One Great Gettysburg Experience: Hall of Presidents

Here's a great experience to have...while you still can.  Gettysburg's long-lived Hall of Presidents and First Ladies wax museum of the American Presidents is closing permanently November 26, 2016.  This demanded a trip to Gettysburg by the Haltermans.  If you have any interest,  we recommend it...and you need to go NOW. 

 

Inside the museum, there are four narrated rooms and wax figures of each of the Presidents through Obama.  The likenesses are reasonably realistic,  and even better,  the narrations of their accomplishments are reasonably apolitical.  There are also means behind the Presidents regarding key accomplishments, but as the rooms have grown more crowded over the years,  they are a bit out-of-sync with the figures.  Tour as slowly as you can and take lots of pictures!

 

Following this exhibit, visit the Hall of First Ladies for smaller figures of the First Ladies in their gowns.  These likenesses are less realistic, but the display is enjoyable.  It is not narrated; you can move at your own pace.

 

At the time of our visit, some of the employees,  all also part of a larger group of Gettysburg attractions, seemed unaware of the closure.  However, it is "Facebook public," payed by the company itself.  We are awaiting news of the next destination for the figures.

 

If you go, a visit here would be easy to pair with Evergreen Cemetery and/or the National Park Service Visitors Center.  The Inn at Cemetery Hill and The Inn of 1873 can provide you with super-close lodging.  AAA discounts are still available at the site as are combo attraction tickets. Consider it...and help preserve the legacy of the American wax museum.   Few exist anymore.

 

The End of Another American Wax Museum: Farewell, Natural Bridge Wax Museum

Natural Bridge Wax Museum, the first wax museum Kim ever visited (at age 10), the first wax museum Elijah ever visited (at age 9 months), and the first wax museum Gwen ever visited (at age 14 months), is closing.  We're lamenting the loss of these treasures--the 171+ figures from this site and the wax museum genre in general.  Wax museums, like taxidermy displays in natural history museums, inspire imagination in ways supposedly more "interactive" displays do not.  In the past year, we've seen the closing of the National Civil War Wax Museum in Gettysburg, PA, too.  We suggest you immediately take in a wax museum if you can--introduce your kids to one while we have them.  Here's a plus on this one, right now:  Before closing Labor Day 2014, the Natural Bridge Wax Museum is offering reduced admission and a great sale on postcards in the gift shop (a penny each!). 

The Natural Bridge Wax Museum is an interesting hodgepodge of tableaus with touches of humor.  There are Biblical scenes of Adam and Eve in the Garden, of the Last Supper, and of the Resurrection--and the museum owner is an Orthodox Jew.  There are two famous displays of wax figure Presidents--and there's a George Bush figure also serving as a security guard.  We also swear we saw a figure of former Presidential candidate Michael Dukakis downstairs in the wax figure factory exhibit.  Scenes of history include serious scenes of the US Civil War--and a scene of a truly scary "elevator" that once lowered folks down Natural Bridge and of a silly story where a gentleman traded his wife for whisky.  Check out our family visiting the museum a few years earlier here. 

This article captures the tone surrounding the closure of wax museums, although we're pretty sure it contains an error, as the Harpers Ferry John Brown Wax Museum seems to still be in operation.  Yes, you can still buy wax figures, and some will still be made in Virginia.  Find out more about Dorfman Museum Figures if you are interested.

If you go, take lots of pictures and/or video (both are encouraged) and talk to the museum staff.  We met very friendly workers on this visit, and they told us fun stories like the fact that authorities visit annually to make sure the still in the moonshine scene isn't really making anything!  You should also visit the main Natural Bridge gift shop--we hear they are redoing it sometime soon and that it will sell less "kitsch."  Therefore, we stocked up on Natural Bridge snowglobes today.  Visit here first and you may find some $2 off admission coupons (good if you don't have AAA).  You can mail those penny postcards from the Natural Bridge Post Office downstairs in the main gift shop building, too.  Of course, there are many other attractions at Natural Bridge, including the splendid bridge itself and caverns, as well as two nearby zoos: the Natural Bridge Zoo and the Virginia Safari Park.  If you like to follow the changing landscape of roadside tourism in America, check in here frequently, as there is a move to make the Natural Bridge complex a Virginia State Park. 

