Using the term historic in this story is double-edged for me. On one hand, I am very familiar with the location of this holiday event and glad that this place is being preserved.

On the other, I can't help having a twinge of a weird sort of painful nostalgia about my history with the place.

You may have heard us talk about this on the air over the years. I lived at the then-Yankton State Hospital for about 15 years in my youth. My dad was a psychiatrist, my mom was a psychiatric registered nurse, and we lived in doctor's housing on the grounds of the hospital.

Most of the hospital buildings have been removed and I understand the grounds are becoming a soccer complex of some sort.

I won't even bother to say that life as a kid living at a state hospital, was easy or anything remotely resembling fun, but it certainly was an education.

But to more important things, there is a beautiful new tradition going on in Yankton according to Pigeon 605. It is the Hall of Trees at the Mead Cultural Heritage Center Museum on the historic Yankton State Hospital campus.

You'll see 65 gorgeously decorated trees, plus families can play board games and watch Christmas movies together. Also, Santa will be visiting on Sundays from 2 to 4 PM through December 18

The center is open from noon to 4 every day but stays open until 8 PM on Wednesday evenings, so you can see the trees all bright and beautiful.

The best thing to me is people get to see the Mead building in all its glistening white marbled glory as the wonderous piece of architecture it is.

For more information see the Mead Cultural Heritage Center online, or call 605-665-3898.

2022 Winter Wonderland at Falls Park

A holiday tradition continues with Winter Wonderland at Falls Park in Sioux FallsSouth Dakota.