DANVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — A museum celebrating all things miniature is on the rebound in Boyle County.
After the pandemic forced the owner to close for 15 months, the Great American Dollhouse Museum in Danville opened back up on Wednesday.
The buildings are miniature, but the memories are anything but for the founder and curator of the museum.
"This is a place where people just have fun," said Lori Kagan-Moore, who first opened the doors to this museum in 2008.
Fast forward to 2021, she's opening them again for the second time.
The pandemic forced her to close last March to keep her community safe.
"This museum is structured like a maze," said Kagan-Moore. "When you walk around, it's like being in a maze. And none of the aisles were six feet wide."
During a normal year, about 5,000 visitors come to see the exhibits. With more than 200 buildings, each room a detailed lesson in history.
"It's like you're seeing little snippets of the story going on," she says.
This year, that includes parents like Katie Knoll, who brought her twin girls for the first time.
"My 6-year-olds have not been before, so I wanted to bring them to see all the little miniatures and all the little things everywhere," said Knoll. "They're so cool!"
Kagan-Moore was their age when she became interested in miniatures.
Now, she estimates her museum is one of a handful across the country dedicated entirely to dollhouses.
"People tell me every single day they're completely surprised when they get here, they had no idea it was this big, they had no idea it was this much," she says.
So while the people and furniture may be tiny, the joy of re-opening is huge.
The museum has adjusted its hours since re-opening. You can visit Wednesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.