Press Release
A family of festive holiday mice have invaded the
Aurora Regional Fire Museum. The museum’s north bunkroom -- home to Aurora’s real “north pole” (the brass fire pole that served the north-side of the old Central Fire Station) -- has been transformed with the holiday exhibit, “All I want for Christmas… is a Fire Engine under the Tree.”
This temporary holiday exhibit includes over five hundred (all different) firefighting Christmas ornaments from the collection of John and Barbara Nolan displayed on three nine-foot Christmas trees. Some ornaments are whimsical -- featuring cartoon characters, while others are more realistic and boast working sirens and flashing lights. In all there are nearly one hundred versions of Santa dressed in firefighting gear, fifty firefighting snowmen, and another fifty fire engines of every size and shape.
Also on exhibit are more than a dozen firefighting toys -- including a cast-iron ladder truck from the nineteenth century, a popular Tonka fire pumper from the 1960s, a contemporary Fisher-Price fire engine, and even a firefighting Barbie doll.
After they completed decorating upstairs, the firehouse mice took up residence in the museum’s ground-floor exhibit “Getting There, Getting Water, Getting Rescued.” See Cinders as he sleeps in the steam fire engine’s boiler, Sparks as he tries to ring the fire bell, and Ashes as he decorates a 1948 fire engine.
The exhibit opens Saturday November 29th (2008) with special activities, FREE admission for the day, a visit from Santa the Fire Chief, storytelling, a holiday mouse hunt, and more. The museum's holiday exhibits will run though the end of January.
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'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the old firehouse,
Not a creature was stirring, ‘cept “Cinders” the firefighting mouse.
The boots had been placed by the firefighter’s bunks with care,
In hopes that Santa the Fire Chief, soon would be there…
The firefighters were nestled
all snug in their bunks,
While visions of fire truck
toys danc'd in their heads,
The Capt’n and Rookie
in a kerchief ‘n cap
Were tossing and turning
and trying to nap….
The mice spoke not a word,
but went straight to their work,
And fill'd all the boots;
then turned with a jerk;
And grabbed on with a
mousey little grip,
And down the fire pole
they went with a zip…
“Cinders” landed with a bump,
and to the crew gave a whistle
And away they all flew,
like the down of a thistle:
But I heard them exclaim,
as the scampered out of sight --
Happy Holidays to all,
and have a fire-safe night. |
All I want for Christmas is....
A Fire Engine Under the Tree
 Vistors admire three 9 foot-tall Chirstmas trees adorned with more than 500 firefighting Christmas ornaments.
Vistors (of all ages) also enjoyed the firefighting toys that were to be found scattered under the trees.
Firefighting ornaments, fire engine toys, everyone had something to look at.
Fire engines, fire stations, firefighting santas, snowmen, dogs and cats, and even cows and mice -- more than 500 firefighting ornaments were aranged on three trees. One tree was decorated with a traditional motif, one more whimsical, and the third more ornate featuring blown-glass ornaments.
This version of Santa riding in a fire engine was wired for sound and lights.
Visotors loved searching for all the firefighting holiday mice scappered thoughout the museum. Here one fellow is hanging-out on the side of the museum's 1918 American LaFrance engine, serving up some hot chololate.
Another holiday mouse was to be found s keeping watch in the old fire station's former "watch office."
"Smokey" another holiday mouse was found decorating a tree of his own, inside of the museum's hand-cranked firefighter's air mask box.
"Cinders" on of our firefighting holday mice was found keeping snug and warm in his bed hidden inside the boiler of the museum's steam fire engine.
Santa the Fire Chief was on hand during the exhibits opening to welcome girls and boys or all ages
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