Charles Dickens’ classic holiday tale A Christmas Carol comes to life in a unique living history experience at Museum of the Bible in the aptly named A Christmas Carol Experience. This charming performance makes for a perfect Christmas excursion for families with youngsters and for longtime fans of story. On top of this living history performance, Museum of the Bible boasts six floors of exhibits—both rotating and permanent—which are sure to please a variety tastes and interests.
A Christmas Carol Experience does a fantastic job of utilizing the space in this fresh and impressively high tech museum. You start out in the lobby with greetings and good tidings from a man in a top hat who invites you to go on a journey with him to 19th century London. This is your tour guide. Visitors are given a pamphlet with Christmas carols and the experience launches with a round of song and a visit from Ebenezer Scrooge himself.
As in the original story, visitors encounter apparitions as they ascend to each floor. The most striking of these is the ghost of Scrooge’s deceased business partner Jacob Marley. The museum setting works to outstanding effect with Marley’s literal chains—which, one might think, figuratively represent his sins and material attachments—juxtaposed against a large Tiffany glass window depicting Christ that serves as a backdrop to the scene.
Christmas carols are led by your enthusiastic, top-hatted guide as you move through Scrooge’s memories and on to the next scene. Song choices include festive favorites such as “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and “Joy to the World,” among others. Visitors who are elderly or have mobility challenges continue to be included in this portion of the performance, as they are taken to an elevator by a volunteer who leads them in the same carols the rest of the group is singing.
Museum of the Bible’s production offers a fantastic opportunity to introduce kids to Charles Dickens. Children will be captivated by the immersive nature of this take on A Christmas Carol. To be able to see the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future up close and personal makes the moral of the play that much more real for visitors. Adults will enjoy the humorous moments that have been added in to this script, many of which may be lost on younger visitors.
This Christmas Carol has the same heart-warming ending which fans know and love. Once the story wraps up, visitors are invited to take pictures with the cast. Since this takes place on the top floor of the museum, a stunning view of Washington D.C. also awaits. Children, including those of us who are still children at heart, are also given a chance to participate in arts and crafts once the show is over—providing visitors with a fine souvenir from a fine afternoon spent with friends and family at this special living history experience.
A Christmas Carol Experience is a wonderful way to make special memories during your visit to Museum of the Bible. This unique, immersive and family-friendly experience is unforgettable and will leave tourists and locals alike with warm holiday memories for years to come.
A Christmas Carol Experience plays through January 5, 2020 at Museum of the Bible—400 4th Street SW in Washington, D.C. Tickets can be purchased online.
