As the days grow shorter and colder, and the calendar year begins its slow retreat, the rush of the holidays come upon us. The season is full of celebrations, visiting with friends and family, gift-buying stress, and time-honored traditions. For many years, Candlelight Tours at Historic Richmond Town have been a staple of Staten Island holiday activities. Visitors come back year after year to explore historic homes lit by candles, festooned for the Christmastide with decorations and alive with costumed interpreters. This year, on weekends in November and December, this annual favorite returns.
Candlelight Tours are a unique sensory experience that reveal the history of North American holiday celebrations. Tours explore four of Historic Richmond Town’s structures. The Tinsmith Shop begins the journey in the mid-19th century, where tinsel is made by hand and early industrial machines. The care and detail given to making decoration are in stark contrast to the mass-produced and disposable ornamentations in today’s stores. From there, the tour moves to the Stephens House, where the smell of orange pomanders beckon you into the parlor. Visitors can light the Christmas tree with candles, and experience a Victorian atmosphere.
At the Guyon-Lake-Tysen House, visitors can learn about the great work and preparation for holiday celebrations in the Colonial period. The parlor hosts games and pastimes, and in the kitchen visitors can sample treats made on-site. The tour’s final stop is the Guyon Tavern, where each private tour can enjoy a personal raucous celebration of Christmas, with musicians playing and warm drinks are served. Candlelight tours reveal how certain traditions, though altered by modern convenience and COVID-19 safety regulations, remain, and what customs are no longer in fashion. Historic Richmond Town preserves these traditions, and is delighted to be a part of your own family’s holiday tradition this year.
Candlelight Tours will be held on Saturdays in November and December. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Candlelight Tours will be sold as small, limited capacity group slots, at $150 for a group of up to 6 people from the same family or party.