Well,today we're in downtown Nappanee and we'reat the Nappanee Center.

I have Martha with me,my new friend here.

Yes, who's been showing meall around the area here.

And this is a beautiful museum, and you guys havea very special event coming up.

But we have to talk abouteverything that you have.

Your.

Because I've never beenin this space.

And if you haven't, there'sso many reasons to check it out.

Yes there is.

So we're 10,000ft²of Nappanee history.

We have 11 themed roomsand a historical house that's attached on that.

There's four rooms up therethat you can walk through.

That's amazing.

So what are some ofthe different exhibits that you guyshave to explore here?

So we have our Hoosier cabinetarea, which we're home to.

The oldest Hoosier cabinet,our woodworking place and, the countrywe have, our historical house, and shakers roomwhere people can reminisce.

Our sixnationally known cartoonists, which that's the most percapita of any city our size.

And that's a new exhibit, right?

No, they've been here.

But, we also have extended itto downtown Nappanee with, Cartoon Alley that we that,the city worked with us to help, pick out cartoonsto have murals of the cartoons on the alley wall.

Oh.

That's exciting.

Yeah, that's a great wayto kind of take what's in the museumand spread it out throughout the community,too, right?

Yes.

And then we have our Air ForceOne exhibit, and then our Emma Schrock gallery.

Okay.There's so many things to see.

I know, I see this beautifulartwork behind us done by Emma.

Yeah, which is incredible.

How did you guys get thatcollection?

So we were approached by Mr.

Grant.

Who was the donor.

He asked us if we would, take the collection on.

We said, sure.

But let us, you know, remodel the spaceso that he would help us.

So we are able to remodelthe entire museum, along with, Emma's galleryand create this beautiful space.

It was important to to herartwork, in regardsto the community here itself.

So it really shows us, the Anabaptists,the Amish way of life, even though she is Old OrderMennonite, the they're very similarwith, their traditions.

And so people can see this,lovely traditional art done by somebody who live,who lived it, I love that.

Can we go look at some of that?Yeah.

Okay.

And I know there's other stufffor us to see here, too, but, I mean, the artworkitself is so wonderful.

I love that she's even donesome un wood work.

Yeah.

Like, pieces of wood.

Yeah, pieces of wood.

There's still life.

And then she's doneevery single, season as well.

So we have fall, spring,summer and winter.

How many art piecesdid she create?

We think over 2000.

Oh, my God.

Yeah.

That's incredible.

Yeah.

That's incredibleI love that.

All right.

I know there's so many otherthings to see over here too, but I want to talk about specificallywith the Nappanee community and you guys havingall of the woodworking here.

Let's talk about thatand why it's important for you guys to continueto showcase it.

Yeah.

So it's really importantto showcase it just because, you know,woodworking has changed so much.

We used to bethe kitchen capital of the world with our Hoosier cabinets,and we're still a kitchen city because we have oh my goodness,I can't even count how many, kitchen factories that we have.

But it's just great to, like,see the whole transition of how they've gone from having,like, the little huger cabinets to now, like the big,huge module, kitchens.

Tell me more about copies, because I wasn't really surehow long they've been around because they havesome pretty cool stats, too.

Yeah, they have some pretty coolstats as well.

So they started in 1876as a sawmill, went to being a box factory,and then in 1902 went to exclusivelybeing a furniture company slash kitchencabinet making, company.

So they've, they've lasted 100,almost 150 years.

They've gonethrough multiple recessions, the Great Depression, multiple world wars, andthey've never missed a payroll.

They love that.

That's amazing.

And just a testament foryou guys to be able to come in and see that.

But there is a whole new way for you guys to experiencethe museum.

We're going to talk about that.

Let's go check out somemore spaces okay.

All right.

Now I don't know how many other places are like thiswhere you're in a building, but you can walk into anotherbuilding.

Yeah.

I mean, there is only one otherin Nappanee and that is in Akron.

The public library there,gorgeous 1936 library is encasedin, the newer library.

Yeah.

Okay,so tell us more about this home.

So this is the, historicJohn Harmon House.

It was built in 1888 for John and Rebecca Hartmanis probably one of the oldest, historic Nappanee homesthat's, still standing.

