Decorated dollhouses on display at Marquette Regional History Center

MARQUETTE — While you might not have the decorations up quite yet, a few small houses in downtown Marquette will be showing off their Christmas spirit this weekend.

The Marquette Regional History Center is hosting Dollhouse Day on Saturday. Dollhouses ranging in style from Victorian to modern will be on display for people of all ages to observe the intricate craftsmanship of the tiny homes.

“I think, especially in the ’80s, they really took off,” History Center curator Jo Wittler said. “People started buying kits, and a lot of people began making their own miniatures, so it became obviously more of an adult skill and hobby, and really becomes an art form in and of itself.”

While some of the dollhouses are already on display, the History Center is keeping one very special house under wraps.

“We have a new dollhouse that we are putting on display, and that will be revealed for the first time on Saturday,” Wittler added. “It’s a wonderful 13-room dollhouse. It’s from the ’20s and ’30s, modeled after Eugenia Kurz’s home in Baraga.”

Dollhouse Day runs from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturday. The center is taking $2 off admission for kids who bring in their favorite doll.