Trains have returned to the Nixon Library!
Thanks to the generosity of Ruth Ann Segerstrom Moriarty
After a three-year hiatus, vintage model trains will fill the Nixon Library once again as the centerpiece of A Whistling White House Wonderland, a holiday celebration opening November 20th.
The festive 24-foot wide, 10-foot tall snow-capped mountain of toy trains will feature classic model trains of Christmas past – plus Thomas the Tank Engine – whistling over bridges and chugging through tunnels carefully handcrafted by the Train Collectors Association.
The six-track design, with more than 50 feet of rails, features an all-American 1950s Midwestern town, with billowing factories, quaint family homes and expansive farms.
A miniature replica of New York’s iconic Hell Gate Bridge towers over the ridges and valleys; the bridge, first modeled by Lionel Trains in the 1930s, still stands between Manhattan and Queens.
The showcase reflects President Nixon’s love of trains that began in his Yorba Linda childhood. In his Memoirs, he recalled, “In the daytime I could see the smoke from the steam engines. Sometimes at night I was awakened by the whistle of a train and then I dreamed of the far-off places I wanted to visit someday.”
Candlelight Evenings at the Nixon Library
New at the Nixon Library this year!
Special Candlelight Evenings will celebrate First Lady Pat Nixon’s love of Christmas and the holiday traditions she inspired at the White House. Every Wednesday evening from November 29 through December 27, the Nixon Library will open its doors after hours for photos with Santa, live musical entertainment in the magnificent White House East Room, holiday crafts and cookie decorating for kids, hot cocoa, and opportunities to explore the Nixon Library’s new award-winning museum galleries.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOHOhr1gBQM]
Click here to purchase tickets.
Candlelight Evenings are sponsored by Pacific Mercantile Bank.
Pat Nixon White House Gingerbread House
Also new this year!
A whimsical White House gingerbread house designed in the spirit of Pat Nixon, who started this beloved White House tradition in 1970. The three-foot tall Pat Nixon White House gingerbread house features classic white icing, colorful gumdrops and chunks of elegantly-arranged candy treats. The gingerbread house is sponsored and created by The Cookie Element in Yorba Linda.
The Nixon Library’s special holiday display is the best reason yet to visit Orange County’s most popular history museum, newly-renovated and chock-full of new technology and family fun!
Hours and Admission
A Whistling White House Wonderland is open daily through January 7, 2018.
The Nixon Library is open Monday through Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM and Sundays 11 AM to 5 PM and open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Adults: $26
Seniors (62+): $22
High School and College Students w/ ID: $20
Military Veterans: $20
Active Military: Free
Children (5-11): $20
Children (4 and under): Free
Members: $10
Special holiday prices effective November 20, 2017 through January 7, 2018.
The display is brought to our guests by the generosity of Ruth Ann Segerstrom Moriarty, Pacific Mercantile Bank and The Cookie Element.
Classic Christmas Favorites
Enjoy daily screenings of “It’s A Wonderful Life” and “The Polar Express!”
Screening in Theater 37 at 10:30 AM, 1 PM and 3 PM.
