Aluminum trees at the Heritage Museum

The ever-popular aluminum Christmas tree exhibit will open on November 12 at the Transylvania Heritage Museum in Brevard, North Carolina. This year, 20 vintage trees will be decorated with the colors and themes of the 1970s. 

The original Aluminum Tree and Aesthetically Challenged Seasonal Ornament Museum, better known as ATOM, began in 1991 when a friend gave Stephen Jackson, then the museum's curator, a tattered aluminum Christmas tree as a joke. Remembering the silver tree from his childhood, Jackson threw a party and invited friends to bring the most aesthetically challenged ornaments they could find. The gathering was a big hit. 

Friends continued to gift trees and by 1998, Jackson had too many to display them well in his home. From then until 2009, he found venues to assemble his collection, which had grown to over a hundred trees.

In 2014, Jackson allowed the Transylvania Heritage Museum to display a selection of aluminum trees. Since then, it has become a holiday tradition enjoyed by hundreds of visitors each year.  

Make plans to visit and enjoy a blast from the past with this wacky, retro display featuring the age of disco, the introduction of Disney world, and the many crazy funky designs of the decade. Re-live the '70s and experience the nostalgia of the Shiny Brite Forest. The visit is sure to delight the youngest and oldest of visitors.

The Transylvania Heritage Museum is located at 189 West Main Street in Brevard. Hours of operation are Thursday through Saturday, noon until 4 p.m.

The exhibit is supported in part by the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority. The museum will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve. To learn more, visit transylvaniaheritage.org.