Hudson Valley Mansion Holiday Tours You Shouldn’t Miss This Season

When you live in an area for a while, you get desensitized to all the wonders that it has to offer. We pass by so many places of historical and cultural significance, and it all fades into the background. Growing up, my parents used to take me on all these holiday tours. Typically, I was too squirmy for a regular mansion tour; however, the bright lights and decorations of Christmas had me in awe. I can still remember the crunch of the nearly frozen dirt paths walking through several grounds, and the warm smell of pine within the ornate houses. By the time I got to high school, I got so busy with extracurriculars that trips like these pretty much became nonexistent. Not to say we didn’t take in the holidays, we did, but the mansion tours took a backseat. Eventually, the idea of attending these tours slipped away.

Now that we are getting out of the pandemic, and people want to enjoy a more traditional holiday season, I started reminiscing about the tours, classic ornaments, and light displays. And after doing all this research for this article, I may have just planned out my weekends throughout December! Perhaps I’ll see some of you out there. These Hudson Valley mansions and estates are bringing the yuletide greetings this year with spectacular celebrations that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

Locust Grove 2683 South Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

This Route 9 staple is getting the festivities going starting this fall! Kicking it off Thanksgiving weekend, they’ll be hosting the Hudson Valley Art Market with more than 30 vendors. While you're there, take a mansion tour updated with festive holiday decorations. Tickets are available for their holiday tours each Saturday and Sunday between November 26th and December 19th.

Lyndhurst Mansion 635 S Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591

Take a trip to Tarrytown to see why the Lyndhurst Mansion is called one of the “Ten Best Historic Holiday Tours” by USA Today as it is transformed into an extravagant wonderland for the holiday season. Tickets are available from November 29th through December 30th. The events don’t stop there, as you can explore the mansion at your own pace on Thanksgiving weekend, take in a show and watch Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia from now until December 5th, and experience Mr. Dickens Tells A Christmas Carol from December 10th through the 23rd.

Mills Mansion, 75 Mills Mansion Drive, US-1, Staatsburg, NY 12580

You won’t be disappointed when attending Mills Mansion’s “A Gilded Age Christmas” tour. Staatsburg has decorated the main floor of the mansion for the holidays, and guests can reserve a time-entry spot to take in the beauty and decorations at their own pace. Docents will be stationed around the house to answer any of your questions. Visitors can enjoy the estate grounds for free from sunrise to sunset every day, where you can enjoy strolls along the Hudson River, go hiking, and if we end up with a White Christmas, they have a hill that is perfect for sledding. At the first sign of snowfall, you’ll know where to find me!