Current Exhibit

Coming November 7, 2020 though Jan 9th 2021*!!!

The World renowned Aluminum Tree & Aesthetically Challenged Seasonal Ornament Museum and Research Center, ATOM, will be returning to North Carolina’s Transylvania Heritage Museum. The annual exhibit is the original aluminum Christmas tree museum. Many examples of the ultimate sustainable trees that were chic in the 1950’s will be on display. To top it off, revolving color wheels spotlight the tacky and outrageous trees, such as Elvis and Marilyn Monroe!

ATOM got its beginning in 1991. Steven Jackson, a local home designer, was given a tattered aluminum Christmas tree, as a joke, that a friend found in the garbage. Remembering the silver tree in his childhood home, Jackson threw a party and invited guests to bring the “most aesthetically challenged” ornaments they could find. It turned out to be a big hit. A few years later, someone gave Jackson a second tree found at a yard sale. By 1998, he owned seven, when he said, “It was just too many trees to fit in my house”. Over the years ATOM has become one of the most popular exhibits at the museum.

Romanticasheville.com has said “Here’s a fun, unique holiday outing that will make you smile and brighten your day. The Aluminum Tree & Ornament Museum (ATOM), the world’s only museum dedicated to vintage aluminum Christmas trees.

The museum, and exhibit, is a free, self-guided tour. Donations are welcomed.

In a region where people are adamant about preserving and protecting nature, ATOM strives to preserve the legacy of the distant cousin of our forest trees, the Aluminum Christmas Tree.

COVID-19 Information: All volunteers and visitors will be required to wear a face covering. Social distancing will be enforced by only allowing a limited number of visitors inside at a time. Hand-to-hand transactions will be kept to a minimum. Follow us on social media for more up-to-date information.

Operating Hours*:

Thursday: 1pm - 7pm

Friday: 1pm - 7pm

Saturday: 1pm - 7pm

*Closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day