Holiday Special
Yuletide memories manifest at
musuem
El Campo Leader News |
Wednesday, August 5, 1998
by Quala Matocha
The holiday season is a magical time for young
and old alike. Each year volunteers at the El Campo Museum of Natural
History have conjured and carried out a different theme than the year
before. Perhaps the most beautiful and memorable Christmas display was
the first one.
"The most impressive was the 10,000 lights
exhibit." said Denis Prochazka, museum administrator.
She recalls the display at the museum's first
site in the downtown El Campo Chamber office. Volunteers draped cotton
to resemble icicles and snow, then hung 10,000 white lights throughout the
museum. It was called the "Enchanted Forest."
Prochazka remembers other displays. The
"International Trees" exhibit was done entirely by children. Other
include Santa in Circus Land, African Christmas, Colonial Christmas, Holiday
in El Campo, 12 Days of Christmas Beary Merry Christmas, which was in 1996,
and Early Texas Christmas in 1991.
In 1992, volunteers put together the Nutcracker
Christmas exhibit and the year after was Santa's Workshop, a second favorite
according to Prochazka. This Christmas exhibit included mechanically
moving mannequins.
In 1994 was "The Shiniest Star," which featured
an angel theme. "Story Book Land" and "Songs of Christmas" were two
other displays. Other Christmas exhibits were the "Victorian
Christmas," "Prairie Switch Christmas" and "Candy Land."
Since the museum's inception Santa has been a
"must see" for children. The museum is the one place you count on
seeing Santa and getting into the Christmas spirit each year.
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