Museum rings in the holidays with display
Sat, Nov 28, 2009 
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BY ALEX DOTY
adoty@grandhaventribune.com
The Tri-Cities Historical Museum is ringing in the holiday season in a new way and raising money for the museum's friends group all at the same time.
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The museum's new Hearth & Door Fundraiser is under way, showcasing historic doors from the Tri-Cities area.
"It was something I had thought of last year when we were doing the Holiday Home Tour," said Steven Radtke, curator of exhibits at the museum.
He said he knew the museum had a number of doors in its collection, so the idea went from there.
The museum display, which lasts until Dec. 10, features 12 historic doors and two fireplace mantles that are decorated with holiday decorations from local artists and florists.
"They're all different and they're all pretty cool," Radtke said, adding the local designers tried to blend their displays with the theme of the door, making each item unique.
The event also allows people to see items in the museum's collection that might otherwise go unnoticed, he said.
Among the doors on display at the fundraiser are ones from both the 1894 and 1968 Ottawa County courthouses, as well as an old bank vault door.
"As far as we know, we haven't seen anyone do anything like this," Radtke said.
There was typically a gap in the museum's exhibition space between November and January, so the new museum display allows this space to be used during the holiday season.
The holiday display is open during the museum's regular business hours, and the public is invited to look at the decorations and place a silent bid on them to be taken home as part of the silent auction fundraiser.
Radtke stressed that the items being auctioned are just the displays and not the doors themselves, so people thinking they have won an antique door might be out of luck.
Funds from the auction will be given to the museum's friends group so they can afford to take on special projects to keep the museum up-to-date, Radtke said.
The event is also going to be a stop on a regular holiday tradition in the Grand Haven area, the Holiday Home Tour.
According to Museum board member Alice Seaver, the home tour will take place Dec. 5-6.
Tickets for this tour can be bought at the museum. A trolley will take people from the museum to the homes on the tour.
A special reception for the Hearth and Door Fundraiser will be held Thursday, Dec. 10 from 6-8 p.m. and will feature food and refreshments. The winners of the silent auction are also supposed to be announced at this time, Seaver said.
"The museum is planning on making this an annual event with a different theme each year for decorating your home," she said.
The Tri-Cities Historical Museum is open Tuesday-Friday 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. and weekends from 12:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. People can call 842-0700 for more information.
On the Net:
www.tri-citiesmuseum.org
