Holidays at the Hermitage

Join us for an evening of old holiday traditions and spooky tales, musicians and s’mores by the bonfire, and seasonal gift shopping!

Doors open at 4 p.m. and close at 9 p.m., and guests are welcome to enjoy some holiday shopping and an evening mansion tour before or after your designated Ghost Story performance. Mansion tours take approximately 40 minutes, so please give yourself plenty of time to enjoy it.

A Ghost Story for Christmas
Performances at 5, 6:30 and 8 p.m.

Christmas is a time for gathering around the fireplace, but where have all the ghost stories gone? For hundreds of years, part of the tradition involved sitting around the fire telling spooky tales. It was the time of year when the days were short, the past and present intertwined, and the veil between the new world and the old was at its thinnest…the perfect time to enjoy a Ghost Story for Christmas.

Join us as local historian and author Brian Allison shares holiday tales and legends by the fireside of our Cabin by the Spring. Program approximately 60 minutes and includes complimentary hot cocoa.


Evening Mansion Tours
4 – 9 p.m.

Step back to the 1840s and experience the President’s home by lamplight. Learn about what holiday traditions were kept by both enslaved and free residents of The Hermitage with a guided tour of the house and outbuildings. Tours approximately 40 minutes.

Following your tour, stop by and enjoy a bonfire with musicians performing 19th-century ballads.

DIY s’mores, snacks, and beverages available for cash purchase.


Museum Store Open House – FREE
4 – 9 p.m.

No ticket required to enjoy some holiday shopping! Members enjoy 20% all merchandise and non-members receive 10% off. Complimentary beverage offered.