Step Back in Time to an Old-Fashioned Christmas at Hearthside House
There's nothing like the historic Hearthside House to enjoy the beauty, charm and magic of an Old-Fashioned Christmas. The feel of a warm and cozy home with a fire in the fireplace, gaily appointed Christmas trees, festively decorated mantels and garlands adorning the staircases and doorways, and a Victorian style Santa Claus, this elegant 200-year-old Great Road mansion welcomes guests for a nostalgic journey back in time. Four openings are offered prior to Christmas and two following the holiday.
Dozens of twinkling trees and elaborately decorated mantels on all ten fireplaces are displayed in every room to bring the joy of the season to life for guests of all ages. Volunteers dressed in their Victorian finery will welcome guests with tales of the traditions of Christmas. The festive feel in the house is accented by the sights, sounds and aromas of the holiday, including traditional live music and seasonal treats of hot cider and cookies from the Colonial kitchen. A special delight is the Hearthside dollhouse with replicas of the rooms all decked out with miniature trees and gifts to spark the imagination of both young and old. There are endless opportunities for photos, both inside the house and outdoors which is also decorated.
The self-guided tours allow guests to view decorations on all three floors at their own pace on the dates prior to Christmas. The season kicks off on Saturday, Dec. 2nd between 1:00-4:30 p.m. with additional openings on Sunday, the 3rd, and the following weekend of Dec. 9th and 10th at the same times. Since visits take place throughout the afternoon and are self-paced, reservations are not required with payment at the door. If preferred, advance ticket purchase may be made here.
Each of these four openings feature Santa Claus. For those unable to make it or too shy to visit with Santa, children may drop off a letter addressed to him at the special mailbox designated for Santa located at the rear entrance of the house, outside the gift shop. Letters may be dropped off between Dec. 2nd and December 10th. Children are asked to make sure to include their wish list and if a phone number is included, Santa will make personal phone calls to each child before Christmas.
Next door at Chase Farm Park, the charming one-room Pullen's Corner Schoolhouse, also known as "The Hot Potato Schoolhouse," will be a part of the holiday celebrations as well. On Sunday, Dec. 3rd and Sunday, Dec. 10th, two 30-minute performances of caroling and recitals of poems by youth schoolhouse volunteers are offered, just as it would've been done in the 19th century when this was a school for Lincoln's children, one at 12 noon and the other at 1:00 p.m. on each of these dates.
General admission is $15/person; $10 ages 10-17, age 9 and under are at no charge. The Christmas at the Schoolhouse program on Dec. 3 and 10 is $5.
Once the holiday rush is over, there are two more opportunities to visit Hearthside. “Home for the Holidays” offers low-light guided tours given by guides in period attire on Thursday, December 28th and Saturday, December 30th. These evening tours are geared toward adults who are interested in the history of the house and not appropriate for younger children under age 10. Advance tickets are required for the "Home for the Holidays" tours, as space is limited for each of the hour-long tours. The first tours begin at 4:30 p.m. with the last one at 6:30 p.m. Reservations and ticket purchase may be made here.
The tours will conclude the 2023 season. Hearthside will re-open in the spring. The award-winning Hearthside House Museum is located at 677 Great Road, Lincoln, Hearthside is decorated and managed by the Friends of Hearthside, an all-volunteer organization that has worked to preserve the Town-owned historic house and the other historic properties at the Great Road Heritage Campus at Chase Farm Park. Funds raised through the tours and events support programming to keep history alive.