The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, aka The Peanuts Museum, opened today in Schulz's adopted hometown of Santa Rosa, near his studio and the skating rink he built. The $8 million dollar, 17,000 square ft. facility includes a 100-seat auditorium. A large mural depicts Charlie Brown taking another run at a football -- each of the thousands of tiles that comprise the scene feature a separate cartoon image. On the museum grounds, visitors can enter the Snoopy maze or gaze at the notorious kite-eating tree....

Baby boomers are no doubt comforted by the certainty that most of their childhood cartoon friends will eventually be enshrined in a museum or other public tribute. Earlier in 2002 another cartoon attraction was completed -- the sculpture garden of Dr. Seuss characters in Springfield, MA. Family Circus Museum, anyone?

[08/24/2002]