Friday, December 13, 2013

Totally Texas -- Angels flock to the Dallas Arboretum



Dallas Arboretum

8525 Garland Road, Dallas

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The DeGolyer House’s fireplaces never felt more delightful than when I stopped by after several days of icy weather. And the interior of the rambling Spanish colonial revival house on the grounds of the Dallas Arboretum seldom looked more beautiful, dressed for the holidays with more than five hundred angels.

The angels, unofficial mascots of Pi Beta Phi, are on loan through December 31 from the Dallas chapter of the sorority, the oldest Greek letter organization for women. And they seem to like hanging out in the historic 1940 home of the family of geologist Everette DeGolyer and his wife Nell, peeking from mantelpieces, topping dining and breakfast tables, perched on bookshelves, adorning Christmas trees, or hanging from mirrors, all amid masses of red, pink and white poinsettias.

I like to bring my grandkids to the arboretum when they need plenty of outdoor space to move around in. But even active kids need a place to warm up when the weather is wintry or rainy. For those times, the DeGolyer is a haven.

Although the house, like the rest of the arboretum, is generally open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day, it will be closed for a private party December 17, and during any weather severe enough to cause school closings.

The DeGolyer is open 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. Tours are self-guided, with help from knowledgeable docents. However, the angels are only in residence through December 31.

The arboretum’s grounds are recovering from last week’s ice storm, and as of fifteen minutes before this posting, the Children’s Adventure Garden planned to reopen today.


The arboretum also hosts visits from Santa Claus and a live reindeer, and costumed Frosty the Snowman and red-nosed Rudolph Saturdays and Sundays through December 22. Regular hours are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults (ages 13-64), $12 for those ages 65 and older, and $10 for children over age two, free for younger children. On-site self-parking is $10. But for discounts on tickets and parking as well as times for the weekend holiday events, see
www.dallasarboretum.org/.

 
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More good news for the holidays--Richardson’s Santa’s Village is open after being closed last weekend because of the ice storm. However, visitors may want to keep umbrellas handy!

(Next Friday -- bringing on the tubas at Thanks-Giving Square’s annual Christmas Eve concert.)

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