And it's never leftits foundation.

And it is also,designed by the architect, Henry Frazier, who designedthe majority of downtown.

Oh, wow.

Oh.

That's cool.Can we go take a peek inside?

Yeah.

Okay.

This is all part of the museum,and I love to like, throughout the museum.

You guys have spacesfor families here, too?

Yes we do.

We have, we have probably aboutsix different spaces for kids.

Okay.

You know, this is cool.

They can come up into thehouse and have a tea party.

They can look a little.

Yeah.

Party over here.

So they can be in the formal dining roomhere in the Hartman house and, have a tea party,or they can go, into our kitchen cabinet,making room, play, play with a kitchen.

There.

They can shoot basketballsthat we have our space area.

I love that,and I'm sure families love to come in hereand just just be.

Yeah, yeah.

Then it's really, really cool.

We have a family who comes inalmost every single Friday just to come in and play.All right, but we need to talkabout your event coming up.

Yes.

Okay.

The night at the museumis a totally different way to experience the museum.

And if you love that movie,are you guys going to incorporatesome of the elements into it?

I've been trying for yearsto figure out how to put in the T-Rexand the monkey.

But I, I can't, you know,I can't get, I can't get a zooto let me in, monkey.

And I can't get a museum till wegot to talk with friends over.

Yeah.

But you know what?

We turn offall the lights in the museum, and we let history come to life.That is cool.

Yeah.

Okay, so those are guided tours.

I'm assuming.

Then?

Yes.So they're guided tours.

You actually, the toursactually start in the house.

So we incorporate the houseinto the event as well.

So this yearyou'll actually be meeting, Mr.

John Keller.

Okay.He was a photographer.

He was an inventorand an entrepreneur.

And that's what thetheme is for this year, right?

It's all about inventors.

Yeah.

And innovations.

Yes.Okay.

Yeah.

Innovations and inventionsis our theme this year.

Probably since about 2016,we've.

Well, no, we skipped 2016.

So 2017 we have been doing differentthemes of Nappanee history.

That's cool.

And nowhow do you guys get that?

I mean, you guys haveall of the collection.

Yeah.

So like, how do you gather thatinformation and decide what you want to dofor that night at the museum?

So usually we figure out a themeand then we research, we read, the county historybooks, we read newspapers.

Sometimes if we're doingresearch for another, thing in Nappanee history,we will stumble across something that we can usefor a night at the museum.

Okay.

When is it happening?

It's happeningOctober 11th, from 6 to 8.

Okay.

People need to get ticketsfor that.

They can.

Walk ups are welcome, but you can also call in to the Nappanee Public Librarystarting on October 7th.

And you can, reserve yourtour time so you don't have to cost for that.

No,it's completely free.

Oh, my gosh, you should.

We should start with that.

I'm getting I love every nightat the museum.

Yes.

That's exciting.

And it is family friendlythen too.

Yes, it is family friendly.There's no spooks.

There'snobody going to talk about it.

Yeah, okay.

Okay.

Yeah.

The only time that maybesomebody might jump out of you is like,if we are trying to get, like, people in or two or guys are trying to get backto the beginning, like, so there's, there's aspects why isn't justan interesting way to explore the museum versus, you know, the day to daybusiness?

I think because like, historyjust comes to life and you can learn so much moreabout your community that way.

We find we tryand find all the quirky things.

Okay.

I love that.

Yeah, we've doneprobably over a hundred over the 14 yearsthat we've done this event.

We've done over 100different scenes.

Nappanee history.

We try not to repeatour characters.

If we do repeat characters,we bring in a whole completely different story, for them.

And I love that.

I mean, there'sso much history and opinion.

I didn't even know,you know, all of this, too.

But yeah, it's a great way forpeople to find that out, too.

And you guys have volunteerswho help with this, too?

Yes, we do have volunteers.

All of our actorsare actually volunteers.

Our tour guides are volunteers.

The only time that, we,the only, people who are helping that are paid are actuallyour staff members and the people who have helpedplan the event.

And what a great wayto bring the community together for a very unique way,a way to explore the museum.

So you guys got to make surethat you get signed up and come on out hereOctober 11th, right?

Yes, October night at themuseum.

We'll see you then.