Nela Park

Just for the asking, this gentleman (John, the facility manager) let us privately roam the main part of the 92 acre gated Nela Park grounds at will, then offered to give us a private tour of the museum!  We originally went to see the Christmas lights on the 100th anniversary.  It was a big deal when we were kids.  Back then, cars snaked through the streets between buildings where the most sensational Christmas lights were displayed every year.  What a shame that the beautiful campus remains largely unused today, and buyers are hard to find (high crime area, unreliable fire rescue, high cost to update the buildings, etc., etc.).  It's a federally protected historical property, so the buildings can't be torn down.  Both the architecture and landscaping are beautiful.  We hope to return in the spring to see it in its glory.

I had a much longer write-up but it disappeared when I went to publish, so for now I'll just add a link with some history and a beautiful shot. I'm too tired to sift through more photos too. Suffice it to say, that this is where General Electric did its research and development that impacted the whole world.  There's a lot of interesting history at Nela Park if you're interested.  Extras include a sample of the thousands of bulbs sent to NYC after 9-1-1 and the Triumph of Light sculpture.

From Nela Park Management:  A Brief History

I hope the links work!  Extras won't load..maybe later.