ARIZONA

Tucson

**

Tucson Museum of Art. 140 N. Main Ave. In La Casa Cordova,

a 19th Century home. A Nacimiento of 600 miniature pieces is on display every year from late November to late March. Open: Mon-Sat 10-4, Sun, 12-4. Closed major holidays. (phone: 520-624-2333; fax: 520-624-7202; website: www.tucsonarts.com

email: info@tucsonarts.com)

CALIFORNIA

Carmel

*

Mission San Carlos Borromeo. Nativity on display made up of pieces from several different Italian Baroque sets. Located in a room to the left of the altar (831-624-3600)

San Diego

***

St. Vincent de Paul Village. 3350 E. Street. More than 600 Nativities from the collection of Fr. Joe Carroll on display. Open: Advent 1-Epiphany, Mon-Fri, 8-4, and most Sat & Sun mornings. Rest of the year by appointment. (phone: 619-687-1000)

San Francisco

*

Grace Cathedral, Episcopal. 1100 California St., at Taylor St.on Nob Hill. Nativity figures carved by Antonio Sanjuan Villalba of Valencia, Spain, in 1956. Made from Swedish birch wood and lightly polychromed. Located in the north transept. Open: Weekdays 7am-6pm; Sat 8-6, Sun, 7-7; Holidays 8-4. (415-749-6300) www.gracecathedral.org - info@gracecathedral.org

CONNECTICUT

Bethlehem

The Abbey of Regina Laudis, a community of contemplative Benedictine women. 273 Flanders Road. Visitors welcome to visit the 18th Century Neapolitan crèche, with over 100 hand-carved figures, a gift to the Abbey from Mrs. Loretta Hines Howard. Crèche generally open daily, weather permitting, from 10-4. Closed January 6 to Easter Sunday. The crèche is closed temporarily for restoration, as of July 23, 2005. (www.abbeyofreginalaudis.com)

ILLINOIS

Chicago

*

Chicago

**

The Polish Museum of America. 984 N. Milwaukee Avenue. Among displays of Polish history and culture and shown on a rotating basis are several large szopki, left from the 1994 exhibit from the collection of the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow. Open Mon-Wed and Fri-Sun 11-4. Closed Thurs. (phone: 773-384-3352 fax: 773-384-3799 http://pma.prcua.org)

St. John Cantius Church. 825 N. Carpenter St. Mid-18th Century Neapolitan presepio (Nativity and village scenes) composed of original and some more recent figures, in a setting 8’ across x 5 ½’ high. Also, a 1/3 scale replica of the Wit Stwosz altarpiece from the Bazylika Mariacka, Krakow, Poland, with a Nativity scene on the inside left wing of the altarpiece. In general, the Church is a repository of sacred art and relics of saints. Office open: Mon-Fri 9-4. (phone: 312-243-7373 – website: www.cantius.org)

INDIANA

Bloomington

*

First Presbyterian Church, Corner of Sixth and Lincoln Streets. Some 60 Nativities from around the world displayed in glass cases in narthex of the church. Open Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30 and Sun mornings (phone: 812-332-1514)

LOUISIANA

Lafayette

****

Museum, Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, 914 St. John’s Street, downtown Lafayette. Italian presepio from the collection of Jeffery Guéno and the late Frank Hanley. 120 wonderful figures and a multitude of great accessories shown in a proper Neapolitan scene within a fiber-optic lighted case 7’ high, 5 ½’ deep,

11 ½’wide, plus two additional scenes in cases 4’ high, 4’ wide, 12’ deep. Open: Mon-Fri 9-12, 1-4. (phone: 337-232-1322) Special appointments: 337-234-6904.

MASSACHUSETTS

Mashpee

*

Christ the King Parish, Mashpee Commons, corner of Route 151 and Jobs Fishing Road, on Cape Cod. Display of large-size Fontanini Nativity figures set on pedestals in a vertical configuration in the church proper. Open: Mon-Fri 9-1, Sat-Sun 9-12. (phone: 508-477-7700 – fax: 508-477-8158).

MICHIGAN

Frankenmuth

****

Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland, 25 Christmas Lane. Nativities on display both inside and outside. Museum inside main building holds Bronner Family personal Nativity collection. “Silent Night” Chapel replica on grounds. (phone: 989-652-9931 or info@bronners.com - www.bronners.com).

MINNESOTA

Minneapolis

****

Westminster Presbyterian Church. 1200 Marquette Avenue. The Martha Spencer Rogers Crèche Collection. 110 Nativities from 76 different countries. Open Mon-Fri 9-4, Sun 9-12. (phone: 612-332-3421)

St. Anthony Village

Nativity Lutheran Church, 3312 Silver Lake Road. (suburb 5 mi. NE Minneapolis) Collection of Nativities from around the world. Open during regular office hours and at church services. Self-guiding booklets available. (612-781-2766 or churchoffice@nativitychurch.org).

MISSOURI

Ozark

**

Mostly Memories. On Hwy 65 between Springfield & Branson MO, inside a manufacturing plant and outlet store is a Nativity Museum with a private collection of 1500+ sets from over 70 countries. Open year round, Mon-Fri 10-5, Sat 10-3. Admission free. (phone outlet store 417-581-8555; no answer = plant closed. Email: tricia@mostlymemories.com.)
Directions: South from Springfield (6 mi.) or North from Branson (20 mi.) on Hwy 65, take “F” Hwy / Sparta exit. Go East to 3rd stop light. Mostly Memories is on left at the light. Go into the “Outlet Store” entrance, not the main plant entrance.

