Volo Museum hosts Christmas in July: Rockafire Explosion, Santa Claus and more

VOLO, Ill. - This weekend, the Volo Museum is embracing the holiday spirit. 

You might wonder, "Which holiday?" 

Well, it's Christmas, of course!

The museum is debuting a new animatronic exhibit called Rockafire Explosion. 

"It’s from Showbiz Pizza.," said Brian Grams, the museum director. "The Christmas show hasn’t been played in probably well over 20 years. We just installed it yesterday. It’s a rare opportunity and something people have only been able to see online or on YouTube. This will be the first time in person in decades."

Grams noted that the show is not only nostalgic but also enjoys renewed popularity. 

"There’s a whole new generation of youth that got into it because of ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s,’" said Grams. "It’s based on creepy killer animatronics, so yeah, there’s a whole new generation that absolutely loves them."

Besides the Rockafire Explosion show, visitors can meet Santa Claus and his elves, enjoy arts and crafts and make cookies in the party room, all beautifully decorated for the holiday season.

Grams emphasized that there's something for everyone at the museum, not just the classic cars it's famous for. 

"There’s 75 acres, 16 buildings. You can ride a carousel, go for a ride on a double-decker Disney bus, look at all the displays, we’ve got kiddie rides, vintage arcades and an animatronic dinosaur park. There’s just so much to do," said Grams. 

The Christmas in July event at the Volo Museum will take place on July 26, 27 and 28, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.