Nutcracker Museum - Leavenworth, Washington - A Unique Display of Antique and Modern Nutcrackers in a Quaint German Influenced Town

The Nutcracker Museum in Leavenworth, Washington opened in 1995 and houses one of the largest nutcracker displays in the world. The museum pays homage to the Nutcracker and its ability to perfectly open the hard shell of a nut. The quest for man to quickly and easily open a nut has spawned these artistic pieces that attract people to the museum from all over the world. The earliest nutcrackers dae back 8000 years. The Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum boasts a bronze nutcracker that dates back to approximately 200 B.C. and was found in 1960. The museum has been visited by over 44 states and 38 countries. As unique as the town it resides in, the Nutcracker Museum offers video presentations, tours, and areas to shop. Owned and operated by Arlene Wagner, a former ballet teacher who produced the Nutcracker Ballet for many years, she and her husband George have traveled the world over to collect over 5,000 pieces displayed in their museum.

The displays emphasize mostly antique nutcrackers, but also exhibit some of the designs from current makers. The Christian Steinbach Company of Germany is the largest producer of nutcrackers and a large line of their work is displayed at the museum. In fact, the most complete Steinbach collection in the world, resides here. Some of the other modern wooden toy nutcracker makers offered at the museum are Klaus Mertens, Franz Karl, Olaf Kolbe, Christian Ulbricht, Gunther Ulbricht, and more.

The friendly staff at The Nutcracker Museum is proud of the impressive collection on display and they also help patrons to become educated on various nutcrackers so they can start a collection of their own. Patrons will learn about how much money it costs to start up a collection, and they also do appraisals for people that have nutcrackers. They provide people with a list of reputable deals and give tips on how to avoid getting scammed. They provide people with the best way to store, arrange, and display their nutcrackers in a safe and appealing way.

The museum is open daily from May to October from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from November to April from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays only. The museum is handicap accessible and offers convenient sized doorways and railings for guests with special needs. Individuals can do a self-guided tour as well as groups. A group request form must be filled out in advance. Groups will be treated to a 15 minute video about the history of nutcrackers, and then will be given the opportunity to participate in a hands-on demonstration of unusual nutcrackers. The group tour takes approximately 45-60 minutes. Children are always welcome to the Nutcracker Museum as there are special activities done just for them. One particular favorite is the Nutcracker Hunt where the Nutcracker lady gives a treasure map to the children to go hunt down specific nutcrackers.