Dustin Staggs
NWA Democrat-Gazette
Immerse yourself in a world of Victorian holiday customs and classic Christmas happiness at the 24th annual Holiday Open House of the Rogers Historical Museum.
All ages are welcome to attend this free event, which teaches about the origins of Christmas in early Rogers and includes guided tours, holiday crafts and even a special moment with Santa Claus.
“Once upon a time, we decided to start having an annual holiday event here at the museum to bring our community together to celebrate the holidays,” said Serena Barnett, director of the museum, as she reflected on the event’s long-standing history.
The tradition continues this year with an overarching theme of “Oh, Christmas Tree.”
Volunteers and staff in costume will lead tours of the 1895 Hawkins House, tracing the progression of Christmas tree decorating in the U.S. The house is set up to depict a family getting ready for the holiday, and guests will enter through the kitchen. Inside, the Rogers Historical Museum will demonstrate how historical customs relate to contemporary festivities, from baking cookies to be hung on the tree to cooking popcorn on the wood stove to be threaded and made into a garland.
According to Barnett, Christmas trees were originally tabletop-sized and adorned with handmade ornaments. At the Hawkins House, they’ll discuss how choices evolved to the use of larger trees set on the floor and how, back then, they would still make their own ornaments before store-bought ones became more prevalent and affordable.
The experience is enhanced with additional historical features, such as an original Thomas Edison phonograph from that time period. Barnett said museum staff was able to download an original recording of “Oh Christmas Tree” from 1910. It was originally recorded on a wax cylinder that would play on the phonographs. They’ll be playing the recording on a CD player, but the historical component will still be there.
“[Guests] will be able to hear the sounds of Christmas, as well as visually see and experience what would have been going on in a turn-of-the-century Victorian middle-class home,” said Barnett.
The Holiday Open House takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 14, allowing visitors to drop by at any time. Across from the Hawkins House is the Hailey Building, where Santa Claus will be reading Clement Moore’s “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” at 1 p.m., followed by a Christmas carol sing-along. Children can also visit activity stations to make Victorian-inspired crafts like paper chain garlands, punched tin ornaments and clove-studded orange pomanders.
For those kids who are hesitant to share their wish lists with Santa directly, a letter-writing station will be provided, replete with a unique mailbox for sending letters straight to the North Pole.
“If they include their address on the letter, then Santa will write them back,” Barnett added.
The mailbox is open now at the Rogers Historical Museum until Dec. 15, guaranteeing that every child’s wishes are heard.
Iron Horse Coffee Company will provide refreshments, such as cookies and hot chocolate to supplement the holiday experience.
Beyond the festivities, the event highlights the museum’s purpose of connecting the past and present. The Hawkins House has displays about Victorian-era charity drives, inviting visitors to consider the value of community assistance, which is still relevant today.
“It wasn’t just the family getting together, it was about how they can reach out to the community and support the community,” Barnett said. “Making those connections on what life was like then is very similar to what we still do today.”
Next year marks the museum’s 50th anniversary, as well as its 25th annual Holiday Open House, which promises even more opportunity to celebrate and learn about tradition. For now, the Rogers Historical Museum welcomes you to join them in celebrating Christmas past and present this December.
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FAQ
24th annual Holiday Open House
WHEN — 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 14
WHERE — Rogers Historical Museum, 313 S. Second St., Rogers
COST — Free
INFO — rogershistoricalmuseum.org/events.html