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