| The national award-winning Douglas County Museum is operated by volunteers (with a part-time
paid director). The museum features short-term exhibits about a wide range of topics pertinent to the
history of Douglas County and East Central Illinois. Throughout the year, the museum staff also offers a wide
range of special events and programs. Browse our website for more details. Regular museum
hours:
Monday through Wednesday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m.-4 p.m. during Everything Animation Exhibit
Other hours: By appointment only.
Phone 217-253-2535 (M-W-Su) or call 217-253-4620 (evenings)
Current News:
SPRING SALE EVENTS IN THE MUSEUM
Dave Swick Auction & Rural Life Antique Show
The Douglas County Museum is the place to find bargains in February and March 2012.
There will be a Dave Swick Consignment Auction of Antiques and Collectible beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday,
February 18. A couple of weeks later, Richard and Donna Kidwell will be renting the museum to once again
sponsor their Rural Life Antique Show and Sale. The Rural Life show and sale begins on March 2 with an
Early Buy event from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. The next day the show will reopen from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There is an admission fee to enter the show. At both the Swick Auction and the Rural Life show, the
staff of the Douglas County Museum will operate a refreshment and lunch stand with homemade entrees,
sandwiches and desserts.
THE GREAT ANIMATED SCAVENGER HUNT
75 in 45!
There will be lots of fun and laughter in the Douglas County Museum on Saturday, February
25th, when the museum trustees host "The Great Animated Scavenger Hunt" for the first 50 families that
register for the event. A museum staff member has put together 75 questions that can only be answered by
reading the text on the "Everything Animation" exhibit labels, and during the Great Animated Scavenger Hunt,
families have only 45 minutes in which to find those answers! After the hunt is over, refreshments will
be served.
PRIZES! PRIZES!
Grand prize is $50.00!!!!
Other prizes include:
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four $10 Chamber Bucks courtesy of Tuscola Chamber of Commerce
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16" Family Pleaser Meal courtesy of Monical's Pizza
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seven 6" sub sandwich coupons courtesy of Subway
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$25 gift certificate courtesy of Tuscola IGA
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$20 gift certificate courtesy of Downtown Diner, Tuscola
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$20 gift certificate courtesy of A Bloom Above florist shop
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$25 gift certificate courtesy of Flesor's Candy
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CarHart medium jacket ($80 value) courtesy of Do-It-Best
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one small Blizzard courtesy of Tuscola Dairy Queen
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$20 gift certificate courtesy of Pamida
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two personal pan-sized pizzas courtesy of Pizza Hut
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$25 gift certificate courtesy of Aldridge's
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$25 gift certificate courtesy of Sav Mor Drug Store
RULES
Here are the rules:
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Teams must consist of one adult and one child. Adults may be a parent, grandparent,
aunt/uncle, high school student, teenage or older babysitter, teacher, adult family friend, or adult
relative.
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Age limit for children is 2nd through 8th grade. The scavenger hunt is a
two-people-who-can-read-labels team effort, but if there are children in one family who are younger and
can't read, they may join your team just for the fun of it.
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There is a limit of 50 teams (first come/first served basis).
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Suggested donation is $5.00 per team. Families who cannot afford the $5.00 in these
economic hard times should contact Lynnita Brown at 253-4620 evenings.
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All persons participating in the Great Animated Scavenger Hunt must be pre-registered by
February 21, 2012.
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The Great Animated Scavenger Hunt will begin at exactly 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, February 25.
Museum doors will open at 5:15 p.m. If you're late, you probably won't win since there is a time limit
to finding the answers.
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Only one museum associate has the list of questions--and that person is keeping the list a
secret. Team members will see the list on the night of the hunt. No one is permitted to see the
questions until the hunt begins.
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Teams must have a team name for the registration form. Team children must decide on
the team name and each person in the team must wear his or her team name on a name tag during the Scavenger
Hunt, including children on the team who cannot read. Team names must include an animated character.
[For example: Team M&M; Team Superman; Team Baby Bop; Team Transformer; Team Stuart Little; and so forth.]
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Teams must stay together. Team members that separate more than three feet from each
other during the hunt will be disqualified after the first warning.
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NO RUNNING in the museum. Those who run will receive one warning only. If
someone is caught running twice, his or her team will be disqualified.
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No pushing, shoving, looking at other teams' answers, or mean behavior allowed. Those
who push, shove, cheat or act mean will receive one warning only. Meanies will be disqualified.
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All teams have exactly 45 minutes to find all of the answers to 75 questions. The
first team to find the most CORRECT answers will be the grand prizewinner. Incorrect answers will not
be counted.
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Keep hunting even if there is a winner. Your team could win other prizes!
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The museum trustees are the judges. Judges' decisions are final.
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A winning team can only win one prize.
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Registration fee must be mailed or brought in with the registration form.
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Questions? Call Lynnita at 253-4620.
Download a registration form HERE. Bring it into the museum or mail it in plenty of time
before February 21st to: Great Animated Scavenger Hunt, Douglas County Museum, 700 S. Main Street, Tuscola, IL
61953.
