(L-R) Wood County Solid Waste District promotes recycling, Brianne McAlister waits for Santa Claus, the Maumee Singers Alumni Group performs.

Holiday Decorators • Tour the Museum • Gala Fundraiser • Special Events & Teas • Gift Shop

2008 Public Tours December 6 - December 21 Weekdays 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Weekends 1:00 - 4:00 Extended hours opening weekend and during teas. SEE THE POLAR EXPRESS! Wood County in Motion - Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation Opening Weekend Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the holidays and visit the Museum in all of its holiday and historic splendor. Reminisce of holidays past as you tour over 30 rooms, outbuildings, and grounds decorated by community members and organizations. Garden clubs, Red Hats, Scouts, local merchants, county organizations, and even local theatre pool creativity to turn the former Infirmary into a Victorian home filled with warmth and life. Live entertainment, kid's activities, and a visit from SANTA and MRS. CLAUS on the opening weekend. More details to follow! TEAS Holiday teas are a nice treat to yourself or someone you love. [more] We're in the NEWS! Sentinel 11-29-07 BG News 11-30-07 Sentinel 12-01-07 Toledo Blade 12-03-07

BE A HOLIDAY DECORATOR! If you, or your organization, would like to be a holiday decorator for the 2008 Old Home Holiday Tour, download an application. 2007 Decorations Courtesy of: Front Porch - Fostoria Garden Club Front Parlor - Heritage Corner Dining Room - Spunky Red Hattitudes Front Hall & Stairs - George & Leslee Thompson West Hall Pianos - Memorial to David Isaacs - Edie Olds Museum Gift Shop Restroom - FROGS - FRiends Of Girl Scouts Small Meeting Room - WCHS Tea Bags Main Meeting Room - WCHS Tea Bags Kitchen Exhibit - Museum Gift Shop & White Elephant Christmas Sale Laundry Exhibit - North Baltimore Business & Professional Women Weston Alumni Room - Bowling Green Parks & Recreation Alumni Exhibit - Wood Co. Solid Waste District East Hall & Stairs - Fostoria Garden Club Government Exhibit - North Baltimore Garden Club Arts & Crafts Exhibit - North Baltimore Gleaner Arbor #461 Victorian Parlor - Bridge Hospice Victorian’s Secret - Pemberville Massage Therapy & Friends (outside) Museum Entrance - Klotz Flower Farm (outside) Lunatic House - Wood Co. Health Dept. Native Indian, post-European - Nanna’s Bookstore & Santa’s Elves Wood County in Motion - Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation Native Indian, pre-European - Bowling Green School Transportation Medical Exhibit - Black Swamp Girl Scout Unit East Hall - Becky White-Schooner & Juanita Place Beauty & Barber Exhibit (coming April 2008) - Edie Olds Reed General Store - Little Elves Life at the Home Exhibit - Denise Carter Hands on History - Woodlink Libraries of Wood County and WCHS Volunteers Infirmary Bedroom - Black Swamp Herb Society One-room School - Girl Scout Troops 223 & 195, Junior Troop 892, & Brownie Troops 991 & 993 Military Exhibit - Bowling Green Bus Garage Center Landing - Ashlie Webb Center Stairs - David L. Smith 4-H Exhibit - Wood Co. 4-H West Wing Hall - Main Street Bowling Green Organization & For Keeps Gifts Hettel-Mills Bedroom - Black Swamp Spinners Bender Bedroom - Wayne Garden Club West Hall - Weston Historical Society & McKenzie’s Flowers Bechtel Garden Room - Black Swamp Players

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Download an application
printable PDF 2008 application (908 KB)
or contact the Museum to have an application mailed to you.
Decorating takes place from November 1 - November 22, 2008.

Be a Decorator!
Holiday decorating has been a long standing tradition at the Historical Center. Every year, community members representing businesses, organizations, or themselves express their talents and passions through decorating. Historically, the County Home welcomed all members of the community. It was the residence to many different types of people and it served as an important service to Wood County. In keeping with this mission, we offer the holiday decorating which, like the variety of people who lived and worked here, takes on an array of personalities. We hope that this opportunity gives our community members a chance to work together, and our visiting public an opportunity to see all the splendor that this old home has to offer.

