With Thanksgiving well and truly over, Christmas has finally arrived at the Brownsville Historical Association’s Historic Brownsville Museum with the opening of its annual Department 56 Holiday Village Collection exhibit.

Decorated Christmas trees and brilliant fall foliage line the snow-covered perimeter of the village town hall Saturday in the annual Department 56 Miniature Holiday Village exhibit at the Historic Brownsville Museum.(Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald)

For big fans of collectibles, Department 56 Company, started in 1976 as part of the premier florist Bachman’s in Minneapolis, is known for its collections of ceramic holiday villages and themed goods.

An avid collector herself, over the years June Gloor collected more than 500 ceramic animals, figures, items and buildings that now form the Department 56 Holiday Village Collection exhibit.

Donated by the Gloor family in memory of her, BHA staff thoroughly documented the collection and as a tribute has kept it displayed exactly as it would have been in the room June Gloor reserved for it in her home.

“Prior to the transportation of the collection, each piece was photographed, including its placement in the display. The display was divided into sections, each given a specific number. These numbers were used to identify each piece that was associated with each display section,” said Aubrey Nielsen, collections manager.

“In addition, overhead and landscape photographs of the display were taken to ensure that each piece was placed in its appropriate place,” she said.

With such a detailed landscape, it can be hard to pick out all the surprises the collection offers for visitors in just one visit.

Since the collection spans several years, there are a variety of different eras of holiday Americana to see as new lines were released by the company and collected by Gloor, from the Uptown Motors Ford Dealership showcasing a revolving 1965 Ford Mustang to the more modern Starbucks cafe. The village even boasts a radio station with its glowing radio tower in the center section of the display.

Snow covers the roof of a tree clubhouse Saturday in the annual Department 56 Miniature Holiday Village exhibit at the Historic Brownsville Museum.(Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald)

“I would say that each piece of the collection brings a special memory to life for our visitors,” Nielsen said.

The exhibit will be on display for visitors until Jan. 1.

The Historic Brownsville Museum is located at 641 E. Madison St. The exhibit is included in the museum’s entrance fee, which is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors, $2 for students and free to children under age 6. Military members, Brownsville Independent School District students and teachers receive free admission.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It will be closed on Dec. 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1.

For more information, call (956) 548-1313.