By the Johnson County Museum

Having your photo taken with Santa at the mall is a holiday tradition for many. The connection between Santa and department stores dates back to the late 19th century. But, like many of the holiday traditions we love today, a photo with Santa traces its roots to the years after World War II.

Suburban shopping malls and Christmastime commercialism were postwar hallmarks. By the 1950s, large department stores in downtown areas across the country were closing due to the mass movement of white families moving to new suburbs. One of Kansas City’s largest department stores – Emery, Bird, Thayer – closed in its doors in 1968. Just one year earlier, Metcalf South Shopping Center, one of Johnson County’s beloved shopping venues, opened at 95th and Metcalf. That winter, staff at Metcalf South hosted a wildly popular holiday display that included the arrival of Santa in a wagon pulled by trained zebras!

Santa’s zebras?

In 1967, Metcalf South Shopping Center celebrated its first Christmas shopping season by welcoming Santa Claus in style! Three trained zebras from the R.B. Rice Farm in Lee’s Summit, Mo., pulled Santa’s wagon as it arrived. The zebras, which were named Mild, Medium, and Hot, were used to promote Harold Rice’s sausage company. The zebras were natives of Kenya and trained to wear a harness by Thaine Gfeller.

Holiday themed displays

Many Johnson Countians cherish memories of the Christmas displays at Metcalf South Shopping Center to this day. This Santa chair, camera, and mechanical carolers were part of the holiday displays at Metcalf South. Other displays included Raggedy Ann and Andy’s Yum Yum Village, as well as Huckleberry Hound’s Christmas Train.

Like many suburban shopping centers and malls, Metcalf South closed in 2014. Its last remnants were demolished earlier this year. Several items from Metcalf South are part of the Johnson County Museum’s permanent collection. While Metcalf South might be no more, Johnson Countians young and old can still meet Santa and his helpers in malls and shopping centers across the area, carrying on that timeless tradition.

You can view the Metcalf South holiday display outside the All-Electric House through Jan. 7. The interior of the All-Electric House is also decked out for a Mid-Century Christmas, complete with an aluminum tree and color wheel. The All-Electric house is included with your admission to the Johnson County Museum, open Monday – Saturday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. While you’re there, stop by the Museum Store and check out our great selection of local and Kansas-made gifts.