‘Once Upon a Time’ Brings Stories to Life at the Upcountry History Museum
Greenville, S.C. –
Step into the larger-than-life pages of Once Upon A Time: Exploring the World of Fairy Tales, the first nationally touring exhibition devoted exclusively to fairy tales, opening at the Upcountry History Museum-Furman University, a Smithsonian Affiliate, on Saturday, June 5, 2021, and on display through Sunday, September 19, 2021.
Children and adults can explore the extraordinary settings of six popular stories from around the globe in this unique exhibition that brings each of them to life in a large-scale environment. From a giant’s castle and a magical beanstalk to an African jungle and a pumpkin coach, the timeless tales of “Beauty and the Beast” (France),“Jack and the Beanstalk” (England), “Anansi and the Talking Melon” (Ghana), “Cinderella” (France), “Lon Po Po” (aka: “Little Red Riding Hood,” China), and “The Elves and the Shoemaker” (Germany) draw visitors into creatively imaginative backdrops of interactive learning.
This bilingual (English and Spanish) exhibition is designed to immerse visitors into a distinctive educational experience that takes traditional story time to a three-dimensional, fully developed world which emphasizes the importance of reading and the significance of fairy tales throughout history. Whether climbing the beanstalk like Jack, setting the table in the Beast’s banquet hall, or riding in the pumpkin coach like Cinderella, children will discover the fundamental meaning of each story as they literally walk in the shoes of their favorite characters.
The large-scale environment, interactive components and costumes of “Once Upon A Time” combine to support the power of imagination and creative thinking in children, satisfy the play-spirit of childhood, encourage reading aloud to children, as well as instill a love of reading in children, impart historical information, and foster multi-generation storytelling.
Though developed for children ages 3-10 years old, this distinctive exhibition will still appeal to the grown-ups who can remember fondly these beloved stories that were a major part of their childhoods, too.
The Upcountry History Museum is located at 540 Buncombe St., in Greenville, S.C. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; and beginning June 6, Sunday from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. For more information, call 864-467-3100 or visit www.upcountryhistory.org.
