'Peanuts' museum opens in California

SANTA ROSA, Calif. -- It's missing the shag carpet and classical columns, but to "Peanuts" fans the new Charles M. Schulz museum has all the lure of Elvis' Graceland.

"I have been a Snoopy fan for life," said Bridget Feeley, a Chicago native who sports a Snoopy tattoo and cherishes her growing collection of "Peanuts" Christmas ornaments and art. "I plan to visit by the end of the year."

Plenty of others can't wait. Thousands are expected at Saturday's grand opening of 27,300-square foot museum and research center.

"I think it's spectacular," Schulz' son, Craig, said Thursday after taking in Thursday's preview. "I think if he saw the entirety of all he has accomplished, I think he'd be overwhelmed."

The Northern California city where Schulz lived and worked has planned a weekend of fun to remember its adopted son, complete with free Snoopy movies and a pancake breakfast.

Other stops for serious fans might include the cartoonist's studio, the "Peanuts"-themed ice skating rink Schulz gave to the city, and the bronze statue of Snoopy and Charlie Brown in a downtown park.

The museum chronicles Schulz' life and the evolution of the enduring comic strip that debuted on Oct. 2, 1950. The musings and misadventures of Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and their friends eventually ran in more than 2,600 newspapers.

Schulz' wife, Jean, and other family and friends wandered Thursday with rooms filled with original strips and a recreation of Schulz' studio, complete with his easel and shelves crammed with books and mementos. There is also a research library and a Snoopy labyrinth in the outdoor gardens.