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Christmas is often a day spent with family, but it’s easy to get a bit antsy if you’re forced to spend the entire day at home. Unfortunately, there’s not much to do on Christmas when the majority of businesses are closed. If you’re sick of going out for Chinese food or heading to the movies, here are a few other options for the restless on Christmas.
1. John Deere World Headquarters
Should you find yourself in Moline, Illinois, and desperate to settle a bet on antique farm equipment on Christmas, hit up the display floor of the John Deere World Headquarters. It’s open until 5 p.m., and you can have a look at antiques as well as the company’s latest offerings.
2. The Bunny Museum
The self-described “hoppiest place in the world” is open by appointment on Christmas. Candace Frazee and Steve Lubanski host the rabbit-themed museum in their home, and it’s full of their real rabbit pets in addition to tons of rabbit-themed paraphernalia and collectibles. If you decide to hop on over, note their gift-receiving policy: “Candace & Steve do accept and appreciate bunny gifts. (And flowers, vegetables, postage stamps!) PLEASE DO NOT BRING THEM A REAL BUNNY FOR A GIFT!”
3. San Francisco Botanical Gardens
If you’re sick of seeing nothing but poinsettias and Christmas trees, head over to the San Francisco Botanical Gardens. The 55-acre sanctuary boasts over 7500 varieties of plants.
4. Greater Vancouver Zoo
Christmas is great and all, but it’s sorely lacking in lions and hippos. Revelers who spend the holiday in Vancouver can head to the zoo to get their fixes, though. Be sure to check out the muskox!
5. Will Rogers Memorial Museum
If you’re in Claremore, Oklahoma, this Christmas and want to remember the sharp wit of humorist, cowboy, and entertainer Will Rogers, head to the Will Rogers Memorial Museum. It’s open 365 days a year and features nine galleries of fine art depicting Rogers in addition to a collection of Rogers’ saddles.
6. Disney Parks
Disney’s parks are open on Christmas Day, so if your little ones have had enough of Santa and are just clamoring to go to Epcot, they can get their fill of international culture.
7. Branson, Missouri
We don’t want to get anyone too excited, but according to the entertainment boomtown’s website, “the majority of Branson’s major attractions will be open during the Christmas season.” We know what you’re thinking, and yes, that includes the Hollywood Wax Museum. Doesn’t look like Yakov Smirnoff is performing that day, though.
8. Mount Vernon Estate
George Washington didn’t get his face on the dollar bill by taking days off. The people who run his estate seem to feel the same way. Oh, and if you’re more of a Nicolas Cage fan than a Washington devotee, the estate offers “an hour-long walking tour that includes behind-the-scenes information about areas where National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets filming took place.”
9. Yellowstone
Like many of the National Park Service’s attractions, Yellowstone is open on Christmas for those who prefer geysers to stockings. If Yellowstone is out of your way, what better way to celebrate Christmas than by seeing Niagara Falls?
10. Prince Phillip Island
Do you like penguins but can’t stand geographically confused Christmas decorators who stick the adorable birds in their North Pole scenes? Then boy, does Australia have an attraction for you! The Phillip Island Nature Park is not only open on Christmas, it has a penguin parade every night at sunset.
11. The Empire State Building
What better place to keep your eyes peeled for Santa than from the top of the Empire State Building? The last elevators go up to the observation deck at 1:15 a.m.
12. Theater of the Sea
If your holiday season just won’t be complete without a Christmas swim with a dolphin, head to the Theater of the Sea in Islamorada in the Florida Keys. Dolphins not your marine life of choice? They also offer swims with rays and sea lions.
13. Hemingway’s Home
As long as you’re in the Keys, you might as well make a Christmas journey to Hemingway’s house in Key West. If hard-drinking writers and six-toed cats can’t get you into the Christmas spirit, nothing will.
14. The Jewish Museum
As one might expect, New York City’s Jewish Museum is open on Christmas, and it looks like it’s got some pretty interesting exhibits up at the moment. Check out Alias Man Ray, a look at the acclaimed mid-century avant-garde artist’s career.
15. Allegheny Arms and Armor Museum
This museum is the perfect destination if someone on your list only asked for one thing this Christmas: to stand up close to a Marines LVTP-7 Armored Amphibious Assault Vehicle. Head to Smethport, Pennsylvania, to check out all of the museum’s tanks, armored crafts, and heavy cannons.
16. The Bible Museum
Need a quick way to refocus on the spiritual aspects of Christmas? Hit up the Bible Museum in Goodyear, Arizona. It’s open on Christmas and houses some of the world’s rarest Bibles and religious books, including Latin Bibles that date back to the 15th century. They’ll even let you turn the pages and read the books yourself.
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Comments (10)
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The orignal LL Bean store in Freeport, ME is open 365 days a year – made for an interesting Christmas 3 years ago when my parents were on their 25th anniversary European vacation.
posted by Colleen on 12-23-2009 at 11:43 am
In Chicago, the Spertus Museum of Judaica traditional hosts “Something Else” as an event Jewish families can attend while Christians are celebrating their holiday.
posted by Steven on 12-23-2009 at 11:49 am
In Vancouver, the Aquarium (in Stanley Park) is also open on Christmas day. It makes sense to have things like zoos and aquaria open 365 days a year, as the animals have to be fed and tended anyway, so the staff have to be there whether there are visitors or not.
reCaptcha: Dunging to – yeah, that has to be done too!
posted by Jon. on 12-23-2009 at 12:11 pm
My father and I spent Christmas in Amsterdam a few years ago, and we spent most of Christmas Day at the Anne Frank House. On our way there, my father expressed some concern that the house might be closed for the holiday. It took him a while to get it.
posted by Danielle on 12-23-2009 at 12:37 pm
Thanks for the post. I have never heard of the Bible Museum and I live in Glendale, Az, just a stone’s throw from Goodyear. Merry Christmas to you, your family and all us flossie people!
posted by tamigirlrocks on 12-23-2009 at 6:53 pm
The movies are always open too! It’s become a tradition on my family to go see a movie on Christmas because now that we’re older we get bored faster! We don’t get any fun games like we did when we were younger.
:o)
reCaptcha: Darrell rael
posted by Lindsey on 12-24-2009 at 1:19 am
I live in Branson and if anything, the traffic just gets worse on Christmas Day.
posted by kishiki on 12-25-2009 at 12:42 am
I grew up near the John Deere headquarters – we used to play hide and seek in the display room on the weekends until we would get kicked out – then we would ride our bikes down the hills there dragging out feet til the soles of our shoes would melt. We did this about every weekend… I still don’t own a tractor.
posted by Daniel on 12-28-2009 at 1:32 pm
Not only is L.L. Bean in Freeport, ME open everyday of the year, it is open 24 hours a day. There are no locks on the front doors. I have spent entire nights there when I went to high school in Freeport.
posted by sebas on 2-2-2010 at 9:33 am
This article fails to mention that Disney has some really impressive Christmas traditions & decorations. There are lots of great concerts, both of commerical & traditional Christmas music. Also, the festival of lights at Hollywood Studios is pretty awesome.
I’m just sayin’…there are worse places to be on Christmas than Disney.
posted by V on 3-20-2010 at 10:59 am