Submitted by Elizabeth Malloy
(November 18, 2023) — This holiday season the Haddam Historical Society will host “All Aboard for the Holidays” at the historic Thankful Arnold House Museum, where visitors will enjoy train-themed rooms featuring history exhibits, train displays and holiday gifts.
The kitchen will feature an operating display of vintage Lionel trains and accessories from the mid-late 1940s, recreating that classic era of toy trains. A train-themed holiday tree will be featured, as well as train-related artifacts from both historical society and private collections.
Noted local modeler (and HHS Board member) Bill Schneider has recreated all five stations in HO scale (1/87 full size). Bill’s work has been featured in several magazines, including Railroad Model Craftsman and Great Model Railroads, as well as in several hobby books.
Though a small town, Haddam had no fewer than five train stations, including the Higganum station shown above. All are long gone now, but now these stations live on in miniature. These custom-built, one-of-a-kind model displays will be up for auction, with all proceeds to benefit the Haddam Historical Society.
https://new.biddingowl.com/haddamhistoricalsociety
The Society gift shop will be packed with a variety of goodies, including themed gifts to capture the spirit of the holidays, as well as train-themed gifts, old-fashioned candy, Colonial-period toys, locally handcrafted goods, kissing balls, holiday cards with scenes of area landmarks and so much more. In addition, visitors can enter our holiday raffle for fabulous prizes including tickets to the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, a Melissa and Doug toy train set, and area historic train maps. This is an event not to be missed.
Admission is free and the exhibit will be open to the public on:
Saturday, December 3, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.Sunday, December 4, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.Saturday, December 9, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.Sunday, December 10, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Thankful Arnold House Museum is located at 14 Hayden Hill Road in Haddam.
