Time Travel with East Row’s Victorian Christmas Tours
If you’ve been searching for something holiday-themed to do this weekend – and cozy, laidback winter activities are right up your alley – then look no further! From Saturday, December 6th, through Sunday, December 7th, you can immerse yourself in the Christmas grandeur of the Victorian era as you take a snowy stroll through the decorated houses of Newport, Kentucky’s East Row Historic District.
It’s exactly what you might think, straight out of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol: residents of the neighborhood will be opening their charming, historic homes for self-guided tours. With a ticket, visitors can leisurely promenade through the tree-lined streets and into various houses between noon and 6 pm, enjoying the Victorian architecture and festive scenery.
This is the East Row Historic District’s 31st year of putting on the Victorian Christmas Tours, with eight homes opening their doors for tour this year. East Row’s website describes the houses as having the Queen Anne and Italianate architecture styles that were popular during the 1890s through 1910s. This includes original staircases, fireplace mantels, ornate details, and woodwork, all dressed in holiday finery.
While still modernizing, the nonprofit is dedicated to keeping the East Row district as elegantly traditional as the day the houses were built. “The Foundation exists to support and protect these fantastic historic homes, and preserve them for future generations to enjoy,” says the website. “The Victorian era was Newport’s most affluent period, as is evident by the East Row’s elegant houses, which look much as they did more than 100 years ago. Then, Newport’s economic focus in the mid-20th Century shifted to gambling and entertainment, as casinos, nightclubs and houses of ill repute sprang up around town.”
“It was only later that Newport residents began restoring the district’s historic homes in the 1980s and have continued ever since. On these tours, besides holiday decor, visitors will see houses that have been selected for their historic design and distinctive interiors and exteriors, but also newly renovated kitchens, sitting rooms, dining rooms, and entranceways.”
To partake in these charmingly historic Victorian Christmas tours, you’ll have to buy tickets from the website, then “check in” on the day of to receive a physical ticket. This ticket will be the key to enter these stunning homes. If you’re looking for a free alternative, the district also welcomes visitors to walk or drive through the neighborhood at night to enjoy the holiday lights, decorations, and the stained glass for which many of the historic homes are known.
“Luminaries will be lit, lining the sidewalks all through the neighborhood, adding a special charm to the evenings,” says the East Row website.
“Many homes will have interior lights on as well to show off the beautiful stained glass windows that make these homes unique and special. We’ll try to highlight a few of the best examples of stained glass in the neighborhood on the Tour map, but take some time to find your favorite window as you explore the neighborhood!”
Though sold out this year, it should also be mentioned that the Tours also host a smaller, more immersive holiday event: the Victorian Christmas Tea Service. A separate ticket from the Tours themselves, the Tea Service entails a traditional English service at one of the homes, complete with special holiday-themed treats, soup, pastries, and more.
To find out more about tickets and information on the East Row’s Victorian Christmas Tours or the Historic District itself, please visit their website.
