Paying to see firehouse Christmas gardens

[jakeoregano]

AMEN To all my Ravens Brothers!!  I'll take my football bruised (purple and black), over Orange and Brown any day!!!

[mitchelr]

Jake how can you stand being surrounded by Bengals and Browns fans?

LONG LIVE THE PURPLE AND BLACK !!!

 

Go RAVENS!!!! 

 

For anyone in the Baltimore area.  The Manchester MD Volunteer Fire Department has a nice display.  They are only open on weekends thru Christmas.  This is the second year for this display.  One of the parents at my school sets it up and runs it.  He collections donations for the Fire Department.  Just one caution, the display is up on the second floor of an auditorium in the historic firehouse on Main Steet (no elevator).  Manchester is on Maryland Route 30.

 

Mitch 

 

 

[baltimoretrainworks]

Jake how can you stand being surrounded by Bengals and Browns fans?

LONG LIVE THE PURPLE AND BLACK !!!

[jakeoregano]

As a life long Baltimorean, who's been displaced to Ohio the last few years, I always liked the Kenilworth display.  Never was into paying to see the displays.  My exception to this would be The Baltimore Society of Model Engineers http://www.modelengineers.com/.  They request donations, and those go directly to helping them keep the club in existence.  Check out their website.  They have great layouts and have many open house dates.  I don't think anyone would be disappointed in this one.

I hope all is well in my old home town.  GO RAVENS!!!

[Anonymous]

I'll have to look them up... I've only lived in Baltimore for 18 months so I don't know where all those places are... maybe with a little help from the wife I can get him to a couple.  He's not a big crowd person, so that is why I'm trying the B&O - Arbutus - E.C. route (easier to sell him on that)!

[baltimoretrainworks]

The one in question is the Wise Ave. volunteer firehouse. It's only a buck but come on $1 isn't going to help much with operating expenses. I wouldn't have a problem with it except for all the BS they put people thru last year about closing it

 Try  the one at Kenilworth Bazzar off of York Rd. just inside the beltway and the one at Belvedere Square also try the The Glen Avenue and Cross Coutry Boulevard House, home of Engine 45, and Truck 27,hosts a Christmas Garden during the holiday season.

 I have a small garden this year, 7x11, in the basement this year, sort of a test bed for the big one that is currently being planned

[Anonymous]

btw - Who is charging admission?  I'm trying to talk my father-in-law into going downtown to the B&O museum and then hit Arbutus and Ellicott City VFW displays on the way back.

I picked up a list of displays in the area and didn't recall seeing any of the VFW's charging admission - only 'Free admission.  Donations Greatly Appreciated'.

I was chatting with the wife the other day and mentioned that when I have the large layout completed in the new house that I may have yearly 'open house' days so people can come and see it.  She wasn't all that happy about the idea, but if when the house is being built I think I can ensure security, I may go ahead with it!  I was thinking an extra outside entrance, but then the trains wouldn't be that secure...

[baltimoretrainworks]

Has anyone else seen train displays in their area that charge admission, I don't mean charity type things like toys or canned goods but just to make a buck? A local firehouse here in Baltimore last year said that this was going to be the last year for them because of "time" constraints and the community came thru by donating money and volunteer help, local businesses donated building materials, trains and ceramic buildings and a large train manufactuerer donated several hundred pieces of trains and power supplies. This year they are open but they are charging admission, am I missing something here am I just "OLD FASHIONED"? What ever happened to doing something for it's own sake? I always threw 5 or 10 in the donation bucket and bought thier raffle tickets but after all these people rallied for them last year and then to charge admission just doesn't seem right and it's only open a few hours a day. I mean what else do these guys have to do all day, watch TV, play cards, sleep? If they don't want to do it don't, but don't jerk the public around about it.

They aren't the only ones, up in Park City Mall last year there was a 4x8 train layout tucked under a stairs and you put a quarter in it to watch it for a few minutes.

I guess traditions like this are  slowly going the way of steam locomotives like taking the kids to see the train displays around Christmas, saying Merry Christmas to someone without offending them and the best of allbeing able to buy a Christmas tree and not a HOLIDAY tree.