Trails Center
| Contacts: | Lesley A. Elser | |||
| 307-261-7603 |
National Historic Trails Interpretive Center Announces Holiday on the Homestead:
Model Trains, Corn Husk Dolls, the Prairie Sweet Shop and More
Dip pretzels in melted chocolate, create a corn husk doll, and operate model trains at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center.
 Visitors will have the opportunity to make corn husk dolls at the Trails Center on Dec. 8. |
The festival is free and open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to benefit the Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies and families of Natrona County.
“Holiday on the Homestead is a community holiday celebration,” said Trails Center Director Mike Abel. “We are offering a variety of family-oriented, educational and fun activities.”
The following is a list of activities for the event:
- Operate a model train
All aboard! The Central Wyoming Model Railroad Association will assist folks in the operation of four model railroads. The model trains represent coal powered trains and steam locomotives.
- Make a corn husk doll
Emigrant children on the trails often made their own dolls. Create your own unique corn husk doll. Materials provided, while supplies last.
- Create an ornament
Decorate ornaments for your Christmas tree. Materials provided, while supplies last.
- Visit the Prairie Sweet Shop
Stop by the Prairie Sweet Shop and make your own chocolate treats. A Trails Center pioneer reenactor will melt the chocolate in Dutch ovens. While supplies last.
- Take family photos in pioneer clothes
Dress up in pioneer clothes for old-time, family photos. A pioneer reenactor and professional photographer will assist families in dressing up in traditional pioneer clothing for photographs. Participants must provide a digital camera for photos.
- Carve a snow flake
Visit the snowflake station, and cut out your own paper snowflake. Designs will decorate the Trails Center’s lobby.
- Ana, Rachel and Friends
Local musical group Ana, Rachel and Friends will present traditional holiday string music in the theater at 10:00 a.m.
- Casper College Clarinet Ensemble
Enjoy holiday selections by the Casper College Clarinet Ensemble under the leadership of Dr. Jerome Fleg, instructor of woodwinds at Casper College. The students will perform at 11:00 a.m.
- Play pioneer parlor games
During Pioneer days, parlor games were played at social gatherings. Learn how to play 20 Questions and the Dumb Orator.
- Hang out with Seymour!
The BLM mascot Seymour Antelope will make an appearance. Seymour raises awareness about the importance of connecting children and families with nature and public lands.
For more information about “Holiday on the Homestead,” contact Alex Rose at the NHTIC, (307) 261-7780.
The NHTIC is a part of the BLM's National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS). The areas of the NLCS are specifically designed to conserve, protect and restore the exceptional scientific, natural, cultural, ecological, historical, and recreation values of these treasured landscapes.
The NHTIC is a public-private partnership between the BLM and the National Historic Trails Center Foundation. The facility is located at 1501 N. Poplar Street, Casper, Wyo. The Center is currently operating on winter hours, and is open Tuesday – Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Trails Center 1501 North Poplar Street Casper, WY 82601