NEW JERSEY

Mt. Laurel

*

Cistercian Monastery, 564 Walton Avenue, at St. John Newmann Church, 550 Union Mill Road. Italian presepio, 20 ft. wide x 25 ft. deep. Six-minute taped narration of the Christmas story, with some animation and changing hours of day and night. Open daily 8-8 year round. (phone: 856-235-1330)

NEW MEXICO

Santa Fe

**

Museum of International Folk Art. 706 Camino Lejo, off Old Santa Fe Trail. Many Nativities in this extensive folk art collection. Open 10-5 daily. Closed Mondays. (505-476-1200)

NEW YORK

New York City

*

Church of St. Francis of Assisi, 135 W. 31st Street (between 6th & 7th Avenues). Perpetual Christmas Crib in lower church. Relic from cave of the Nativity in Bethlehem set into rail in front of crib. (212-736-8500).

NORTH CAROLINA

High Point

The Angela Peterson Doll and Miniature Museum. 101 W. Green Drive. The Crèche Room contains a collection of more than 35 European terra cotta and wooden Nativity figures, assembled by the late Angela Peterson over a period of 34 years. There is also a wax Holy Family scene and a Crucifixion scene. Open year round Mon-Fri 10-5; Sat 9-5; Sun 1-5. Closed Mon Nov-Mar. (phone: 336-885-3655

)

OHIO

Akron

Nativity of the Lord Jesus Catholic Church. Corner of Killian & Myersville Roads. Replicas of the Bethlehem Cave, Altars, Manger of the Infant Jesus + Museum adjacent to the Chapel with Nativities from around the world. Open weekdays 9-4; Sat, Sun before and after Masses. (phone: 330-699-5086)

Dayton

****

The Marian Library, University of Dayton. Collection of more than 900 sets from around the world; some displayed year round. Seasonal displays also. Open Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30 or by appointment. (937-229-4214 / www.udayton.edu/mary/)

OKLAHOMA

Eufaula

*

Eufaula First United Methodist Church. 220 S. Main St. Collection of Eloise and Bill Smith. Some 30 Nativities, from collection of 500+, are rotated every other month. Open: Mon-Fri 9-2, Sun 9-1. Phone: 918-689-2109

Eufaula

*

123 Foley Avenue. (next to post office). 20 Nativity sets from collection of Eloise and Bill Smith always on view in office windows. Office open Mon-Fri 8-4, Sat 8-1.

PENNSYLVANIA

Chalfont

***

Byers’ Choice Ltd., (makers of the Christmas caroler figures) 30 miles no. of Philadelphia, at 4355 County Line Road. One room of Visitors’ Center devoted to collection of almost 200 crèches from around the world, including an 18th Century Italian presepio. Open year round Mon-Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5. (215-822-0150)

Grove City

Slovak Folk Center. 1605B S. Center St. (Exit 113 on Hwy I-79) Hand-carved basswood Nativity, 17’ wide x 6’ deep x 8’ tall, with 82 moving figures depicting Slovakian folk life as it has existed for centuries. Carved in Slovakia by Vladimir Tomko and Miloš Karabin under the design and supervision of Master Carver Jozef Pekara, who created and built the large mechanical Nativity at Rajecká Lesná, Slovakia. Open Mon-Sat 9-5. (phone: 724-748-5868 or 724-888-SLOVAKS. www.slovakfolkcrafts.com)

Paradise

***

National Christmas Center, 3427 Lincoln Highway. Many Nativity sets - walk-through life-size re-creation of Mary and Joseph’s journey – narrated Pennsylvania Moravian Putz Open: May, 10-6, Fri-Sun. June-Dec, 10-6 daily. Closed Jan-Apr. Open for group tours year round by appointment. (717-442-7950)

Philadelphia

*

St. Mary’s at the Cathedral, Chapel of St. Michael and All Angels, 630 E. Cathedral Road, corner of Ridge Avenue. Chinese crèche brought from China in 1943 by missionary, Deacon Katherine Putnam. Located in side chapel year round; moved into church during the Christmas season. (215-482-6300)

TENNESSEE

Nashville

**

The Upper Room Museum, 1908 Grand Avenue. Collection of 100+ sets representing about 35 cultures is shown on a rotating basis year round. Entire collection is displayed from first of Advent through February. Seasonal art gallery of Advent / Christmas-theme paintings. Open: Mon-Fri 8-4:30 (615-340-7206. www.upperroom.org)

TEXAS

Sanger

****

“ Bethlehem in Denton County”. 990 Milam Road East (5 mi. north of Denton on I-35N, Exit 473. Collection of Judy Klein. Some 2270 Nativities. Viewings by appointment, evenings and week-ends only. (phone: 940-458-3563; jkmk@advantexmail.net;
www.bethlehemindentonco.com/bethsweb.html)

WASHINGTON D.C

**

Mount St. Sepulchre, a Franciscan Monastery, Commissariat of The Holy Land in America. Grotto of Bethlehem - Replica of the Holy Manger. 1400 Quincy Street NE. Tours offered daily on the hour. Mon-Sat 9-11, 1-3. Sun 1-3. Closed Tues. (202-526-6800)

WISCONSIN

Green Lake

Green Lake Conference Center/American Baptist Assembly. W2511 State Road 23, west of Fond du Lac. Over 250 Nativities from the collection of Merrill and Elaine Luman are displayed at the Roger Williams Inn in the Nativity Room. Hours vary, so please call 920-294-7334 to set up an appointment before visiting.

Oshkosh

****

Algoma Boulevard United Methodist Church, 1174 Algoma Blvd., corner of New York. Collection of more than 1000 Nativities on display on lower level. Open during regular church hours: Sun 8-12. For daily hours, call to check. Sept-May, most Wednesdays 8-8. Groups by appointment. Call to be sure church open.
(Phone: 920-231-2800). (www.WisconsinUMC.org/abumc)