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NUTCRACKER MUSEUM History
History of Our CollectionWe all have our obsessions. From accumulating stamps to buying shoes, People have been renowned for their unique collections. Well, Kenneth Pape is no different. He has been and still is widely recognised for his nutcracker compendium, proudly displayed in the Nutcracker Museum.
The collection has around 8,000 nutcrackers and 5,000 nut bowls, each different from the other, giving a peep into the diverse cultures of many countries, carved into the shape of hammers, animals, birds, soldiers and many more. In fact, one can see around 100s of Santa Clau’s nutcrackers. The museum exhibits every design imaginable and leaves its visitors in awe with excitement and admiration.
Farming equipment business owner, pecan grower and avid nut cracker collector Kenneth Pape poses in front of the historical Pape Pecan Valley Ranch.
A nearly life-size nutcracker can be seen at our nutcracker museum.
Pape’s first encounter with this obsession was in the 1950s or early 1960s when he bought his first nutcracker. When his closest friend Jim Roban died and left him his entire collection of nutcrackers he opened a box of nutcracker each day and felt like it was “Christmas every day”. Since then Kenneth has always been on a lookout for unique nutcrackers be it in a garage sale, flea market, antique shop or even eBay. Zee Pape, Kenneth’s wife, said that the couple used to go for treasure hunts in search of nutcrackers, even on their vacations. On one trip they discovered a nearly life-sized nutcracker. Well, we can say that Pape’s curiosity and obsession have made the Nutcracker Museum a fine tourist attraction in Seguin, Texas
One of the other things that make the museum widely acclaimed is the 10-foot long fibreglass steel-framed mobile Pecan. It stands outside the Pape Pecan house on a truck frame with wheels. The intention behind building the Pecan was to replace the original world’s largest Pecan. However, he wasn’t aware of the out-of-state contender which set a high competition bar for him. Nevertheless, Kenneth has been satisfied with his pecan being the largest mobile pecan in the world.
Though the collection of nutcrackers in the museum is wondrous, it is not the only reason people go there for. Visitors have always appreciated the different flavoured pecans that are available for sample and to buy in various sizes. The friendly staff adds the nut on the top.
Every pecan variety in the store has a unique flavour that can enhance the flavours of candies, casseroles, pies, cookies, cheese logs and so much more. We can’t disagree with Bob Whitney when he says, “You can’t replace pecans with something else there’s no substitute for them.”
World’s Largest 10-foot long fibreglass steel-framed mobile Pecan standing outside the Pape Pecan House.
Our Awards
Years of hard work gets recognition. These are our awards for Best in Pecan and for our Famous Nutcracker Museum. We thank you all and appreciate these accomplishments.
