Holidays in Henry Ford Museum {review}

My family took our very first, group trip to the Henry Ford Museum to enjoy their "Holidays in the Henry Ford Museum" event. I haven't been to visit this museum for a very long time and the rest of my family has never been. 

Needless to say, we had fun digging through Henry Ford's treasures of time and learning about our history. Alex especially liked the fun photo opportunities {like being a hot-dog at the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile}. 

Me? I was taken by all the history. How things used to be made, how people used to live, and what "the norm" was for people living in the early 1970's {for example} really captivated me. I'm a visual and hands-on kind of learner so I was loving the wealth of information collected in the museum.

 

I mean, where else can you see the actual vehicle that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in? {If I saw it at The Henry Ford, I'm sure you can "guess" the answer to that.} It was overwhelming to me but it helped me feel a little of what my mom feels when she recalls that day. 

Or how about President Eisenhower's Bubbletop limousine? What an amazing piece of history. What an honor to be able to see these things and read about life at the time that it was actually in use. 

If you enjoy looking at old cars as much as I do, you'll love seeing the Ford Mark IV Race Car in person. This is quite an amazing looking vehicle. But it's far more than neat to look at. It's history was made in 1967 with a big win and a new lap record set. 

But we really weren't in the museum to review the museum. We saw many neat things there, yes. Our main focus was to enjoy a day of family fun playing with...

TRAINS!

There were 2 large displays of train tables. I tried to capture the life-size trains in the background to give you an idea of how absolutely massive this train table was. Alex stood with the hubster watching, and watching, and watching the trains go around. The detail is something that needs to be seen in person. What a great amount of work went into putting this together. 

The second train table {and I'm sorry for not having a picture of this for you} was made out of Legos. Every train, every building, and every other piece on the table was constructed from Legos. There were people available to help little ones build their own trains out of Legos {with an option to buy after they're completed} as well. This was recommended for children 5 years of age and older so we skipped it as we thought it would only frustrate our eager 3 year old.

Alex played at the Duplo train tables for a bit. He was so happy to have found Thomas the Tank Engine there.  

And while Alex was busy with the Duplo trains, Eliana found some blocks that were just her size. She absolutely loved playing with these blocks. The hubster sat and played with her for a bit while I shot some photos and she could have stayed there all day. I could hear her little happy squeals the entire time she was playing. Too cute. 

The rocking trains were also a big hit with Eliana. I rocked her in there and if I dared to stop, she'd grab a hold of the "controls" and bounce up and down trying to make it rock again. 

When Alex spotted the wooden train tables, he was really in his element. He played there with a couple boys and girls as they traded trains, and tables, and play ideas. This was the hardest part for him to leave but he was OK knowing that his own wooden train set was waiting for him at home. 

Finally, children are invited to visit with Santa Claus and write letters for him. Alex didn't want to see Santa at all. In fact, when I only mentioned that he was in the museum, Alex's eyes turned to saucers and he insisted that he did NOT want to go see Santa. I'm not one to push so I let it go knowing that we would have fun in other parts of the museum, doing other things. However, Alex did enjoy playing in the North Pole Workshop. Isn't this playhouse just the cutest? 

The Holidays in Henry Ford Museum can be enjoyed from November 29, 2010 to January 9th, 2011. The pricing is more than reasonable and it's really a lot of fun for everyone in the family. And while you're there, why not go see a movie in the IMAX theater at the Henry Ford? {We wished we could have stayed to see The Polar Express.}

More details on hours and pricing for Holidays in Henry Ford Museum can be found by clicking it. There's also more information on the activities going on during the event. 

If you live near Dearborn, MI, please take your family to see the museum. It's beautiful and educational. The hubster and I look forward to returning sometime without the little ones so we can really take it all in.

Please see my Whrrl story on our time there.

More check-ins at The Henry Ford

Powered by Whrrl

**My family received free admission (for 3) from The Henry Ford for the purpose of review and sharing our experience with you. I received no other compensation. This review is written based on our experience exclusively. Other opinions may vary.**