The magic of the holiday season is on display with a special Santa collection featured at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center.
The collection is a family tradition for longtime resident Jon Keim, whose father started collecting good old St. Nick more than 80 years ago.
“Every Christmas, he would put them on the mantel over the fireplace,” Keim said. “Until his death in 1998, he had collected around 100 Santas. My sister and I split the collection and I’ve been adding to it ever since.”
Keim has amassed more than 300 Santa Claus figures in all shapes, sizes and types from family vacations across the state. There are Santas in cars, trains, planes, bikes and just about anything else you can think of.
“The most valuable is an old Hallmark Santa valued at $400,” Keim said. “The largest is a sitting Santa with a basket of cookies and the smallest is a hanging Santa with moving arms and legs. My favorite is the Santa with a snow globe belly full of gingerbread men and cookies. A lot of them have sound or some type of action. The hanging Santas are the most unique.”
The collection is on display through the holidays at 24932 Veterans Way.
