Holiday Spirits House Museum Tour returns to Athens December 14

Here's the latest on the 2013 edition of the Athens Historic House Museum Association's award-winning Holiday Spirits Museum Mile Tour on Saturday, December 14: 

Taylor-Grady House

This special holiday version of the Museum Mile Tour will transport participants to Christmases past with a focus on Southern holiday traditions spanning the 19th Century in Athens, Georgia. 

The tour includes live period music at the Church-Waddel-Brumby House, professional theatre with a Rose of Athens Cobb Family performance at the T.R.R. Cobb House, light

Ware-Lyndon House

refreshments provided by the Junior League of Athens at the Taylor-Grady House, and culminates with a glorious Victorian Christmas at the Ware-Lyndon House. During this festive tour of four house museums, participants will experience music, theatre, and delicious fun, along with an opportunity to learn more about the Federal, Greek Revival, and Victorian periods in Athens from a professional tour guide. 

Athens Welcome Center

The Holiday Spirits Museum Mile Tour will depart by bus on Saturday, December 14, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $25 each for the two-hour tour and are available with reservations through the Athens Welcome Center at 706-353-1820 or online at www.athenswelcomecenter.com.  Space is limited, so you are encouraged to reserve your seats early.  This tour is hosted by the Athens Historic House Museum Association, a committee of the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation. 

T.R.R. Cobb House

What a great Georgia Christmas season outing for anyone who loves house tours, architecture, Antebellum culture, and seasonal decorations!

Get in the Spirit!: Holiday Spirits Museum Mile Tour

If you are looking for an unique holiday experience close to home and perfect for the family, look no further. The Athens Historic House Museum Association presents its 4th annual Holiday Spirits Museum Mile Tour on Saturday Dec. 10. However, this is no ordinary holiday home tour. What makes this tour so special and fun for the family? Read on, and find out!

There's a special twist in this holiday home tour: in three of the four houses participants will visit, local and other talent will put on short theatrical performances that give glimpses into how different people celebrated the holidays in the 19th century. The different characters being portrayed include former UGA president Moses Waddel, Henry W. Grady, and an enslaved family. The audience will truly be able to take a step back into time and learn what it was like to celebrate the holidays in the 1800's.

The three performances will take place in the T.R.R. Cobb House, the Taylor-Grady House, and the Church-Waddel-Brumby House. It will also include a guided tour of the Ware-Lyndon House, in which participants will enjoy period music and delicious seasonal refreshments.

Only three tours are being offered, so make sure to order your tickets in advance! The Holiday Museum Mile Tours will depart from the Ware-Lyndon House Parking Lot at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children under the age of 12. You can find more information or make reservations at the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation website.

So if you're still looking into gift ideas for Mom or Grandma, this tour is the perfect present! Make reservations for your family, and be prepared to enjoy a wonderful evening of theatre, music, and tasty fun.

For  other festive holiday events in Athens GA, see www.VisitAthensGA.com/holiday.

- Debbie

Holiday Spirits Museum Mile Tour

There's still time to reserve your spot for this Saturday's Holiday Spirits Museum Mile Tour of Athens, Georgia's four historic house museums. This is NOT your typical home tour, or even holiday tour of homes. This very special, one-day event brings out the best of Athens' unique blend of southern heritage and energetic entertainment by adding live theatre vignettes at stops along the tour!

You'll experience an afternoon-evening of theatre, music and delicious fun, along with an opportunity to learn more about the history of each house from professional tour guides. Rose of Athens theatre has done an amazing job of writing, producing, and costuming three vignettes. Each is set during the Christmas holidays and reflects 19th century holiday traditions. Sparks of humor and insight will delight audiences of ALL ages.

If you've not had the opportunity to tour all of Athens' house museums: Church-Waddel-Brumby, Ware-Lyndon, T.R.R. Cobb, Taylor-Grady, you should definitely check this out. Even if you've "seen 'em before," trust us, you've never seen them like this, decked out for the holidays and alive with music and theatre.

The Holiday Museum Mile Tours will depart from the Ware-Lyndon House on Saturday, December 11, at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person for adults and $15 for children under the age of 10. Transportation between the homes is included in the ticket price. Advanced reservations are required. Spaces are going fast, so better hurry!

For more information and tour reservations, please call the Athens Welcome Center at 706-353-1820.

Overnight packages are being offered by the Foundry Park Inn & Spa, including a great selection of bonuses from the spa, Hoyt House restaurant, and Melting Point Pub. For complete details and reservations, visit the hotel's website.