8 Historic Houses in New York Decked Out for Holiday Tours This Season

If you are ready to leap into the holiday season and want your shimmering decor with a side helping of history, you can immerse yourself in seasonal cheer at one of New York’s many historic sites.

While they are fascinating any time of year, many historic houses shine during December with festively adorned period rooms and special tours and programs. We’ve rounded up eight houses outside of Brooklyn that have decked their halls for the holidays.

Victorian Christmas at the Armour-Stiner Octagon House
Irvington, New York
November 20 to December 22, times and days vary

It’s an architectural standout and for the holidays you can get a look inside the unusual 1870s manse. The restored interior, already a decorative wonder, is swathed for “A Victorian Christmas” event with elaborate holiday decor including garlands, wreaths, and a Christmas tree in the impressive salon.

Tickets for the guided hour-long tour of the private home are required and should be purchased in advance online.

Twilight Tours: a Jane Austen Holiday at Boscobel House and Gardens
Garrison, New York
Fridays and Saturdays, November 28 to December 13, times vary

Built between 1804 and 1808, Boscobel is one of the country’s premier examples of Federal architecture. It’s beautifully restored and furnished with outstanding pieces from the leading furniture makers of the early 19th century. The architectural jewel is set within more than 60 acres of land with woodland trails, garden paths, and dramatic views of the Hudson River.

The house was recently closed for an emergency restoration, but is back in time for holiday tours through the candlelit mansion. The inspiration for the decor this year is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. Visitors can roam through the house with guides stationed in rooms to provide some info on holiday traditions and the decor of the house. There are a limited number of tours and tickets should be purchased in advance online.

Glenview Holiday Tour
Hudson River Museum
Yonkers, New York
Wednesdays to Fridays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 1 and 3 p.m., from November 28 through January 2

Built in 1877 for the Wall Street banker John Bond Trevor and his family, the riverside home is now part of the Hudson River Museum of Yonkers. The Gilded Age manse is exuberantly decorated during the holidays, with trees, toys, and ornate table settings. This year the decorations will include a focus on the museum’s vintage greeting card collection.

Visitors can view the trimmings through early January during a guided tour. In addition to the regularly offered tours there will be more tour slots available the week between Christmas and New Years. The full tour schedule is available online.

Holiday Classic Mansion Tour at Lyndhurst
Tarrytown, New York
Thursdays through Tuesdays from November 30 to December 28, times vary

Constructed in 1838, Lyndhurst is a dramatic Gothic Revival estate designed by Alexander Jackson Davis, a giant of early 19th century American architecture. The house was purchased by railroad magnate Jay Gould in the 1880s and is festooned with dozens of trees, elaborate table settings, and other decorations during the holiday season.

The Holiday Classic Mansion Tour is a one-hour guided tour delving into the history, architecture, and art of the mansion. Information on all tickets and times are available online.

Holiday Tours at Wilderstein
Rhinebeck, New York
Fridays through Sundays from November 28 to December 28, at 12, 1 and 2 p.m.

An elaborate Queen Anne-style mansion, Wilderstein was home to three generations of the Suckley family. The last family member to live in the house, Daisy Suckley, a cousin and close friend of FDR, left behind furniture, photos, books, letters, and artwork, allowing the museum to tell the full tale of one family.

Guided tours lead visitors through the festively accented rooms, and the surrounding landscape is also open for exploration. Tickets can be purchased upon arrival.

A Gilded Christmas at Mills Mansion
Staatsburgh State Historic Site
Staatsburgh, New York
From November 28 to December 30, times and days vary

Celebrate a Gilded Age-style Christmas at Staatsburgh. Also known as Mills Mansion, the Greek Revival style home was transformed in 1896 into a Beaux Arts mansion by McKim, Mead and White. The historic site embraces the lavishness of the era with turn-of-the-century decoration and a striking Christmas tree.

The holiday embellishments will be on display until December 31 and there are some special programs as well. Children can participate in “Holiday Whodunit” by interviewing costumed interpreters to solve a mystery. Reservations are required for all tours and programs, and more details can be found online.

Holiday Rosen House Tours
Katonah, New York
Daily tours from December 10 to 21, 12:30 and 1 p.m.

Already bursting with visual delight, Caramoor’s Rosen House is further decked out for the holidays. The country home of Walter Rosen and Lucie Bigelow Dodge Rosen was constructed between 1929 and 1939, but contains art from much earlier periods, including entire room details imported from overseas.

The docent-led 45 minute tour allows visitors to soak in the treasures collected by the family as well as the holiday decor that was inspired by items in the family archive. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are available online.

Victorian Christmas at Sunnyside
Sleepy Hollow, New York
Saturday, December 20, times vary

Author Washington Irving purchased land in the Hudson Valley in 1835 and transformed a house on the property into a picturesque stone cottage. The house remained in the Irving family until 1945 and opened to the public in 1947. The period rooms are interpreted to showcase life as it would have been in the 1850s.

As the home of the author behind such characters as Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman, the house sees a fair number of visitors during the Halloween season, but it shines during the winter holidays as well. A holiday themed tour is being offered on just one day, with hands-on activities and a warm drink part of the program. Timed tickets are required and can be purchased online. The site is operated by Historic Hudson Valley, which also has holiday events at other historic properties.

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• How to Buy a Christmas Tree in 19th Century Brooklyn

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