GOOD NEWS: Woman plans to open new attraction showing off personal collections

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Just off the highway north of Amarillo you can see large figurines of animals, including dinosaurs, and they all have names.

“Over here we have Kong, so, King Kong. Over here we have GIO Dino, we have Barney. We have Tex, the yellow one and he’s got blue cowboy boots on,” said Suzan Howell, collector with a vision.

Collecting the figures is a long time endeavor of Suzan Howell and her collection includes a tie to NewsChannel 10 history.

“This is Chan Ten and this in honor of Chan Ten that we had at our Amarillo Zoo,” Howell said.

In 1963, NewsChannel 10 was instrumental in helping to bring an elephant to the storyland zoo and it got the name Chan Ten from Channel 10.

“All of us when we were little kids, we took up a collection, Channel 10 was real involved in that and we got a baby elephant so I wanted to memorialize her out here,” Howell said.

There are also, pigs, a bear, a gorilla and more — but it’s not just an animal collection.

She has also gathered hundreds of unique cookie jars from around the world which have been gathered and ready for display.

She explains getting to this point.

“Well it just came in increments, but I like those dinosaurs so much and just bought one at a time when I could purchase them and I enjoyed the whole ‘the country coming by on the highway getting to see them.’ I think its such a cute, fun thing,” Howell said.

See now has plans to transform her property in collections into an attraction where people come to walk through and see various themed cabins and settings.

“Eventually this is going to be ‘The Land Before Time’ then there’s a ‘Cookie Time Museum’ that’s coming with cookie jars. I collected over 3,000 of those and it’ll all come together for good and for God,” she said.

Along with the dinosaurs and cookie jars, Suzan envisions a Christmas display, an old West area, a tropical cabana and a Jesus section.

The goal is to share her collections by creating a simple environment where people come and enjoy.

“I just want people to come away from the world for a time and come away changed. Y’know, get refreshed. Some of the things I collected out here are for people. Its just so they can enjoy and it’ll make their hearts glad,” Howell said.

It’s kind of cool that the Chan Ten elephant can be part of a big exhibit to bring fun and put smiles on people’s faces.

Now, that’s some good news.

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