The Behringer-Crawford Museum’s annual Holly Jolly Days exhibitions are in full swing, and there’s still plenty of time for NKY residents to come down and check out all of the festivities.
They include the museum’s well-known model train shows and a full exhibit showcasing costumes and set props of the 1954 classic musical “White Christmas,” many of the stars of which come from the tri-state area.
“It is so great to see the kids and people of all ages, young at heart, that come in, and their eyes light up,” said Mary Jane Calderon, communications manager from the museum.
Calderon and an intern, Madelyn Morris, who’s a student at the Ignite Institute, gave LINK nky a tour of the exhibits last Thursday.
The museum’s permanent exhibits are still accessible throughout the building’s four floors, but this time of year, everybody comes out to see the trains and costumes.
The model train displays are all highly detailed and interactive. Buttons line the frames of the displays, over 30 of them, Calderon said.
Each one activates something on the display. Press one button, and a tram car speeds by. Press another, and a UFO abducts an unsuspecting cow.
Volunteer train monitors watch nearby to ensure it runs smoothly. A local retired mechanic comes to inspect and repair any of the mechanisms in the displays.
“You wouldn’t believe all the work that goes into making sure each one of these runs properly,” Calderon said.
The “White Christmas” exhibit, on the other hand, is put in on in partnership with the Rosemary Clooney House.
Clooney, who’s originally from Maysville, played Betty Haynes in the film.
The costumes were all designed by Hollywood icon Edith Head, whose talents and distinctive appearance served as the inspiration for Edna Mode, the eccentric superhero costume designer in The Incredibles.
Hedwig won the Academy Awards eight times for her costume designs, making her the most honored woman in the Academy’s history.
Most (but not all) of the costumes and props on display were used in the movie, although some items have deteriorated due to the inevitable ravages of time.
The costumes for Vera-Ellen, who’s originally from Norwood, are a highlight of the collection.
Costumes on display at the Holly Jolly Days exhibit at the Behringer-Crawford Museum. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky 
Costumes on display at the Holly Jolly Days exhibit at the Behringer-Crawford Museum. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky 
Costumes on display at the Holly Jolly Days exhibit at the Behringer-Crawford Museum. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky 
Costumes on display at the Holly Jolly Days exhibit at the Behringer-Crawford Museum. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky 
Costumes on display at the Holly Jolly Days exhibit at the Behringer-Crawford Museum. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky 
Costumes on display at the Holly Jolly Days exhibit at the Behringer-Crawford Museum. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky 
Costumes on display at the Holly Jolly Days exhibit at the Behringer-Crawford Museum. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky 
Costumes on display at the Holly Jolly Days exhibit at the Behringer-Crawford Museum. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky
Fans of the film will find plenty to love about the exhibit, which has costumes for not only Ellen but the other cast members, as well.
One visitor, Cincinnati resident Connie Shepherd, spoke of the movie’s “sentimental value.” She even has a key chain, given to her by her daughter, sporting the design of the Columbia Inn, one of the key settings in the movie.
She said her favorite scene in the movie was the final scene when soldiers from the platoon of General Waverly, played by Dean Jagger from Lima, Ohio, show up to surprise him.
“That’s when I start crying,” Shepherd said. “I cry till it’s over.”
The Holly Jolly Days exhibits will be on display at the museum until Jan. 11. You can learn more, including the museum’s hours, at bcmuseum.org.