If you just want to learn about wax museums, the blog Houses of Wax is a good place to start--even if it hasn't been updated in a while.  We hear some of the Natural Bridge figures are headed to Bible Walk in Ohio, where some may be repurposed into other scenes.  That's always fun--ask Justin if you'd like to be able to spot MASH characters and others from Gatlinburg's former wax museum in Christ in the Smokies displays. 

Can't Keep a Wax Museum Down: Hollywood Wax Museum, Christ in the Smokies

Wax museums: great places, but becoming few and far between.  So, with the opportunity to take in two that have made a comeback in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, we were excited.

First, the Hollywood Wax Museum.  After a year or so absence from the scene, it's moved recently from Gatlinburg and has a Vegas-esque new facade near the Titanic in Pigeon Forge.  The exterior is quite impressive with a "Mt. Rushmore" of Hollywood legends.  While Tussauds it is not, we still had fun touring inside, taking advantage of many, many photo ops.  Expect some attention to classic shows like I Love Lucy but less attention to 90s phenomena (ex. Austin Powers) than the previous site offered. Before you go, read about the rates for various nearby attractions in "combination tickets," and know that it costs a pretty penny to climb to the viewing deck at the top of the facility (we skipped it). 

For a calmer tour, try Christ in the Smokies, the religious wax museum on the site of the former Christus Gardens.  When Christus Gardens closed in 2008 to make way for proposed condos, we worried--but the economy flatlined and a wax site is back.  The revised museum focuses on the Gospel accounts of Jesus; there's more information about the connections between the Old and New Testaments than on the previous Christus Gardens tour.  Expect a paced tour through dioramas beginning with the Nativity and ending with the Ascention.  If you take time to learn about the attraction, you can take advantage of opportunities to talk about it first hand with owner/artistic director, frequently working on site.  We believe the Jesus-in-film exhibit at the end of the museum is not to be missed.  Protestants and Catholics would probably be equally comfortable with the tour.  This site does not allow photographs of the main wax museum scenes, but you can take pictures in the garden and in the Tabernacle exhibit near the entry. 

If you are like us and you can't get enough of this stuff, two more notes:  Those interested on more about wax museums in general will be interested in Houses of Wax, and we believe you can still see the Christus Gardens figures at Florida's Holy Land Experience. 

The Things You Find at Battlefields!

Justin teaches Kim to appreciate the US Civil War more each day. More than that, he opens her eyes to the fabulous culture that springs up around battlefields. Battlefields are a good place to reflect on the way Americans remember--and to enjoy some roadside Americana! Of all Civil War locations, we like Gettysburg for its diversity and development--and its proximity to other visiting spots, including Harper's Ferry and Hershey. Here's the story of a day in Gettysburg--a day during which we didn't visit much of the "official" battlefield!

We started our day at the Hall of Presidents, a wax museum featuring a replica of each US President and an audio track about their histories. It's a low tech museum that survives--nicely, per the staffer we engaged in conversation. They've recently upgraded the seating, added Obama, and renovated the First Ladies gallery to make it accessible. Right now, Eisenhower items that were previously on display are in storage, but there are plans to expand exhibit space and bring these items back. If you go, think like Justin, and enjoy spotting the asyncronies in display backgrounds and figures that reveal its history as a museum and test your knowledge of history.

Boyd's Bear Country is a nifty sight as well, but they have (sadly) removed their mini-museum. They've also decreased their stuffed animal displays significantly over the years, opting for more Yankee Candles, Thomas Kincade artwork, and Longaberger Baskets. We're not Boyd's collectors, but we've visited the three-story barn to see the displays from time to time. Hansa toys are new there--stunning replicas of wild animals if you are not familiar. It's an interesting, family-friendly site that has space for entertainment and a casual meal. It's a cool place to say we've been on a quick trip and is beautifully situated in a wonderful green space.

