HENRICO COUNTY, Va — For 27 years, Al Thompson has transformed his quiet Glen Allen street into a winter wonderland that draws visitors from around the world each Christmas. But this Christmas marks the final chapter of Christmas on Wendhurst, as the 79-year-old Navy veteran and his wife Esther say goodbye to a tradition that has touched thousands of lives.
What started in 1999 with one reindeer and a few lights has grown into an award-winning display featuring more than 200,000 lights, 2,534 handmade decorations, and interactive elements that invite visitors to solve riddles, crack puzzles, and share in the magic of the holidays.
"I got the bug, and before you know it, we're solid in all three yards, and I call it 100 yards of lights," Thompson said.
The display has attracted visitors from all 50 states and 135 countries, earning national recognition on CBS, NBC, and ABC.
In 2016, Christmas on Wendhurst won ABC's "Great Christmas Light Fight," taking home the $50,000 prize and trophy that still sits in the front window.
Thompson's journey to creating this beloved tradition began decades earlier.
As a teenager in Tennessee, he built model planes and ships, including a P-3 Orion aircraft and the USS Coral Sea aircraft carrier.
Years later, as a Navy serviceman from 1966 to 1970 during the Vietnam War, he found himself serving on the very vessels he had assembled as models.
"I've always thought, that's amazing that I put the models together as a teenager, and then I actually served on them when I was in the Navy," Thompson said.
That same love of building has driven him to spend 365 days a year preparing for each Christmas season. Thompson has documented every piece in detailed binders, recording facts, figures, and thousands of visitor comments over the years.
"At the peak was 2,534 decorations and about 204,000 lights," Thompson said.
The display features Santa's mailbox, a Penguin Palace, a hundred-piece parade, and a giant mistletoe where Thompson tells visitors, "What happens under the mistletoe stays under the mistletoe."
At the center stands a Memorial Arch honoring fallen service members and first responders.
Mac Dunn has been visiting since childhood and continues the tradition with his own family.
"We had a family tradition where we would come look at Christmas lights every Christmas Eve. And this is always one of our biggest stops of the year, was to come by this house. It's a classic," Dunn said.
For many families, the display has become a multi-generational tradition. One visitor wrote in the comment book about growing from a baby in her mother's arms to returning years later with her fiancé.
Thompson has spent more than 700 nights over the years greeting visitors, logging over 2,000 hours talking with people from around the world.
"People say, 'Does this tie you down?' I said, I want to be tied down. This is what I want to do, and this is what has driven me," Thompson said.
However, the physical demands have taken their toll.
Thompson has undergone multiple surgeries in the past 10 years, including two brain operations, three eye operations, and other medical procedures.
At nearly 80 years old, he and Esther have made the difficult decision to end the tradition.
"We had started decorating September 1. We were about two weeks in, we were up in the attic, getting some things out of the attic. Esther's right there where you come up in the attic, and she looks at me and says, 'I can't do this anymore.' So that hit me pretty hard, but I was struggling," Thompson said.
Visitors have expressed their gratitude for the decades of joy the Thompsons have provided.
"I would just thank Al and Esther for just creating this year after year for the community. Just such a special place for everyone to come and just feel the Christmas spirit," said one mother who has brought her children annually.
Peggy Fuller drove from Fredericksburg after hearing about the display's national recognition.
"My friend told me that this had actually won a great light show, and I said, 'Let's go see it.' It's wonderful. I love it," Fuller said.
On New Year's Eve at 10 p.m., the Thompsons will end the tradition as they always have, walking slowly past the display one final time before turning off the lights.
"When we turn the lights off, there'll probably be some tears, without a doubt, because that's it. After 27 years," Thompson said.
While Christmas on Wendhurst will go dark for good, Thompson reflects on what the experience has meant to him.
"What you see in front of the house, and this is thousands of people that I've talked to over all these years, it's just the good people of America you see out there. You see so much negative, but in front of my house, you see positive," Thompson said.
The final night to view the lights at 9716 Wendhurst Drive in Glen Allen will be on New Year's Eve at 10 p.m. Visit christmasonwendhurst.com for more information.
Email your well-wishes to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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