BALLROOM DANCE
The next scheduled ballroom dance/supper buffet in the Douglas County Museum is on Saturday,
March 10, 2012, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Music will be provided by Gene Trimble's Combo. Free popcorn
will be served 6-6:45 p.m., followed by sixteen feet of homemade food, including sandwiches, relishes, fruit,
and a wide assortment of desserts. The supper buffet is included in the $10 per person price for the
dance. No reservations are required. Dress is casual to semi-formal. Call 253-2535 (day
Mon-Wed) or 253-4620 (evenings) for more information.
EVERYTHING ANIMATION!
Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Snoopy. The Simpsons. Big Bird and Elmo. Garfield. Animaniacs. Tweety.
Scooby Doo. Raggedy Ann and Andy. These and a multitude of other animated characters are now featured in a new
exhibit in the Douglas County Museum, Tuscola. “Everything Animation” opened to the public on September 11,
2011 and will continue through April of 2012.
Hundreds of spin-off products from animated movies and television shows are on display, all on
loan from the general public throughout the months of the exhibit (September 2011-May 01, 2012). “Museum
member Carol Erb of Sidney suggested the theme for the exhibit,” noted Lynnita Brown, museum director and
exhibit coordinator. “Perhaps we should call this exhibit, Everything Animation #1. Hundreds of thousands of
these types of products have been marketed through the years. We’ve only scratched the surface of what types
of animated-related items exist in private collections throughout East Central Illinois. The showcases in the
museum are full to the brim with some of the cutest, most ingenious ‘artifacts’ that members of the public
have ever temporarily displayed in a Douglas County Museum exhibit. This is a really cute exhibit that old and
young should not miss!”
Animation (a series of drawings that give the illusion of motion) has been in existence since
prior to 1900. Animated short cartoons first became popular in the 1910s, and the remainder of the 20th
century saw traditional animation come to life on the big screen and on televisions in the homes of millions
of Americans. Today’s animated films are mostly computer-generated.
According to Mrs. Brown, there is a strong East Central Illinois connection to some of the
talented men and women who created animated characters familiar to all of us today. “Frank Thomas and Ollie
Johnston, two of the most famous animators employed by Walt Disney, had mothers and grandparents who once
lived in Champaign and Douglas Counties. Rosemary Buehrig, a Tuscola High School graduate, redesigned Snap,
Crackle and Pop in the 1940s.” Two showcases in the museum exhibit are dedicated to these three talented
artists. Thomas and Johnston authored four books and they are on display. The Buehrig showcase features copies
of Rosemary Buehrig’s artwork, as well as a picture of the original three Rice Krispie elves. Buehrig also
illustrated children’s books and some of them are on display.
The “Everything Animation” exhibit in the Douglas County Museum also includes rare items such
as an Ice Mickey loaned by Barbara Chumbley of Arcola; rare character soda bottles depicting Mother Goose,
Peter Pan, Big 4 Beverages, etc., loaned by bottle collector Bruce Wood of Tuscola; a tin Disney Television
Playhouse owned by Bruce Weatherford of Tuscola; and 1960s/70s Marx Mickey, Pinocchio, Goofy, Peter Pan,
Tinker Bell and other Disney figurines collected by Earl Gilmore of Atwood. Mr. Gilmore died in 1997, so his
wife Joan is displaying her late husband’s Marx collection, as well as four large Disney banks, in his memory.
Among the thousands of other items on exhibit are Mickey items owned by Carol Beals of
Tuscola, Mickey artwork owned by Barbara Chumbley of Arcola, M&M artwork by local artist Kevin Burke, sheet
music loaned by Carol Erb of Sidney, Barbies loaned by Judy Martin and granddaughters of Tuscola, porcelain
Little Rascals also owned by Mrs. Martin, rare Disney items loaned by sisters Sherrie Spence Hoel and Janet
Spence Butler of Tuscola, Raggedy Ann and Andy items owned by the museum, Ninja turtles and Shrek items loaned
by David Settle of Bourbonnais, and Stuart Little and ET items loaned by Lynnita Brown of Tuscola.
Youngsters Marissa Poole, age 10, loaned a talking Belle doll and her brother Michael, age 13,
loaned Iron Man items, transformers, and a Pikachu. The Doug, Sheila and Brandon Honn family of Tuscola
brought in dozens of unique M&M characters for the exhibit, including sports M&M’s, a rare M&M calendar,
clocks, vehicles, shower radios, bears and more. Jennifer “Jennie” Shoemaker Jordan of Thomasboro shared her
collection of Garfield, including stuffed animals, dozens of Christmas ornaments, figurines, watches, etc.
There are several large collections in the exhibit. Eighteen-year-old Hayley Maxwell of
Champaign County has collected Scooby Doo for years. Her showcases include Scooby Doo seasonal items, lamps,
games, telephones, dolls, clocks, drinking glasses, prints and more. Ever heard of the “Animaniacs”? Kara
Zeimet of Atwood has an amazing display of Animaniac and Pinky and the Brain figurines, puzzles, stuffed
animals, clothing, valentines, books, etc. Kara also brought in a large collection of Sesame Street items,
including games, lunch boxes, toys, oversized Pez, dishes, etc.
