Everything you need to know before visiting Wadsworth Griswold House this holiday season

There's a sure sign Christmas is fast approaching in Northeast Ohio.

And this sign is quite visible — even to those passing over Greater Akron in passenger planes some 5 miles above the ground.

With the ceremonial plugging in of a mess of extension cords, the famed Griswold House in Wadsworth is now fully aglow.

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The unassuming home in a residential neighborhood takes on all the trappings from the "National Lampoon Christmas Vacation" movie each year.

The labor of love that attracts thousands of visitors each holiday season takes weeks of preparation by the Osterland family, along with some help from friends and neighbors.

This marks the 11th year that the family has covered their home in lights to spread holiday cheer and raise money for charity.

Where is the Griswold House in Wadsworth?

In the movie, the Griswolds lived in Greater Chicago.

The actual house featured in the 1989 movie was built on a Warner Brothers lot in California.

The Wadsworth Griswold House that is lit up nightly through the holidays is situated at 173 Duane Lane.

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What are the hours of the Griswold House?

The Wadsworth Griswold House is aglow nightly from the Friday after Thanksgiving to New Year's Day night.

The hours are 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

What can you expect to see at the Griswold House?

Just like in the "Christmas Vacation" movie, the Wadsworth recreation of the house is sight to behold.

Every inch of the suburban home is covered from roof to foundation with some 250 individual strands of lights — 25,000 individual lightbulbs — along with other props that offer nods to the movie.

A replica of Cousin Eddie's motor home − the real one from the movie is located not too far away at the Castle Noel museum in Medina − is parked nearby along with mannequins recreating memorable scenes from the movie.

What does it cost to visit the Wadsworth Griswold House?

It doesn't cost anything to drive by the Griswold House.

But the family does ask visitors to consider making a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Great Strides program.

Homeowner Greg Osterland was diagnosed with the genetic disease when he was 6 years old and wants to help others.

Last year, the family raised some $7,600 for the charity.

And through early sponsorships and donations, they have already raised $4,000 toward a goal of $11,000 this year.

So what does it cost to light up the Wadsworth Griswold House?

Just how much does it cost to light up one's house from roof to foundation is the million-dollar question.

It turns out not as much as you might think.

Osterland said back in the 1980s when Clark Griswold did it in the movie the monthly electric bill would likely top some $2,000.

Thanks to modern energy-efficient LED lights, he said, covering the family's Wadsworth home with some 25,000 lights costs a mere $25 a month.