander around saying, “Whoa…”
Around Northeast Ohio, it’s simply known as the Wadsworth Griswold House, a beloved tribute to the classic film and a fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
At Joyce, we first met Greg the way we meet many families: through a home improvement project. Over time, that connection grew into something more. Today, we’re proud to support Greg’s incredible holiday tradition and the charity that’s so close to his heart.
A Family Tradition That Started with One Movie
For Greg, the story begins long before the first strand of lights ever went up.
“You would drive over to my aunt and uncle's house, and we would have to watch that movie,” he remembers. His family were “diehards” for Christmas Vacation. Every year, they’d push the tradition a little farther, memorizing lines, acting out scenes, and eventually drawing quotes from a hat to perform as the movie played.
One year, Greg pulled the ultimate challenge: Clark Griswold’s famous rant. At the time, he was working at a bank. “There was this sweet, sweet woman,” he says, who helped him memorize every last colorful insult in the speech. He practiced until the entire tirade was locked in his memory, and it’s still there today.
His family’s commitment to the movie went so far that when his dad slipped on the ice while carrying a gift and needed stitches, they finished the film before heading to the hospital. They wrapped his head, hit play, and only after the credits rolled did they take him in. That’s how much the movie meant to them.
Finding the Perfect “Griswold” House
Years later, when Greg met his wife Rachel, and they started house hunting, they had a very specific picture in mind, whether they said it out loud or not.
They were quietly searching for something that felt like the Griswold home:
- A two-story colonial
- An attached garage
- Details that could echo the film house even green shutters, which they actually ended up with in the beginning
They moved into their Wadsworth home in 2008. Then came five years of saving and planning before the first big lighting in 2013. “We had to save enough that we could get 250 strands of lights and go from there,” Greg says. At first, it was just the house wrapped in lights, plus Santa and his reindeer.
Now? That simple idea has grown into a full-blown neighborhood spectacle, complete with:
- The house is covered in about 25,000 twinkle lights, mirroring Clark’s epic display
- Multiple vehicles in the yard, including a beat-up pickup reminiscent of the movie’s opening scene and Cousin Eddie’s RV
- Mannequins “out the wazoo,” as Greg puts it, posed in iconic moments from the film
- Hand-painted photo boards where visitors can poke their heads through and become part of the scene
The display has grown so much that it’s spilled into the neighbors’ yards affectionately, Greg says, “It’s more like the blob now.”
Behind the Scenes: What It Takes to Light Up a Griswold House
From the street, it’s pure magic. Behind the scenes, it’s a serious labor of love.
The work really begins in October:
- Roof first: There are roughly 12,500 lights on the roof alone. Because Ohio winters can be brutal, Greg and his crew wrap the lights in plastic so they don’t rust or get buried under snow and go out. That prep alone takes about a week.
- Safety and timing: They get the roof done before things get slippery “We don't care if it burns our butts on the shingles,” Greg jokes. It’s better than climbing in ice and snow.
Griswold House Wadsworth, OH - 2,000–3,000 clips: The remaining lights are attached using thousands of special plastic clips made for vinyl siding. Once the house is wrapped, the “fun” part really starts: running extension cords, placing mannequins, parking vehicles, and building out scenes.
At their fastest, Greg, his wife Rachel, and their neighbors managed to get everything up in just five days. These days, it’s usually closer to a week or a week and a half, still an impressive timeline for a display of this size.
And Randy isn’t just any neighbor; he is a show and event marketer at Joyce. At 75, he’s still up on the roof with them. “He keeps me on task,” Greg laughs. “He’s the one who comes to us in August and says, ‘What week are we taking off to do the lights?’”
A Neighborhood (and City) That’s All In
When the Osterlands first put up the display, there were only three houses on their street. As more homes were built, everyone quickly learned who their neighbors were and what happened on Duane Lane every holiday season.
Today, the Wadsworth Griswold House is a point of pride for the community:
- Neighbors donate yard space for the RV, mannequins, and additional decorations.
- Several houses on the street work with Greg and Rachel to coordinate their own displays, creating a whole block of holiday cheer.
- The city promotes the house on local radio and in the media, and the mayor has personally encouraged them to keep it going.
Visitors now come not just from across Northeast Ohio, but from out of state and sometimes even out of the country to see the lights. “What’s not to like about it?” Greg says. “It’s fun, you raise money, and people come from outside the city and spend money in Wadsworth.”
Why They Do It: Great Strides and Cystic Fibrosis
For all the fun, the purpose behind the Wadsworth Griswold House is deeply personal.
Greg was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age six. It’s a disease that, as he describes it, makes things “look normal on the outside, but inside it’s all gunky and just really messed up.” When he was diagnosed, life expectancy was uncertain; his parents were simply told he should outlive them, and that was considered good news.
Thanks to the work of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and advances in treatment, that outlook has changed dramatically. New prescription drugs have slowed the progression of the disease, and some have even begun to reverse certain effects. “I’ve never felt this good,” Greg shares.
That’s why the Osterlands dedicate their display to raising funds for Great Strides, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s national walk program. Over the years, they’ve raised tens of thousands of dollars for research and support, and they’re not done yet. This year, their goal is to pass the $100,000 mark in total donations, with an annual target that climbs by $1,000 each season (year 13 = $13,000, year 14 = $14,000, and so on).
“As long as I can physically do it, which should be many, many, many years, we’re going to keep this going,” Greg says.
What Greg Hopes Visitors Feel When They Turn That Corner
When you finally turn onto their street and see the house lit up, Greg hopes you feel one thing above all: joy.
He loves watching parents introduce the movie to their kids, sharing a piece of their own childhood. Some children instantly recognize the scenes; others are experiencing it all for the first time and want to know why there’s an RV in the yard and mannequins in the driveway.
The big visuals, the RV, and the wall of lights are easy to spot. But Greg also hides tiny details only the most devoted Christmas Vacation fans will catch. Add in party buses, repeat visitors who show up year after year, and kids whispering “whoa” as they step onto the lawn, and it’s easy to see why he calls every night “a blessing.”
Each season officially kicks off the day after Thanksgiving at 7 p.m., when the Osterlands host a lighting ceremony complete with a drumroll and a short speech from Greg before the switch is flipped just like Clark Griswold himself.
Why Joyce Is Proud to Be Part of the Story
At Joyce Windows, Sunrooms & Baths, we believe a house is more than walls and windows it’s where traditions are born, and families come together.
We originally connected with Greg through a Joyce project at his home, and we stayed in touch because of who he is and the joy he brings to others. Supporting the Wadsworth Griswold House and its fundraising for Great Strides is our way of standing alongside a customer who has turned his home into something truly special.
We’re honored that our name appears on-site as a sponsor, and even more honored to help Greg and Rachel move closer to their fundraising goals each year.
Plan Your Visit & Keep the Tradition Going
If you’re in or around Northeast Ohio during the holidays:
- Add the Wadsworth Griswold House to your must-see list
- Follow the display and updates on Facebook by searching Wadsworth Griswold House
- If you’re able, consider making a donation to support Great Strides and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
And if Greg’s story has you thinking about how you use your home, whether it’s for holiday gatherings, cozy winter movie nights, or year-round entertaining, Joyce is here to help you make it as comfortable and welcoming as possible, with custom windows, sunrooms, and baths designed for the way your family really lives. Schedule your free in-home estimate today!