The way to a child’s stomach is through animation, as seen in a display of food-related items
that have been animated for commercials. Among them are Kool-aid, Oscar Mayer, Twinkie, Campbell Kids,
McDonalds, Dairy Queen, Pepsi and Coke, Sugar Smacks, Tony the Tiger, M&Ms, the Jolly Green Giant and many
more.
Jan Baker of Douglas County is exhibiting a huge collection of Snoopys that she has collected
for many years. They include holiday Snoopys in the form of witches, pirates, pilgrims, Santas, campers,
Easter Bunnies, etc. There are rare Belle dogs, Peanuts dishes, cookie jars, drinking glasses, snow globes,
astronauts, Christmas ornaments, pull toys and much more.
Sarah Osborn of Arcola has a huge collection of Looney Tunes items, including rare ceramic
figurines (each at least a foot tall) of Speedy Gonzalez, Scooby, Pepi LePew, Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Marvin
the Martian, Tweety, Daffy and many more. Her impressive display includes plates, figurines, books, toys,
telephones, snow globes, framed prints and designed jackets.
Brian Martin of Champaign County is a huge Simpsons fan and has amassed a tremendous
collection of Simpson items that include games, figurines, pins, lunchboxes, jack in the boxes and more—all
Simpsons favorites such as Grampa, Chief Wiggum, Homer, Mr. Bruns, Smithers, Bart, Duffman, Comic Book Guy and
more. Visitors can expect to see all of these—plus Simpson boxer shorts, in the exhibit!
The largest display in “Everything Animation” is courtesy of Disney collector extraordinaire,
Cindy Lou Weatherford Adania of Tuscola. A member of the prestigious Disney Parent Pulse panel, she told the
museum staff, “The collection was building around me without me knowing about it—just from my love of all
things Disney.” A collector of Disney since 1999, she has visited Disney World 15 times and has spent over 100
days in Disney theme parks. Mrs. Adania is the mother of five children. As a member of the Disney Parent Pulse
panel, she joins other dedicated parent advisors who respond to Disney surveys and offer advice on new Disney
products. Cindy is also a member of the Mickey Mom’s Club. Like all members of that club, she is enthusiastic
about discovering and sharing the magic and wonderment of a Walt Disney World vacation. Cindy also writes a
Disney fan blog called, “Without a Care in the World” at
http://dizzneemomma.com.
The massive Adania Disney collection on display in “Everything Animation” includes Disney
Pixar items, Nemo, Toy Story, Snow White, Bugs Life, Pocahontas, Monsters Inc, Little Mermaid, Mickey and
Minnie Mouse, Lady and the Tramp, Winnie the Pooh, record albums, movie posters, cooking utensils, games,
costumes, prints, toys and so much more.
The exhibit is open Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is also open all other
days and evenings by calling the museum during regular business hours at 217-253-2535 or the museum director
Lynnita Brown evenings at 217-253-4620. The Douglas County Museum is wheelchair accessible and admission is
always free. Visit the museum’s website at www.docomuseum.org.
Jarman Baby Books
Copies of the Jarman Baby Book are still available for purchase!
Order information:
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648 pages, hardbound book, smythe-sewn, with dust cover
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The sale price of the book is $40. There is an additional $9.00 fee for shipping.
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Make checks payable to: Douglas County Museum, Jarman Baby Book, 700 S. Main Street,
Tuscola, IL 61953.
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The book may be purchased at any of the following locations:
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Douglas County Museum Office, 700 S. Main, Tuscola
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Aldridge's, 131 W. Sale, downtown Tuscola
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Dick's Pharmacy, Vine Street, Arthur
MUSEUM NEEDS & WISHES LIST
The staff of the Douglas County Museum decided in October 2010 to make a "Museum Needs &
Wishes List" to share with our members and the general public. Most of the needs and wishes cost money
that the Museum Association does not currently have in its treasury. Other needs and wishes require
hours and hours of volunteer labor. The trustees invite our website visitors to review the list and see
if you can help us to meet any of these needs and wants. The list is lengthy, but the museum trustees
assure you that our needs are wanted and our wants are needed!
Museum Needs & Wishes List [click on link]
Contact information:
Douglas County Museum, 700 S. Main Street, Tuscola, IL 61953
Phone 217-253-2535 Monday-Wednesday. Call the museum director, Lynnita Brown, after hours at
217-253-4620. E-mail: Lynnita. Admission to
the museum is free. Our facility is handicapped-accessible and there is plenty of bus/off-street
parking.
See Calendar of Events for Upcoming Special Events.
Museum Brochures Available
Brochures are now available thanks to generous donations from Dicks Pharmacy in Arthur and Henry and
Shirley Rahn of Tuscola. Call 217-253-2535 or stop by the museum for single or quantity copies.
Find it on the Douglas County Museum's website:
A form to register your veteran in the museum's Veterans Registry is now available on our website.
Read all about it by clicking on the link at left.
Visit Douglas County
Planning a trip to the Douglas County area in East Central Illinois? Learn about our county here:
Visit Douglas County |
