MORAVIA - Many people have miniature, lighted houses that they like to put up in their homes around the holidays. Terry Lamphier has an entire miniature lighted city.

That city is currently on display on the Coffee N Cream cafe in Moravia. The small metropolis is made up of hundreds of lighted houses and figurines owned by Lamphier. It takes up an entire wall and a half on the cafe's second floor, and can be viewed by anyone looking to see a literal winter wonderland.

“I guess I just enjoy doing things like this,” said Lamphier, who lives in Locke. “I have a lot of fun setting it all up.”

The scene has everything a tiny city would need: a school yard a farm, churches, a downtown with a holiday parade, a chocolate shop, and observatory and much more. There are snow-covered, hilltop homes in the outskirts of town.

There is even a carnival with a hot-air balloon ride

The mini city is populated by carolers, soldiers, ice skaters, kids on sleds, animals children and families or all sorts and colors. To top everything off, there is a fresh coat of snow on the ground and a sky of twinkling stars. Actually, they're icicle lights, but that's close enough.

Lamphier said that she started displaying the houses at Coffee N Creme three years ago when she began working at the coffeehouse part-time. Before that, she would put them in her home every year around Christmas. But in its new locale, the scene can be enjoyed by anyone looking to get out of the cold and sip on a warm drink.

“I was going to do all that work to do this, but not that many people were seeing it (in my house),” Lamphier said.

But Lamphier's interest in the lighted houses goes back to before she can even remember, she said. Lamphier's aunt used to collect and display lighted houses, and so did her mother. She said she remembers being a little girl and helping both of them put together a tiny town ever year.

When Lamphier got old enough, she took over and started adding to the collection.

“(Putting up these houses) just means a lot to me because I grew up doing it,” Lamphier said. “This is pretty much my thing.”

Unfortunately, most of her aunt's original village, which dates back to the 1930s, was lost to a fire in 1979. The only things that remain from that collection are a couple of small lighted houses, some small die-cast metal figurines and a handful of classic toy cars.

While there are plenty of new pieces with lots of lights, colors and moving parts, some of her favorite parts of her city are the few-dozen little metal soldiers, which she has set up in a military scene.

“I will change the scenes a little bit every year, but for the most part, it tends to be the same,” Lamphier said.

The sheer size of her collection doesn't keep her from adding to it.

“The best time to find them is right after Christmas,” Lamphier said. “Sometimes one of my daughters will find one and get it for me. But I always add something to it every year.”

Lamphier said she has never counted her collection. The task would be a daunting one, as it is enough work taking them all out and putting them all back.

“I probably should count them,” Lamphier said. “People who look at them always ask me how many I have.”

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net

If you go

Terry Lamphier's tiny Christmas town can be viewed at Coffee N Cream coffeehouse, 165 North Main St., Moravia. For directions or questions, call 497-2705.