Katie posted on September 01, 2009
This year, Christmas came early for Omaha with a little bit of Disney magic. Last weekend, Disney’s A Christmas Carol Train Tour made a three day pit stop at the Durham Museum. The attraction was extremely popular, with lines gearing up for a 4-5 hour wait on Sunday.
The exhibit itself featured a sneak peak of the new movie (“A Christmas Carol”), behind the scenes displays, and real artifacts from the Charles Dickens Museum in London, England.
With crowds that big, you can imagine that it is no small feat to pull off an event like this. Retail operations manager, Diane Hileman said that Disney has seven people travel with the exhibit and when they reach their destination, they hire 12 technicians and almost 100 other people to help set up and monitor security.
The event’s success, however, was not only to Disney’s benefit. This type of affair also helps to promote the museum itself.
“I think it was an excellent event for the museum-just a fun event that people came in and had a good time,” Hileman said.
Sandra Austin, a museum volunteer, is also aware that an event like this is admirable news for the museum.
“Sometimes, it’s the first time people come to see what we have to offer,” said Austin.
With all the families that came in to see Disney’s exciting new promotion, there’s no doubt that it could help the museum’s popularity. Occasions of this nature can also have a positive effect on membership sales and future visitor counts.
The Durham Museum has been open since 1975. Aside from traveling exhibitions that come in seasonally, the museum offers a range of permanent exhibits that highlight the history of Omaha and the surrounding area. “It’s very important to preserve the past,” Austin said, “There’s always something for everyone, no matter what age you’re at.”
-Story by Katie Howard