If there’s one thing Southerners love, it’s tradition. Here in Richmond, we celebrate the holiday season in all sorts of ways, and touring festively decorated, privately owned historic homes continues to be one of the most popular local activities. Mark your calendar for three tours happening in the Fan, Church Hill and Colonial Williamsburg this December.
Photo courtesy Church Hill Association
Church Hill Holiday House Tour
Dec. 11, noon to 5 p.m.
One of the oldest neighborhoods in Richmond, Church Hill will host its 56th annual holiday house tour this year, showcasing 11 historic homes that are decked out for the season. This includes historic St. John’s Church Parrish House, as well as an 1840s Victorian frame home previously owned by Alexander B. Shelton, husband of Sarah Elmira Royster Shelton, Edgar Allan Poe’s former lover and muse. As a bonus, the Antique Car Club will display several restored vintage automobiles, and two homes with carriage houses or appendages converted into vacation rentals will be open. (In addition to the tour, you can get a head start on your holiday festivities with a vespers musical service on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. followed by a candlelight walk at 7:30 p.m. Both are free.) Proceeds benefit neighborhood parks, schools and art initiatives.
Tickets: $35 in advance, $40 day of event. churchhill.org
Tour 11 fabulous Fan homes decorated for the holidays. (Photo by Rene Scott)
Fan District Association’s Diamond Jubilee Holiday House Tour
Dec. 10 and 11, noon to 5 p.m. each day
This popular house tour is back for its 60th year, and the Fan District Association (FDA) promises that “everything will sparkle” in honor of its diamond jubilee. Guests will have the opportunity to tour 11 beautifully decorated homes in a variety of architectural styles located throughout the historic neighborhood. Tuk-tuks (three-wheeled, open air-vehicles) will be available for those wishing to avoid the walk. Proceeds from the tour enable the Fan District Association to enhance the neighborhood through school projects, tree plantings, park and alley refurbishments, neighborhood concerts, and collaborations with the Richmond Police and Virginia Commonwealth University. “The event is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and we are honored to be able to give so much to the community,” says Priscilla George, the chair of FDA’s holiday house tour committee. “We are pleased to support our historic Fan District with the love, care and generosity it deserves at this special time of year.”
Tickets: $25 in advance, $35 day of event (can be used either day or both days). fandistrict.org
Photo courtesy Green Spring Garden Club
Green Spring Garden Club Christmas Homes Tour in Colonial Williamsburg
Dec. 3 and 10, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day
After a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus, the Green Spring Garden Club is inviting guests to tour decadent holiday homes in coordination with Colonial Williamsburg’s Grand Illumination evenings. The Coke-Garrett House and the Timson House will be open Dec. 3, and the Robert Nicolson House and the George Davenport House will be open Dec. 10. This year’s designer house, the Nelson-Galt House, will be open both days, showcasing decor by designer-in-residence Heather Chadduck Hillegas, who plans to be on-site. Dating back to 1695, the Nelson-Galt House is the oldest dwelling in Colonial Williamsburg and among the oldest frame houses in Virginia. Proceeds help fund a variety of student scholarships and support the restoration and maintenance of public gardens in Colonial Williamsburg and the surrounding area.
Tickets: $40 single day, $70 both days (purchase in advance). greenspringgardenclub.org
