Walter P. Chrysler Museum Spruces Up Cars, Trees & Traditions With New Décor, Vintage Pedal Cars and New Programs
* Family Fun Day, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21
* Holiday Ornament Workshops, 1 – 4 p.m. or 5 – 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8
* Child-Friendly Crafts, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturdays
Auburn Hills, Mich., Nov 12, 2009 - The Walter P. Chrysler Museum, in Auburn Hills, is putting on its holiday finery for Cars, Trees & Traditions, Nov. 21 – Dec. 30. The fifth annual seasonal exhibit returns with enhanced décor, a vintage pedal car display and new programs.
Cars, Trees & Traditions spotlights eight decades of holiday style through 23 nostalgically- and thematically-decked evergreen trees, paired with vehicles from the Museum’s collection. Each vignette is wrapped with text, images and advertisements reminiscent of holidays past.
Following the exhibition’s narrative from one vignette to the next, guests see how vehicle progression – from horseless carriages to enclosed, more comfortable and better engineered models – helped change the ways in which Americans celebrated the season’s festivities.
New for 2009
Thirty vintage pedal cars dating back to the 1920s, including many Chrysler-inspired models and specialty vehicles, will lend an additional nostalgic touch to this year’s exhibition. The miniature cars and trucks are from the private collections of Greg Gladki of Westland, MI, and Earl Ickes of Clinton Township, MI.
Among the pedal cars on display:
* 1925 Hudson
* 1937 Airflow Sedan
* Airflow Fire Truck
* 1938 Dodge Sedan
* 1939 Chrysler Airflow Fire Truck
* 1939 Dodge
* 1941 Dodge Fire Chief
* 1941 Chrysler
* 1941 Chrysler Sedan
* 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury
* 1968 Dodge Charger
* Jeep
Family Fun Day
Cars, Trees & Traditions opens with Family Fun Day, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21. Festivities include:
* informal exhibition tours
* visits with Santa in a vintage Dodge truck – bring your camera!!
* a host of holiday crafts
* air brush body art (11 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
* Christmas Traditions Unwrapped, presented by Lisa Gleeson of Lisa's Gift Wrappers, in Royal Oak (11:30 a.m.). Gleeson will share origins of holiday traditions, including:
o The Christmas tree’s German “roots” and popularization by the British
o Holiday cards dating back to 1870
o The evolution of St. Nicholas into Santa Claus
o The introduction of exchanging gifts
o Gift wrapping, starting with brown paper packages tied up with strings
* balloon art
* holiday music
* sweet treats
The Museum’s gift shop will also feature discounts on a number of collectibles, providing an opportunity for guests to get a jump on their holiday shopping.
Special Family Fun Day admission is $7.50 / person for ages 2 and older and $28 / family of four. (Member admission is $6.25 / person and $24 / family of four.)
Holiday Ornament Workshops
For crafty guests, the Museum is hosting Holiday Ornament Workshops, 1 – 4 p.m. or 5 – 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, including a bulb-making session, refreshments and an exhibition tour.
Participants will create a keepsake memento from a favorite photo scanned prior to the workshop and slipped into a glass bulb. Participants will adorn the ornaments with a variety of silk flowers, leaves, beads and baubles – all with the help of a pro, Kathy Burm of Bulbs by Blondie.
Registration is $21/person – including Museum admission ($19/member). Visit Featured Events at
Walter P. Chrysler Museum or e-mail
events@wpchryslermuseum.org for registration and details for submitting photos via e-mail or mail.
Saturday Crafts
Everyone in the family can test their creativity with holiday crafts du jour, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. every Saturday from Thanksgiving through year’s end. Two to three child-friendly crafts will be offered each Saturday with regular Museum admission.
Cars, Trees & Traditions will be open for self-guided tours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday and noon - 5 p.m. Sunday. The Museum is closed every Monday, as well as Nov. 25 and 26 and Dec. 24 and 25.
General Museum admission, which includes Cars, Trees & Traditions, is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors (62 and older) and $4 for juniors (6 – 12). Children 5 years old and younger are free. Admission is $4 per person for groups of 15 or more with advance registration.
For more information – and two for one admission coupons -- visit
Walter P. Chrysler Museum or call 248-944-0001. To schedule a group visit, e-mail
grouptours@wpchryslermuseum.org or call 248-944-0450. Two for one admission coupons are not valid for Family Fun Day or the Holiday Ornament Workshops.
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