Xmas Around the World, MSI Chicago

Museum of Science and Industry Celebrates International Christmas

© Christine Nyholm

Dec 5, 2007
MSI Christmas Tree, Christine Bude
Christmas Around the World Spirit of Travel is a colorful ethnic display of holiday trees, model trains, airplanes and train locomotives.

Christmas Around the World is celebrated at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Illinois. The festive holiday display of decorated Christmas trees runs from November 14, 2008 through January 4, 2009.

Christmas Around the World - Celebrating 75 Years of Museum History

The Xmas exhibit is in its eighth season. This year the theme of Christmas Around the World is Celebrating 75 Years of Museum History, in honor of the Diamond Anniversary of the museum .

The holiday exhibit is on the main floor of the museum. Art deco posters hang on the walls, as a backdrop to the festive Christmas trees, a vintage locomotive and an elaborate model train display that runs past a scale model of the City of Chicago.

Hanging from the ceilings are examples of air travel, including an airplane. The airplane hovers over the scale model of the City of Chicago, as the model trains travel past the familiar landmarks and into the countryside.

A vintage locomotive engine is surrounded by Christmas trees, individually decorated as they would be in the many countries around the globe.

Christmas Trees Around the World

Colorful Christmas Trees are the centerpiece of the holiday exhibit. Each tree is uniquely decorated. There is a plate at the foot of each tree, describing the ornaments and decorations that are customarily used.

The trees are decorated with lights, glass ornaments, straw ornaments, ribbons, garlands and in every other type of adornment imaginable. It is fun to study the variety of decorations on the ethnic Christmas Trees.

Christmas Trees are decorated as they would be in Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia, Canada:, China, Columbia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hawaii, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Native America, Netherlands, Norway:, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Slovak Republic:, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand:, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America:

Performances from Around the World

The MSI has a schedule of ethnic performances listed on their website (msichicago.org) for the holiday season. Upcoming ethnic performances include: Japan, Finland, India, Scotland, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Belize, Poland, Colombia, Russia, Thailand, Croatia, Romania, Africa, Bolivia, Egypt, Ecuador and Serbia.

The Museum of Science and Industry is open every day except Christmas Day through the holiday season. See their website for hours and admission information. The museum is located at 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois. 773-684-1414.

Chicago has a number of festive holiday celebrations, including the German Christkindlmarkt. and the Magnificent Mile

Adler Planetarium features the annual Star of Wonder program, which recreates the skies of the original Christmas.


The copyright of the article Xmas Around the World, MSI Chicago in Illinois Travel is owned by Christine Nyholm. Permission to republish Xmas Around the World, MSI Chicago in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


Museum of Science and Industry, Christine Bude
MSI Vintage Locomotive, Christine Bude
MSI Model Train Layout, Christine Bude
MSI Locomotive and Tree, Christine Bude
MSI Christmas Tree, Christine Bude


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