Are you our fan on Facebook?

A few months ago we started a fan site on Facebook. Over the weekend we reached over 200 fans! We're excited that our fan base have grown so quickly.

If you're on Facebook, considering becoming a fan. Learn more about what's going on at the museum, interact with staff, and post your own photos of the museum!

So far the discussion is pretty quiet -- so stop by and say hi!

(There is a link to our page on the right side of this blog!)

New message repeaters in the Street of Shops

It irks me when I walk through the Street of Shops and find an audio tour babbling on and on and no one is in sight listening to it!

It isn't the visitor's fault -- most of the audio programs are just too long.

So we are making some changes to fix that.

Each site in the Street of Shops that has a button will soon have one unit with multiple buttons so visitors can choose what topic they would like to learn more about.

For example, the new buttons for the Cabin will be:

• Life as a Pioneer


• The Homestead


• Open Hearth Cooking


• Sewing, Knitting and Weaving

Each program will be less than one minute, to encourage visitors to listen to the whole thing.

So far I have written new scripts for the Cabin, Dannemiller Store, Print Shop, Hotel Lobby and the Saloon.

I am planning to create scripts for a few spots that currently do not have buttons:

• Toy Shop


• Hotel Lobby (done!)


• Saloon (done!)


• Fire Station


• Gas Station


• Pharmacy

The funding for this new project was made possible by donors to our annual Capital & Replacement Campaign. Thank you so much!

We will begin recording the new scripts soon. Look for them after the first of the year!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I love Thanksgiving.


It's a time to sit back and think about everything I am thankful for. And believe me, I have a whole list of things I am grateful for. To name just one, I am lucky enough to have a fulfilling career and a job that I love.


This year has been a tough one for so many people. I hope that in the days and months ahead, things get better for our community and for our country.

In spite of the economy, the Museum has enjoyed higher attendance rates for most months this year. We have been working hard to bring you new exhibits and programs. And we are seeing the fruits of our labor pay off in sold out progams and events.

So I guess one of the things I am most thankful for is the community of Canton, Ohio, and your unending enthusiasm for the Museum. You are not only signing up for things, you are out there talking to your friends about what we do, and it means so much to all of us that you care so much about the Museum.

I believe that no matter what is going on in your life, everyone has something to be thankful for. And if you stop to think about what that might be, whatever you're going through might not seem so bad.

If you know anything about history, you know everything happens in cycles. Flu epidemics come and go. The economy crashes and recovers. Wars start. Wars end. History is a wonderful teacher. It shows us how we can emerge on the other side smarter, stronger and better for the lessons we have learned.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving. Eat as much turkey as you can, and be thankful for the meal on your table. There are so many people suffering, right in our own community. Think of ways you can make a difference this holiday season. As always, the Museum is requesting that guests bring a non-perishable food donation for local food banks to our Holiday Open House on Friday December 4. Every little bit helps!!

We have enough dresses!

Thank you to everyone who called to offer their wedding gown for our Bridal Show in April!

We have met our goal of 45 dresses, and they spread out nicely across the decades!

Look for more information soon about purchasing tickets and donating baskets or gift cards for our pre-party raffle.

Day After Thanksgiving program

Click on the program to see everything we've got planned for Friday!

World Premiere of The McKinley Wars!

As promised, here are the highlights of the World Premiere of The McKinley Wars from last Saturday night!

Visit www.moblyng.com to make your own!

View CTC clip about the Museum

CTC is now on YouTube!

Click here to see the Museum's latest segment. Susie Vitale interviewed me about the new exhibits we have, including The Stark County Story and Life in Miniature.

Please take a minute to check it out. They are anxious to see how many people will view the show online, since some of the cable channels where the show previously aired are no longer available.

I am hoping they reach a ton of people this way!

NEW COMMERCIAL!!

Click on the video below to watch our NEW COMMERCIAL, produced by Jim Gerren of Nightwine Productions!!

(Yes, the famous Jim Gerren from our Movie Camp!)

Tea with the Curator: "The History of Dollhouses"

We had a great time this morning at the Tea!

Here are some photos of the event.

(The Movie Camp premiere was Saturday night and I have photos to post of that, but I left my camera card at home! I will do that this week, I promise!)

Up on the roof....

I was just up on the roof with Steve looking at the new construction of our storage building!

It was a bit unexpected and spontaneous that I ended up on the roof, so I didn't have my camera with me. Special thanks to Steve for capturing these images on his cell phone! (You may have to wait a second or two for the photos to load)

Visit www.moblyng.com to make your own!

School tours of the new exhibit

Now that the new Stark County Story exhibit is open, things are really gearing up in the Education Department!

Here are some photos of the first Ohio & You: Stark County Then & Now program done by Museum Teacher Mark Holland:

This program has been revised to utilize the new exhibit.

The docents are all doing wonderful as they learn the new tour. Chris has spent more than a year preparing for the new education programs, and teachers are loving what they see!

We need wedding dresses!

Believe it or not, we're starting to plan the Bridal Show in April 2010! We have our first committee meeting this week.

We are looking for bridal gowns to feature in our show. We have 24, so we're looking for about 20 more.

If you know someone who would be interested in loaning their dress for the show, please have them call me at 330-455-7043.

THANK YOU!

New storage building!

Work has begun on our new conservation gallery and storage building! (Of course work on this project HAS been going on for more than a year -- it's just not the kind of work that you can SEE!)

The Museum was closed yesterday while our electrical system was upgraded in anticipation of the new addition to our building.

The new building will be located behind our current building and will be accessible to staff and volunteers through the second floor.

Our collection has grown so much over the past few years, we have run out of space! This project is one of many things funded by our Capital Campaign.

Thank you to all who made this possible!

Museum featured in The Suburbanite

Click here to read an feature story about the Museum that appeared in The Suburbanite!

Dollhouse program is finished!

I have just completed the program for the next Tea with the Curator on the history of dollhouses! (November 16 at 10:00 AM -- call for reservations!)

What a fun program to work on! Lots of little things to explore...

We will learn about the history of dollhouses from ancient Egypt to the present, and how the miniature world has transformed from a hobby into an art form!

We will look in-depth at Queen Mary's Dolls' House, Colleen Moore's Fantasy Castle, and John Zweifel's Miniature White House.

The program will conclude with a tour of the Keller Gallery exhibition Life in Miniature, featuring 23 dollhouses and roomboxes borrowed from the community and from the museum's collection.

It's going to be a lot of fun!