Colonial Williamsburg’s Grand Illumination & Christmastide
Centuries of Christmas at Berkeley Plantation—Charles City

Candlelight Christmas at Shirley, Edgewood, & Berkeley Plantations—Charles City

Monticello Holiday Evening Tours—Charlottesville

Photo Credit: Jeff Mauritzen
Experience Thomas Jefferson’s estate as it is rarely seen when you attend the Monticello Holiday Evening Tours. The Founding Father’s home is richly decorated for the season, and guests will enjoy festive refreshments before embarking on a tour with their knowledgeable guide. The tours share the stories of how the residents of Monticello, both enslaved and free, celebrated the holidays during Jefferson’s era. You’ll get to see public and private spaces throughout the home, including the iconic Dome Room, followed by a live music performance held in the Parlor.Christmastide in Virginia at Jamestown Settlement—Williamsburg
Jamestown Settlement’s "Christmastide in Virginia" event compares how the holidays were acknowledged in the new world versus the English origins of the traditions. The museum also features musical entertainment and special appearances from the Lord of Misrule, an officer appointed during Christmastide to preside over the Feast of Fools, an English custom that was popular in the days of early Colonial America.Christmastide in Virginia at the American Revolution Museum—Yorktown
Just 23 miles from the Jamestown Settlement, the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown holds a "Christmastide in Virginia" event, as well. This special seasonal event picks up shortly after the Jamestown story left off, giving accounts of how soldiers of the American Revolution experienced the holidays in the Continental encampments, on the Revolution-era farms, and in the kitchens of these patriots. Historical interpreters demonstrate 18th century techniques inside the museum’s seasonally decorated living history farmhouse, including candle-dipping and how to cook over an open hearth. Visit both Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown for a discounted combination ticket.Christmas at Mount Vernon—Mount Vernon
- Frontier Culture Museum Lantern Tours—Staunton
- Christmas Tours at Belle Grove Plantation—Middletown
- Holiday Candlelight Tour—Fredericksburg
- Holiday Candlelight Tours of Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest—Forest
- Highland for the Holidays—Charlottesville