Annual Christmas Parlour Tour

Photo of historic house with lights.

Come to Albany, Oregon, and enjoy the sights and sounds of an old-fashioned holiday celebration in Historic Downtown Albany. The Christmas Parlour Tour is an “insider’s” peek into the past. Step inside some of our most intriguing historic homes and travel back through several eras including Art Deco and Victorian. The 2020 tour is scheduled for Sunday December 13th.

Participating historic homes and buildings throughout the Hackleman, Monteith, and Downtown Commercial Districts 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.

Photo of the horse-drawn wagon during the Christmas PArlour Tour at night in front of a Christmas treeYou can opt to ride a vintage trolley or horse-drawn wagon to the various stops, or drive, walk, bike or hike the tour on your own. Tickets are available for purchase online ahead of time (around a month prior to the tour). Tour proceeds benefit the non-profit Monteith House Museum. Tickets will also be available on the day of the tour at Albany Visitors Association.

 

Highlights

  • The Monteith House Museum will be lit by oil lamp and fire light.
  • Take a moment to warm up at the Carnegie Library. This is the only time all year its fireplace is used—and the soft warm glow transcends time.
  • Christmas music will be played at various locations.
  • The Whitespires Church encourages visitors to ring the bell in its tower.
  • Light refreshments are included in the ticket price.

Purchase Tickets Day of Event In Person

You can purchase your tickets at the Albany Visitors Association 110 3rd Ave SE. Ticket sales begin at 1:00 p.m. and continue until 6:00 p.m. on December 13, 2020. The tour hours are 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Music, refreshments, horse-drawn wagon rides or vintage trolley rides are included in the ticket price. Well-behaved children under 12 are admitted free with a paid adult. Proceeds benefit Monteith House Museum.

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 or the provided trolley or horse-drawn wagon. Visitors usually take three to four hours to fully enjoy the tour.

Photo of Cumberland Community CenterAnd 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 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.

Online Tickets

Watch this space for 2020 online ticket and announcements.

5 Comments on “Annual Christmas Parlour Tour

  1. Sounds absolutely delightful and magical, hoping to get up there to join in the festivities😍😁🎅🌲❄❄⛄🌞✨💞💕

    • We hope to see you Amber. Hope you stop by the office and say “hi!”

  2. What is the date for the Christmas tour and how much does it cost. It’s been years since I’ve done it

  3. I have always wanted to tour Albany. We used to visit there when I was young. My Grandmother was from there and her family owned a homestead farm on Grand Prairie Road (later owned by her sister and husband (Winnie and Leslie Cade). The families were the Price’s, Parsons, and Payne’s. I think that her brother, George Payne may have owned one of the historic homes and also think that the family farm is now owned by the Mennonites and that the Price School is still there. Hope this years Christmas tour is very successful.

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