Museums Let You Put on Your Learning Cap
Published Feb 11, 2009
Ever wondered what happens to all those letters children mail to Santa? They’re delivered to the Santa Claus Museum in Santa Claus, Ind., of course.
“We get all the mail addressed to Santa Claus and the North Pole,” says Sue Hurst, curator for the Spencer County museum. “They come from all over the world, and volunteers come in and answer them each year. We even try to answer the ones written in other languages if we can find a volunteer who speaks that language. We answer more than 10,000 letters a year.”
The Santa Claus Museum is just one of several specialty museums in Southwest Indiana that cater to a cross-section of tastes and interests.
Henager’s Memories and Nostalgia Museum in Gibson County includes movie memorabilia, vintage photos, a 1930 Ford Model A coupe, and special collections featuring Roy Rogers and Smokey Bear.
Warrick County is home to the Museum of the Coal Industry, which pays tribute to the region’s 150-year mining heritage. Henderson, Kentucky’s John James Audubon State Park houses the world’s largest collection of Audubon’s art and exhibits on the famed naturist’s life.
The Santa Claus Museum keeps alive the town’s 95-year-long tradition of answering letters addressed to the jolly old man in red. That tradition got its start in 1914 when town Postmaster James Martin took it upon himself to answer children’s letters to Santa. From that, visitors began flocking to the Santa Claus Post Office to get the special postmark.
The Santa Claus Museum opened in 2006 and features memorabilia, photos and articles detailing the town’s history as well as a letter station where children can write letters to Santa.
“We just put in an audiovisual presentation about the history of Holiday World theme park,” Hurst says of the nearby attraction. “Our attendance is really growing. People like it because the town of Santa Claus is so unique. And how many museums let you write a letter to Santa?”
Story by Jessica Mozo
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