Christmas House Tours in Louisville

Maybe it's all those years of reading "A Christmas Carol," but whatever the reason, some people just can't get in the Christmas spirit without visiting Christmas past. If the holiday season finds you yearning for the romance of a bygone era, you can choose from several tours of Kentucky mansions that will ensure you get your fill of little cherub-cheeked carolers and costumed guides. Many homes offer holiday candlelight tours.
Courtesy of Waveland House Re-enactors at Waveland House in Lexington, Ky.
Conrad-Caldwell House, Louisville
Louisville, home to one of the largest National Historic Preservation Districts in the country, has 48 blocks of elegant Victorian homes, but the Conrad-Caldwell House, built in 1895, is the undisputed grande dame of the neighborhood. It won't take you long to figure out why locals call this imposing Richardsonian Romanesque mansion on St. James Court "Conrad's Castle."
The limestone structure with its elaborate arches and carved stone fleurs-de-lis is awe-inspiring any time of the year, but when decked out in its holiday finery, the house takes you back to a Victorian Christmas season filled with grace and gentility.
As you enter the foyer with its carved staircase festooned with garlands, you almost expect a uniformed maid to take your top hat and walking stick.
Your tour will reveal mantels adorned in magnolia blossoms and berries and 14 Christmas trees, all decorated with a theme that reflects the personality of the room.

Courtesy of Conrad-Caldwell House The parlor room of the Conrad-Caldwell House in Louisville, Ky.
"Christmas decorations are authentic to the period except the white lights we add to give a little sparkle," says Debra Riall, director of the Conrad-Caldwell House.
Tours are available year-round, but time your visit just right and you are in for a special treat. The Old Louisville Holiday House Tour, in December, allows you to tour not only the Conrad-Caldwell House, but also seven privately owned homes and three bed and breakfasts in the area.
IF YOU GO
Conrad-Caldwell House Museum
1402 St. James Ct., Louisville, Ky.
Phone: (502) 636-5023
Online: www.conradcaldwell.org
Admission: adults, $5; seniors, $4; students, $3
Hours: Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, noon-4 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. EST
Old Louisville Holiday House Tour and Festival, Dec. 1 and 2
Phone: (502) 635-5244
Online: www.holidayhousetour.com
Admission: $25; order in advance, $20
Federal Hill Mansion-My Old Kentucky Home State Park
501 E. Stephen Foster Ave., Bardstown, Ky.
Phone: (800) 323-7803
Online: www.parks.ky.gov
Candlelight tours Fridays and Saturdays, Nov. 23-Dec.8
Admission: adults, $5.50; seniors, $5; children, $3.50; younger than 6, free
Hours: 5:30- 8:30 p.m. EST.
More Bardstown candlelight tours
Dec. 7: Stephen Foster Music Club hosts a self-guided tour of decorated area homes
Phone: (800) 638-4877
Admission: $15
Hours: 3-9 p.m. EST
Waveland State Historic Site
225 Waveland Museum Lane, Lexington, Ky.
Phone: (859) 272-3611
Online: www.parks.ky.gov
Candlelight tours are Dec. 8 and 9, 6-9 p.m.
Admission: adults, $7; seniors, $6; students, $4
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. EST
Adsmore Museum
304 N. Jefferson St., Prince-ton, Ky.
Phone: (270) 365-3114
Online: www.adsmore.org
Admission: adults, $7; seniors, $6; children, $2; younger than 6, free
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.; Sunday, 1:30-4 p.m.
Candlelight tour Dec. 7, 6-9 p.m.; admission $7

Beautiful Homes Near the Ohio River

Here's a beautiful home in Louisville that is quite close to the majestic Ohio River. Perfect for gracious Southern living in style and comfort. This home has 6 bedrooms and 4 1/2 baths. It can be yours for under $900,000...or better yet, just make an offer! The home is at 404 Mockingbird Valley Rd. in the Brownsboro Rd. area of Louisville. It has 7138 sq. ft. of floor space. Let me know if I can help you!

