For decades, “Pip the Mouse” has been a holiday staple of the Lehigh Valley. Just in time for the holidays, “The Mouse Before Christmas,” puppet show, starring Pip, will appear at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum on five very special days.

The presentations are funded in partnership with the Pennsylvania Tourism Office. The announcement was made by Executive Director Joseph Garrera.

Pip the Mouse debuted in a front window of Hess Brothers Department store in Allentown on Oct. 27, 1962 and proved more enduring than anyone could have imagined.

The puppet theater, with its famous tale of “The Mouse Before Christmas,” was created by Dr. George R. Creegan and his wife, along with the Bliss Company of New York. It tells the charming story of how a house mouse helped Santa deliver holiday gifts.

Since 1962 this puppet show has been beloved by generations of Lehigh Valley children.

“We are thrilled to bring Pip to life again for the children of the Lehigh Valley,” said Garrera.

Performances of “The Mouse Before Christmas” will be held at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum:

• Friday and Saturday, Nov. 29 and 30 at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

• Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 26-28 at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Each show will include a performance of the puppet show and a live appearance by Pip the Mouse himself.

This is made possible by grant funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development.

Admission to the program is free to members, there is a charge for non-members. Children under 2 are free.

Other favorites

Thomas the Tank Engine, a world icon, also occupies a place of excitement on those dates in the Museum’s Fun Room.

Here, children can watch Thomas the Tank Engine and his friend Percy travel the rails.

Children can even color pictures of Thomas, and enjoy railroad crafts and activities.

The Thomas the Tank Engine Fun Room will be open Friday-Saturday, Nov. 29-30, and Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 26-28, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., and admission is included with your admission to the Heritage Museum and the Pip the Mouse show.

The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum is a teaching institution that attracts a diverse audience.

Its collections of historical Americana, located primarily at its headquarters, the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, 432 W. Walnut Street in Allentown, include over 35,000 three-dimensional objects, 3 million documents and more than 200,000 vintage photographs.

Regular museum hours are Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Parking is available in the rear of the museum, on the street and in nearby lots.

For more information, visit www.lehighvalleyheritagemuseum.org.