Thursday, December 18, 2008

Ready for Winter



It's been a quiet week at the Bush House Museum, in part because of the snow and ice that have been on the ground since Sunday evening. This is a vintage photo but it gives you a good idea of what it's been like around here.

Inside the House, the Christmas tree is up and the rooms are decorated with fresh greens, flowers, and tokens of the season. We welcomed almost 300 people during our recent Holiday Open House, which featured a visit from Santa, holiday music, a kids' activity, and homemade cookies. If you missed the event, you can still treat your visiting friends and family members to a tour of the Museum the weekend after Christmas.

We're already looking forward to 2009, Oregon's Sesquicentennial or 150th Anniversary. As a leader in the Democratic Party, Asahel Bush II was a central figure in the move toward statehood, and we plan to highlight his story in exhibits throughout the year. Although the Museum will be closed for maintenance from December 31 until March 3, we'll open briefly on Oregon's birthday, February 14, with an exhibit of vintage Valentines -- our love letter to Oregon.

For the next few weeks we will be busy behind the scenes cleaning, organizing, labeling, and working on a variety of projects. Check back with us to find out what's going on! And in the meantime, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.