What the press says about Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky is the largest city in the state and the sixteenth largest in the country. Louisville has 90 other attractions, 17,000 hotel rooms, and 2,500 restaurants to satisfy visitors and residents alike. The city was founded in 1778 by George Rogers Clark and named after King Louis XVI. It lies on the Ohio River near the border with Indiana. The metro area is widely referred to as “Kentuckiana”, and residents of Louisville are known as Louisvillians. The city is best known for the Kentucky Derby, the most popular event in horse racing and known as the “most exciting two minutes in sports”.
Louisville Culture
The four most popular attractions Louisville has to offer are the Louisville Slugger Museum, with the world’s largest bat; the Louisville Science Center, which now has a $7.6 million human body exhibit; Glassworks, a space housing works from 50 glass artists; and the Frazier Historical Arms Museum. The downtown area is alive with performing arts venues, such as the Kentucky Center, which hosts local and national theater programming. The East Market Street Neighborhood has become an attraction due to its restaurants and art galleries. There are many charming neighborhoods in the city, including Old Louisville with its 19th-century charm.

New interior shots from Crescent Hill

Here's my new living room!! :-)

Moving to Louisville, Kentucky?

This is your guide to Louisville Kentucky and surrounding areas. It has everything you need to know about Loo'uh'vull. Because I know Louisville, and I love this town!
I also love to help people. I built this city guide website to help you find houses for sale, tips on buying and selling homes, relocation information, reviews on local favorite restaurants, shops and hangouts and Louisville, Ky links to schools and other city information so that you can get to know Louisville's neighborhoods. As a Louisville, Kentucky real estate agent I help clients find homes for sale in the Highlands, East End, Prospect, Crestwood and real estate all over Louisville. Contact me anytime by cell phone: 502-777-3578. Call Heidi Fore, and you have my dedication to your relocation.

A beautiful home in Crescent Hill...Roses

Do you like roses? A hundred-year old home in Crescent Hill has some really beautiful roses in bloom right now! It also has a beautiful garden with perennials of all kinds including azaleas, four-o'clocks, bleeding hearts and black-eyed susans. Interested? Call 419-1698 to check it out!

Want to rent a home for the KY Derby??

Kentucky Derby Home Rentals - May 1 - 4, 2008
RentmyHouse4Derby.com is a fully licensed Kentucky Real Estate Brokerage, owned and operated in Louisville, Kentucky by real estate professionals who live in Louisville. Every home we represent has been personally inspected by our staff and is guaranteed to meet the highest standards. Our staff is available before, during and after the rental period to help you achieve the ideal Kentucky Derby or Ryder Cup experience.

Let my know if I can help you!

Have you thought about a home in Crescent Hill?

This is my neighborhood: Crescent Hill!

The history of Crescent Hill can be traced back to the original pioneer road of the 1780s. Upgraded as the Louisville-Lexington Turnpike in 1817, it is today's Frankfort Avenue. With the coming of the Louisville Frankfort Railroad line in 1849, Crescent Hill became a true suburb. Early structures were joined by splendid homes as many prominent Louisvillians chose the area as the location for their "summer residences." By the time of WWI most of the homes in Crescent Hill as well as the churches, the firehouse, the library, the water tower, St. Joseph's Orphans' Home and Emmet Field School had been built. Later construction included the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Crescent Movie Theater, Ursuline College, the Crescent Hill Golf Course and Barret Junior High School. By 1922, all of Crescent Hill had been annexed into the City of Louisville.

My 2008 wish for you

*May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts.
*May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills.
*May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!
*May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires and may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.
*May the problems you had forget your home address!
*May you get a clean bill of health from your dentist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, urologist, proctologist, podiatrist, psychiatrist, plumber and the IRS.
*May your hair, teeth, face-lift, abs and stocks not fall and may your blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol, white blood count and mortgage interest not rise.
*May what you see in the mirror delight you, and what others see in you delight them.
*May someone love you enough to forgive your faults, be blind to your blemishes and tell the world about your virtues.
*May the telemarketers wait until you finish dinner, may the commercials on TV not be louder than the program, and may your checkbook & budget balance and include generous amounts for charity.
*May you remember to say "I love you" at least once a day to your spouse, child, parent, siblings, aunts, and uncles; but not to your secretary, nurse, masseuse, hairdresser or tennis instructor.
*And may we live in a world at peace and with the awareness of the miracles in every sunset, every flower's unfolding petals, every baby's smile, every moment with our elders and every wonderful, astonishing, miraculous beat of our heart.