Celebrate Christmas – from the inside – at the Monteith House and six other lovely historic homes on the 42nd Christmas Parlour Tour, from 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12.
Six homeowners have graciously opened their homes for this event, the first interior homes tour in Albany since Christmas of 2019, just before the Covid-19 Pandemic began. Since that time, the Summer and Christmas tours have been exterior events, with homeowners decorating their porches and yards and some offering photos and video of their interiors.
Enjoy a peek inside some of Albany’s historic homes, which will be decorated for the holiday season. The Monteith Historical Society will also decorate Albany’s oldest frame home in the style of Christmas from the mid-1800s.
Mask and distancing policies will be strictly enforced, and, as usual, visitors are asked to please not touch items in the homes and to not take photos or video.
Tickets
Tickets will be available for purchase online at monteithhouse.org until 10 p.m. Saturday, December 11, 2021, and may be picked up the day of the tour. If you haven’t purchased tickets in advance, a limited number will be available on the day of the tour at the Albany Visitors Association, 110 3rd Ave. SE, for CASH/CHECK ONLY. The cost is $15 per person. Well-behaved children under 12 are admitted free with a paid adult. Proceeds benefit Monteith House Museum.
To receive your ticket, which includes a copy of the tour map and wrist band, bring your Eventbrite e-ticket receipt on tour day to the Albany Visitors Association office, 110 3rd Ave. SE. The office will be open from 1 to 6 p.m.
Highlights
Participating historic homes and buildings throughout the Monteith and Downtown Commercial Districts will open their doors to tour participants. Meet the owners and learn about the architecture, the original occupants and the ins and outs of restoring historic structures.
You can ride a horse-drawn wagon to a few of the stops, or drive, walk, bike or hike the tour on your own. The wagon will start and end at the Albany Regional Museum, 136 Lyon St. S., where light refreshments also will be served.
Christmas music will be played at various locations.
Additional information
The Christmas Parlour Tour is “self-guided.” You can tour the homes in any order you like. Spend as much or as little time at each location as it suits you. Several of the buildings are within walking distance of each other, while a few may be outside your comfortable walking distance, requiring your own vehicle. Visitors usually take three to four hours to fully enjoy the tour.
And as long as you’re in Albany, do a bit of holiday shopping. Find unique gifts in antique and specialty stores. Indulge in a pastry or a decadent cup of hot cocoa, a frothy cappuccino, or a farm-fresh dinner in one of the many eateries and bistros downtown. Take a ride on the Albany Historic Carousel, which is beautifully decorated this time of year.
Albany’s Annual Interior Tours were created by a group of friends and neighbors to share the past through the architecture of historic dwellings. They are coordinated by Albany’s Historic Interior Home Tour Committee with the help of the Albany Visitors Association and sponsored by the Monteith Historical Society.
For more information about Albany’s Historic Interior Tours and other Albany events and attractions contact the Albany Visitors Association: 541-928-0911.
