THE GEORGE NADER BELL MUSEUM STORY

 

When he was 12 years old, George Nader’s mother gave him a bell figurine.  From that day forward for the next 73 years, collecting bells was George’s passion.  During his lifetime he traveled far and wide, collecting hundreds of bells of all shapes, sizes, and descriptions.

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George’s younger brother and business partner, Harris, took care of the bells in the family home after George’s death.  It was Harris’ dream to put the bells on permanent display in honor of his brother in the town they had called home for over 80 years.  When Harris saw the renovations being done at New Horizon Theatre, he crossed the street to see if there might be room to display his brother’s bells.  From that moment on a partnership was born. After seeing the magnitude of the collection, it soon became evident the theatre did not have the space to appropriately display the bells.  A few months later, Harris decided to retire and close Nader’s Music Store.  The discussion of a partnership with New Horizon resurfaced. Harris considered several options and ultimately offered to gift the Nader’s Music building and the bell collection to the theatre with the stipulation that a portion of the building be used as a museum to place the collection on permanent display.  The theatre readily agreed and The George Nader Bell Museum and New Horizon Theatre Costume Shop became a reality.

 

Unfortunately, Harris died before he could see his dream come true.

 

In keeping with Harris’ wishes, the Nader family agreed to the arrangement with the theatre and today we proudly display over 1,000 bells in memory of George and Harris and in honor of the Nader family.

 

The Museum is open one hour prior to all New Horizon Theatre performance, and tours and additional hours can be arranged by appointment. Call 706/643-7529 to schedule a tour.

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