Christmas Town brings joy
Max Museum hosts winter wonderland
BY TYSON SMEDSTAD
There’s a hidden gem in Max.
It’s tucked away in the back room of the museum and is called Christmas Town.
The lights fill the room and the sounds of Christmas music ring throughout the building.
During the holiday season, Max Museum Manager Ray Iverson has a surprise lined up for residents who would like to walk through a miniature world of twinkling lights and snowy landscapes.
“The people that had this place before had 45 of these little houses,” Iverson said. “They had them set up out front and the back room was all storage.”
Iverson has since started collecting the tiny houses and landscapes and has managed to fill the entire backroom.
He came across 75 houses at one time at an auction in Parshall last year.
“People sell them for a buck at garage sales. I can’t pass them up,” he said.
The number of houses has grown to 150 or more, Iverson estimates. And the number continues to grow.
“This farmstead right here is my favorite,” Iverson said. “The center table is where all the real spendy houses are.”
He points out a few more of his favorites.
“Look at this one,” Iverson said. “It’s the Nutcracker.” The little figurines spin inside the theater to the sounds of the ballet.
“It takes us over 15 minutes to turn everything on around here,” he said. “We have batteries in a lot of stuff.”
Iverson has done some upgrades to the building to accommodate for the season.
