Ed Behen had long wanted to visit the transportation-themed Lincoln Highway Experience museum along Route 30 in Unity Township.

“My history teacher always talked about the Lincoln Highway when I was in high school in 1975,” said Behen, who moved to the township two decades later.

He seized on the museum’s holiday open house Wednesday evening as the perfect opportunity to check out the attraction, which is built around the historic 1815 Johnston House.

Since the event featured seven area artists offering their works for sale, Behen was able to purchase a “close the box” wooden game as a gift. It was displayed amid wooden toy trucks and trains fashioned by John Sabatos of Latrobe.

Admission was free during the event, which also featured holiday and classical selections by a quartet from the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra. Hot chocolate, coffee and cookies was served in the restored 1938 diner that is a centerpiece of the museum annex.

It was the first-ever such holiday event for the museum, according to Lauren Koker, executive director of the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, which is headquartered at the museum.

When bad weather this summer canceled several of the weekly SupperMarket evenings of food and music on the museum grounds, Koker developed the open house as another opportunity to feature live music while also promoting area arts and crafts.

Said Koker: “It’s part of our mission to promote the local economy and small businesses along the corridor,” which extends along the Lincoln Highway between Westmoreland and Adams counties.

Another open house visitor was Rose Bartell, who lives nearby. Her late aunt, Rebecca Johnston, was among family members who called the Johnston House home before it became a museum.

“Eventually, it came to the Heritage Corridor,” Johnston said. “My aunt would be real happy about that.”

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