PRYOR, Okla. — With the Christmas season in full swing, a Green Country family has opened a unique free attraction this year.
"We want to bring people back to what Christmas is all about, and that's the birth of our savior, and not Santa and presents," says Missy Hibbard.
That's why she and her husband opened the Nativity Museum in Pryor.
"Everybody has a passion for different things. For my husband and I, our faith is very important to us," says Hibbard.
The Hibbards are no strangers to professing their faith in a big way. In 2016, they built the 110-foot cross on the prairie in Adair, believed to be one of the tallest freestanding statues in the U.S. In a new leap of faith, they opened this free museum where you'll find more than 200 nativity sets on display.
"We've got sets from around the world — we've got about 40 different countries that are represented, but we also have mass produced nativity's that we have collected throughout the years," says Hibbard.
There's everything from Lego to a wooden set from Sierra Leone. With four rooms to explore, you're invited to take a self-guided tour. Many of the pieces are handcrafted and you'll find placards with fun facts.
"For example, in El Salvador, they have used animals that are unique to their area. So instead of having a lamb and the donkey, they're gonna have an armadillo, so that's kind of a unique cool thing," says Hibbard.
The Hibbards started collecting in 1985 and started with a Precious Moments set.
"My husband and I married around Christmas, and he started a collection on our anniversary. He would get me a little nativity set or piece, and it just became a thing that grew through the years, and now we have collected close to 500," says Hibbard.
Less than half of their collection fits in the 700-square-foot space. If there's enough interest this year, they plan to have more in a larger space next year.
"We've had a really good response from people who have come through," says Hibbard.
She dreams of adding a kid's play area and more education.
"Explaining things like why we have a Christmas tree, why we have Christmas lights, the story of a candy cane, so there's a lot of things that we like to add to our museum eventually," she says.
For now, she hopes this museum packed with tiny treasures does what it's designed to do and serves as a reminder of the reason for the season.
The museum is located at 9 S. Adair Street in Pryor. It will be open through December on Thursdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. It will be closed on Christmas.
Hibbard will also be open to private groups by appointment.
Be sure to watch for this Positively Oklahoma story Thursday night at 6 p.m.
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