We encourage our decorators to consider the room display when choosing decorations. We have a variety of exhibits that can easily lend themselves to complimenting your decor.

2008 IMPORTANT DATES:

Saturday, March 1	Early Bird Requests Due
Saturday, July 26 @ 2 PM	DECORATOR’S PSYCH-UP MEETING & LUNCHEON Edie Olds will host an informative decorator’s meeting on July 26 at the Museum. We will share decorating ideas and tour the museum as you begin to plan your decorating plans. PLEASE RSVP 419-352-0967. If you cannot attend this meeting, please don’t hesitate to submit your application regardless.
Tuesday, September 30	All Applications Due
Friday, October 10	Confirmations by phone
Saturday, October 18 @ 2 PM	DECORATOR’S MEETING Edie Olds will host an informative decorator’s meeting on October 18 at the Museum. We will share decorating ideas and tour the museum as you finalize your decorating plans. PLEASE RSVP 419-352-0967. If you cannot attend this meeting, please don’t hesitate to submit your application regardless.
November 1 - 22	Holiday Decorating - see calendar below for days and time. *Please expect to leave decorations up until January.*
Friday, December 5 @ 6 PM	Holiday Gala
December 6 - 21	Old Home Holiday Tour
Thursday, December 11 & 18	Holiday Teas
January 5 - 16	Decorator Tear-down - see calendar below for days and times.

MUSEUM RULES FOR DECORATORS

We are proud to offer the community a glorious Holiday event, but we are also an educational museum that has precious artifacts that require care. Please follow these rules carefully to avoid damage to the site or the artifacts.

• No live plants or trees inside the Museum.
• No loose glitter or confetti.
• No food or beverage in any exhibit room. This includes decorations as well as refreshments while decorating. Food attracts mice, rodents, and bugs.
• Do not handle or move any artifacts or displays. Please contact the Museum Curator or Staff to move artifacts.
• Decorations should fit within the current exhibits. Visitors want to enjoy the historic exhibits as well as the holiday decorating, so please try to work around as many artifacts as possible.
• Do not attach decorations to artifacts or fixtures. Use museum-approved mylar sheets to protect any furniture or artifacts.
• Do not put nails in the walls, ceilings, floors, or woodwork. Any hanging items must be mounted on existing nails or on door or railing hooks.
• Do not stick tape on the walls, ceilings, cases, or artifacts. If tape is needed, please use special Museum approved tape that will not damage surfaces.
• Do not block any exit or internal fire doors.
• Do not put decorations on functioning light fixtures. This is a fire hazard.
• All lights need to be plugged into a power bar, preferrably one with surge protection.
• Please bring your own extension cords and other needed materials.
• Do not put decorations on stairway hand rails. This is a safety hazard. Stair spindles are acceptable, but use pipe cleaners when attaching decorations so as not to scratch the wood.
• Room assignments will be selected on a first come, first served basis.
• The Wood County Historical Society is not responsible for any loss or damage to the property of the participant.
• We encourage you to visit your assigned room in advance so that your decorating may compliment the historic nature of the artifacts and the exhibit. You may also incorporate the Holiday Gala theme, which will be determined later this year.
• All decorators are responsible for dismantling their decorations and cleaning up the exhibit room, leaving it in the same condition it was in upon arrival. Clean-up should be completed by mid-January. Sweepers and brooms are available. The Museum staff will provide tree boxes as well as put away boxed trees. Museum staff will return artifacts to the exhibits.
• Please don’t apply to decorate the same room two years in a row. It’s more fun to rotate and try new things.
• This year, we ask that you leave up your decorations until January. We do have group tours and visitors throughout December.

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Unique • Local • Historical • Special
We have a wide variety of gifts that range from locally grown herbs to books about the weird. Stop in and see what's new!

White Elephant Sale!
Unique Christmas shopping at our White Elephant sale!
We are currently accepting donations. Deliver to Marilyn Lange, 110 Perry Street, Pemberville, or deliver to the Museum.