SMITH COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
MUSEUM & ARCHIVES • 125 SOUTH COLLEGE AVENUE • TYLER, TEXAS 75702
903-592-5993 • http://www.smithcountyhistoricalsociety.org
*** PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE USE ***
Historical Society to Hold Holiday Open House
Smith County (TX) Historical Society will hold a free holiday open house on Thursday, December 17, 2009 from 4 pm to 8 pm at its museum, located at 125 South College Avenue in downtown Tyler. “The open house will allow visitors to take a break from their holiday shopping, enjoy some refreshments, and learn about the interesting history of our county,” said Robert Reed, Society president. “There are several special events planned.”
In addition to the regular museum exhibits, there will be two special temporary exhibits viewable. The first is titled “Old Toys of Christmas” and displays toys dating from the 1950s and earlier, including some from the Goodman family. The second special exhibit is a display of the history of the Smith County Historical Society, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Local author Robert Reed will be available from 7 pm to 8 pm to sign copies of his photographic history book, Images of America: Tyler, as well as copies of his recently-released book Postcard History: Tyler. Each book will be available for purchase at the museum, as well as other publications and photographs.
Reed said “In addition to us, the other four members of the Downtown Tyler Museum Alliance are also having their own open house at the same time. If you visit all five museums and have a card punched at each, you can enter a free drawing for a great gift basket of donated items. Those other museums are the Cotton Belt Depot Museum, Discovery Science Place, Goodman-Legrand Museum, and Gallery Main Street.”
The Smith County Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1959 to discover, collect, and preserve the history of Smith County, Texas. For more information about this event or the Society, please e-mail info@smithcountyhistoricalsociety.org or call 903-592-5993. A ramp for handicapped access to the museum is located at the north door, which faces the Bank of America drive-thru bank.
