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Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Family Holiday Fun at the National Christmas Center Museum

National Christmas Center Museum in Lancaster County
Last week we had the opportunity to visit the National Christmas Center and Museum located in Paradise, Lancaster County. This is a family-friendly attraction that offers self-guided, walking tours through their life-sized exhibits celebrating the history & magic of Christmas. Parking is free and admission is $12.50 per adult.

Once you pay your admission and enter the museum, you'll find 15 main galleries that are specifically named for each individual exhibit. You'll find:
National Christmas Center Museum

Another Successful Night
1950's Christmas Morning
Images of Santa
Christmas Around the World
1950's Woolworth's 5&10
Antiques Emporium
Santa's North Pole Workshop & Reindeer Barn
TudorTowne - Animated Story Book Village
Winter Christmas Memories
Street of Memories - Christmas Shopping
1950's Night Before Christmas
Toyland Train Mountain
The Art of the Nativity
O' Holy Night
The First Christmas - Journey to Bethlehem
National Christmas Center Museum in Lancaster County


One of the things I absolutely LOVE about this museum is that you'll enjoy your own self-guided tour. There are informational plaques and story boards along the way that will give you information as you go. You can really take your time and go through the museum at your own pace. On the day that we visited, they weren't crowded and we spent a leisurely 80 minutes there...enjoying all of the wonderful sights and sounds.

The National Christmas Center is really magical...for young and old alike. You'll find a ton of beautifully lit and decorated Christmas trees. You'll learn all about the history of St. Nicholas and Santa Claus and see how he's changed his appearance over the years. You'll find all kinds of holiday items tucked into every nook and cranny and of this popular museum located in Lancaster County.
National Christmas Center Museum in Lancaster County

National Christmas Center Museum in Lancaster County

One of my husband's favorite exhibits was the 1950's Woolworth's 5&10 area. For him, it really brought back a lot of wonderful memories from his childhood. In this area you'll see all kinds of vintage toys, books, games and candies...that children typically received for Christmas during that decade. Every area in this museum is life-sized, so it really hits home in the memories and educational department.
National Christmas Center Museum in Lancaster County

I had two favorite areas myself...The Night Before Christmas and the Santa's North Pole Workshop & Reindeer Barn. These areas really are magical areas for children, so if you're a child at heart or love remembering what Christmas was about when you were a child, you'll enjoy both of these areas in the museum. Plus, if you've got children along with you...make sure you spend some time here!
National Christmas Center Museum in Lancaster County

After we were done in the museum portion, we headed into their little gift shop where I was able to purchase some new holiday ornaments for our Christmas tree. They sell ornaments, holiday decorations, lights and other souvenirs from around the area. Our cashier was super friendly and really did a great job making sure all of my newly purchased glass ornaments were perfectly wrapped, for a safe trip back home.
National Christmas Center Museum in Lancaster County

We enjoyed our visit here so much, that we're going to make it an annual family tradition to visit every year and bring along our grandchildren, nieces and nephews when we do. There is a LOT of other things to see and do nearby (they are located in the heart of PA. Dutch Country), so it's a nice way to spend an entire day or weekend down in Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
National Christmas Center Museum in Lancaster County

The National Christmas Center Family Attraction & Museum is located in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. If you plan on visiting, you'll want to put 3427 Lincoln Highway (Route 30), Paradise, Lancaster, PA. into your GPS. They are open ONLY on weekends during March and April, and open 7 days a week May through January, closed during major holidays.
National Christmas Center Museum in Lancaster County

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