November 14, 2026 – February 7, 2027
“That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”
– Linus van Pelt, from A Charlie Brown Christmas animated television special, 1965.
The holidays just wouldn’t be the same without the Peanuts gang. And for millions of people, around the world, it really isn’t Christmas until they have watched A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Celebrating the holidays in true Peanuts-style, the Upcountry History Museum will host Merry Christmas Charlie Brown! The Peanuts-centric exhibit, created by the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, Santa Rosa, CA, invites visitors of all ages to enter the world of Charlie Brown. Visitors explore the making of the 1965 holiday classic, engage in Peanuts holiday activities, and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.
Peanuts had become a phenomenon worldwide by the mid-1960s. Charles M. Schulz’s characters were on the cover of Time magazine in 1965, and advertisers grew interested in partnering with Schulz. The Peanut gang’s growing popularity led to the commissioning of a half-hour Charlie Brown Christmas special, sponsored by the Coca-Cola company. The animated special, was written over a period of several weeks and developed on a shoestring budget in six months.
The project’s producers went an unconventional route when casting voiceovers for the Peanuts characters by hiring child actors. The program’s soundtrack was similarly unorthodox, featuring a jazz score by pianist Vince Guaraldi. Its absence of a laugh track (a staple in US television animation in the 1960s), in addition to its tone, pacing, music, and animation led both the producers and network to wrongly predict the project would be a disaster preceding its broadcast.
Contrary to that apprehension A Charlie Brown Christmas, premiered on December 9, 1965, received high ratings and acclaim from critics, and won both an Emmy and a Peabody Award. It became an annual broadcast in the United States and has aired annually during the Christmas season since it is 1965 premiere. Its success paved the way for a series of Peanuts television specials and films —and the rest is history!
The Merry Christmas Charlie Brown! exhibit celebrates the holiday season, offering visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this holiday classic. Artwork, objects, and a video featuring Charles M. Schulz, producer Lee Mendelson, and animator/director Bill Melendez, details the sometimes magical and often madcap making of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Hands-on activities and interactives will add to the holiday spirit as visitors engage in this time-honored family tradition.
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