Our day also included a lunch at the Visitor's Center, where some period foods like yummy peanut soup are served. Kim also enjoyed the outlets, with Gettysburg's mall being appropriately-sized for a few hours of shopping adventure. To its credit, there are few empty storefronts. Dinner brought some time at O'Rourke's, a place we'd oft-admired and finally headed to upon the guidance of friends. It's a well-attended pub with delicious food in large portions. Elijah recommends the cream of crab soup.

Kitsch City, USA

Where can you go to experience such fun as riding down a hill in a big plastic ball? Gatlinburg (and the surrounding area), of course! We retooled our spring break after Justin was scheduled to work two days of it, heading to Tennessee instead of Charleston, SC. We had fun keeping roadside America alive. The mountains were pretty, too, but we think one comes here for the tourist trappiness.

Kim went Zorbing! There are just two places in the world to go right now--Rotura and the Smokies. It makes one feel pretty loopy but is a terrific experience, complete with a friendly staff and AAA discounts. Justin and Elijah hung out on the ground.

In other thrills, Kim rode the Gatlinburg Sky Lift. This ride scared her more than Zorbing but provided detailed views of the town and excellent conditions for people watching. Riding at dusk showed tourist civilization in its best light. Justin and Elijah again hung out on the ground.

Then, there were also tourist attractions that did not require release of liability forms or a willingness to catch a moving chair. We took in Christ in the Smokies, the "new" Christus Gardens. We're very glad the museum has reopened, enjoying the finely-lit nativity scene and the informal exhibit of Jesus movie memorabilia the most. The gift shop is still sparse, but the museum is worthy of your support. Justin can tell you all about its history--we've ebayed for old pamplets and guidebooks from it, and he can explain the symbolism in the scenes and can even point out the "recycled" wax figures now included.

We also visited World of Illusions museum which Kim had last visited at the age of 10 with her dad. It looked old then--and still does today--but is pretty fascinating despite its simplicity and its pre-CGI inception. If you are willing to read the descriptions on the walls, you can learn a bit of magic whiling away 30 minutes. We worry that boardwalk museums--especially those that aren't part of a chain--will become a thing of the past and support them every chance we get. World of Illusions was open "until 10 or 11 [PM] or so" according to the ticket agent when we were there. Sounds like it's going strong.

For a truly trippy putt putt experience, we did Circus Blacklight Mini Golf. It's pretty spectacular low budget fun. We didn't pay extra for the 3-D glasses: it's a good thing--there were many abandoned pairs throughout the course. With glasses, this place would be downright disorienting, but without them, it was an unusual break from the heat of the day. Justin and Kim had one hole-in-one each.

On the Gatlinburg Craft Loop, we saw many non-crafts (manufactured items) but also picked up some great woodworking, particularly at Tim Weberding Woodworking. Justin is very impressed by the shaped candles at Village Candles, and we all enjoyed the welcoming attitude of Alewine Pottery.

If you go, we recommend Alamo steakhouse (particularly the Gatlinburg location) for yummy steaks and the Donut Friar in Gatlinburg's Village for delicious breakfast. The Brookside is a reasonable, family-oriented place to stay. We also get a kick out of the Hollywood Wax Museum--not Madame Tussaud's, but fun and interactive nonetheless. The best place to buy local books seems to be the National Park bookstores. For shopping, there is cheap, interesting jewelry at Earthbound and unique perfume in Scents of Gatlinburg's Southern Rain. Pigeon Forge's Christmas Place is worth a stop, too--but is better stocked summer and fall than spring. If coming from the north, it's an easy visit on the way in, as is Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World--a great place for taxidermy and many flavors of moonpies.

There's plenty of odd things to do here, making it an interesting mecca for us. The Titanic museum, a new construction with a lifesize grand staircase, opened the day we returned home, so we must go back. Someday, we'll go on the Jurassic Boat Ride, too, and I'll take Justin on that spectacular American "nature" trek that is Clingman's Dome...