Thanks to our visitors to the 2012 Holiday Tours of The Charms of Fairmount Park
We look forward to seeing you next holiday season (and throughout the year!)

Mark your calendar for early December 2013 and check here for updates.

Each year, the Charms of Fairmount Park dress up in holiday finery for two festive weeks of joyful celebration. Decorated by various interior designers and garden clubs, the historic houses will delight visitors with festive adornments and stunning interiors.

Greeters at each house warmly welcome guests to see the thematic holiday décor.  This is a perfect way to share the season with friends and family.  There are plenty of ways to visit these beautiful homes this holiday season.  Visit the houses at your own pace during open house hours, take a guided trolley tour on select dates, or reserve a group tour through the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  Each of the Charms has free parking on site and is decorated with a featured theme. 

DOWNLOAD HOLIDAY EVENT 2012 BROCHURE

2012 Holiday Trolley Tours:
Trolley Tour 2012 reservations are booked through the Philadelphia Museum of Art and they leave from the West Entrance of the Museum. Paid tickets are required ($40; $32 for members of the Museum). Buy your tickets now for the 2012 Park House Trolley Tours! 

Trolley Tours stop to each of the five decorated houses (Laurel Hill, Lemon Hill, Mount Pleasant, Ormiston and Woodford) plus receive a narrated tour on the trolley of the house histories in Fairmount Park.

2012 Trolley Tour Dates:

• Saturday December 1, 2012, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
• Sunday, December 2, 2012, 1:30 - 4:30 pm
• Friday, December 7, 2012, 1:30 - 4:30 pm
• Saturday, December 8, 2012, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
• Sunday, December 9, 2012, 1:30 - 4:30 pm

2012 Tour On Your Own
Admission: $5/person per house; children 12 and under free.
Reservations not required.
Celebrate the holidays with visits to the historic houses at your own pace - and enjoy the festive adornments and stunning interiors.Decorations will be up throughout the first two weeks of December - but site times vary.

Check the operating hours for a particular house to confirm the exact operating dates and times. 
Mondays (Dec 3 are Dec 10) are closed for all site locations.  Woodford and Mount Pleasant offer a bit more availability than some other sites. Please call in advance with questions.

2012 Group Tour Arrangements
Groups of 15 or more who would like to provide their own bus transportation can reserve a Philadelphia Museum of Art trained step-on guides. Mount Pleasant and Woodford have some extended hours through December 30.
Reservations required: (215) 684-7863 or www.philamuseum.org/groupvisits

Themes for 2012:

LAUREL HILL MANSION- “Holiday Music” Experience the sights and sounds of holiday music as you are greeted by tour guides in colonial attire with chamber music in the background.  Decorations will incorporate the historic pianoforte and harp, and a special exhibit of Byers Choice Figurines, “A Christmas Carol Series,” presented by the Community Garden Club of Wayne.  Complimentary tea served and gingerbread for sale.
Open and decorated until mid-December, Wednesday – Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm
Laurel Hill | 201 Edgley Drive | East Fairmount Park | Philadelphia, PA 19121 | (215) 235-1776 

LEMON HILL- “Toys & Games” Marvel at this house’s exquisitely decorated rooms and views of Center City.  Decorations incorporate toys and games both new and old.  Children will enjoy spotting their favorite toys and games hidden throughout the decorations. 
Open and decorated until mid-December, Wednesday – Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm
Lemon Hill |  Sedgeley & Lemon Hill Drives |  East Fairmount Park | Philadelphia, PA 19130  | (215) 232-4337

MOUNT PLEASANT- “Here We Come A-wassailing” Delight in the enchanting decorations, period furniture and decorative arts enhanced by ornately carved interiors of this architectural masterpiece. Visitors will be welcomed with a nip of (nonalcoholic) wassail.
Open year-round from Tuesday – Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm
Mount Pleasant | 3800 Mount Pleasant Drive | Philadelphia, PA 19121  | (215) 763-8100

WOODFORD- "Tea Time with Rebecca Franks" Experience a proper holiday tea with one of Philadelphia’s most prominent Loyalist socialites from the American Revolution!  Rebecca Franks will greet visitors and share holiday gossip from Noon-3 pm on December 1, 2, 8 & 9.
Open and decorated until the New Year, Tuesday – Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm
Woodford |  2300 North 33rd Street | East Fairmount Park  | Philadelphia, PA 19102  | (215) 229-6115

The Second Annual Fairmount Park Holiday Gingerbread House Display at The Shops at Liberty Place
On display November 12- December 9, 2012

Get ready for the holidays and visit the gingerbread house display on view at The Shops at Liberty Place on 16th & Chestnut Streets.  Local chefs have handcrafted deliciously decadent gingerbread models of Fairmount Park properties.  Afterwards purchase tickets to visit the inspiration for the gingerbread houses during the 2012 holiday season.  The entire family will enjoy these deliciously magnificent Gingerbread Houses featuring the following chefs and Fairmount Park properties: