Discover family fun at 2 regional museums

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, December 22, 2005

Family in from out of town this holiday season? Need to find ways to entertain the kids during winter break? For those willing to take a short drive south to Seattle or Tacoma, many family-oriented activities are offered.

Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry gets nostalgic during the museum’s 54th annual observance of “A Holiday To Remember.”

The Montlake neighborhood museum features a nostalgic display of antique toys and vintage decorations, including a 19th century sleigh that the whole family can sit in.

Black and white photographs in the “America Through the CBS Eye” exhibit at the museum continue the nostalgia. Selections from the CBS network archive make up the exhibit spanning 50 years from the late 1920s to the early 1970s. In addition to the nearly 150 framed black and white photographs, captions, wall text panels, including a foreword by Walter Cronkite, and timeline panels complete the exhibit.

The exhibition features images of some of the 20th century’s biggest stars and icons, including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe. Visitors will learn how entertainment evolved from vaudeville to radio.

Both exhibits are displayed through Jan. 16.

The Washington State History Museum in Tacoma offers the family-friendly 10th annual Model Train Festival beginning Monday through Jan. 2. Puget Sound-area residents and visitors can get their choo-choo fix during the eight-day event.

Train enthusiasts of all ages will be able to view elaborate train sets, learn about the history of railroads in Washington state and participate in hands-on exhibits including controlling a 12-foot-long train made of Legos.

Participants in this year’s event include members of the Puget Sound Model Railroad Engineers, Tacoma Northwestern Model Railroad Club and Mount Rainier N-Scale.

The show is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Special hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. New Year’s Eve and noon to 5 p.m. New Year’s Day.

Visitors to Pierce County can also view the 11th annual “Fantasy Lights at Spanaway Park” through New Year’s Day. The drive-through display boasts that it is the largest holiday drive-through display in the Northwest, featuring more than 290 displays and thousands and thousands of sparkling lights. The two-mile drive alongside Spanaway Lake features animated displays including bears flying kites, Santa snowboarding down a slope, a fire-breathing sea serpent and reindeer leaping over visitors’ cars.

New this year are displays of playful penguins, a magical toyland and shimmering snowflakes. As visitors wind through the display, car radios can be tuned to enjoy special holiday music performed by a local high school.

Fantasy Lights at Spanaway Park is open 5:30 to 9 p.m. daily through New Year’s Day.

The Model Train Festival begins Monday at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma.