Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum is a museum dedicated to nutcrackers, located in Leavenworth, Washington. Founded by Arlene Wagner and her husband George in 1995, the museum housed over 7,000 nutcrackers in 2020. She taught multiple productions of The Nutcracker, and became enamored of nutcrackers. She began collecting them during the 1960s. The museum's building is of a Bavarian style and has an area of 5,000 square feet. Wagner came to be known as "the Nutcracker Lady". The Museum was featured on the NBC program Today in 2000. In 2001, the museum became a part of the National Heritage Foundation. David Evangelista favorably reviewed the museum in a piece for an A&E Network special in 2003. Wagner wrote a book, The Art and Character of Nutcrackers, which discusses 1,000 pieces from the museum. In December 2009, the museum was featured on the "Sunday Morning" program of CBS News. On November 8, 2010, Wagner became the first guest featured on Conan O'Brien's late-night television program on TBS, Conan. The Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum has received favorable reception in the book You Know You're in Washington When..., where the authors recommended it as the best location to learn about the art and engineering of nutcrackers. Wagner's book The Art and Character of Nutcrackers was also given positive mention in the book. Wagner was consulted as a resource for the book Nutcracker Nation. Authors Ken and Dahlynn McKowen recommended the museum in their book Best of Oregon & Washington's Mansions Museums & More. History The curator of the museum is Arlene Wagner. Wagner (born 1925) founded the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum with her husband George in 1995, as a non-profit organization. Wagner had previously worked as a ballet instructor, and supervised productions of The Nutcracker. The museum's website notes, "just as Clara in the ballet became entranced with the wooden figure with the big teeth, so did Arlene." She started her collection of the toy soldiers as a child. During the 1960s, Wagner began to purchase various kinds of nutcrackers. The museum's building is of a Bavarian style and is of an area of 5,000 square feet; Wagner came to be known as "the Nutcracker Lady". The museum was featured on the NBC program Today in 2000. Arlene and George Wagner ceded their collection in 2001 to the National Heritage Foundation so that the museum would be maintained in the event of their deaths; however Arlene Wagner