Join Us for the
64th Annual
Christmas Homes Tour
December 6, 2025
Presented by:
Green Spring Garden Club, Inc.
Tour Info
December 6th, 2025
9:00am-5:00pm
Tickets for sale online only
One Day ticket- all 4 houses Price $40
One house ticket- day of tour only- $15 (cash /check /online)
Lightfoot House
Built in the mid 1700s probably as rental property, this house was brought to final form in 1750 as a town house for the prominent Lightfoot family of Yorktown. This fine brick residence is unusual in having a second floor as high as the first. It is adorned by a stringcourse in molded brick and an ornate wrought-iron balcony suggestive of the one at the Governor's Palace. The Lightfoot family owned this property during much of the eighteenth century. Semicircular stone steps were reconstructed following the outline of the old foundation. Philip Lightfoot sold the property to Reverend John Bracken in 1786.
The Prentis House
Built in 1712 by John Brook and wife Anne, from the Williamsburg Trustees. It was sold to William Prentis, Brooks' son-in-law, in 1725, who was a prosperous merchant. Prentis eventually operated a successful general store in Williamsburg from 1740 until the American Revolution. The house began as a one-story wooden dwelling, built in three periods with a Dutch roof design. He expanded the house in 1724 adding a large room, then in 1752 added a porch and a second story and finally enlarged the house in 1765 to accommodate his wife and six children. The house burned in 1842, excavated in 1935 and was reconstructed in 1938-39. Outside was a kitchen, wash house, meat house, cellar, storeroom and outhouse. You can enjoy the restored Prentis garden and well behind the house.
Grissell Hay Lodging House
The core of this house, probably one of the first houses on Market Square, may date from 1720 when it belonged to Dr. Archibald Blair, a Scottish physician and a partner in Williamsburg's leading mercantile business, the Prentis store. The present symmetrical, five-bay, fairly sizable exterior probably dates from the second half of the eighteenth century. Apothecary Peter Hay lived here in the 1760s. The Grissell Hay dairy, smokehouse, and privy, which date from the early nineteenth century, are among the few surviving early outbuildings extinct in the Historic area.
The Nelson-Galt House
This house is the oldest dwelling in town and among the oldest frame houses in Virginia. The framing members encased in the central part of the present house date to 1695. The chimneys and flanking shed closets are later additions when William Robertson, clerk of the Council, bought the house and remodeled about 1709. He moved the house to its present site in the second decade of the eighteenth century. Thomas Nelson Jr. owned the house later in the century. He was a member of the prominent Yorktown family, signed the Declaration of Independence, commanded Virginia's forces during the Yorktown campaign and succeeded Thomas Jefferson as governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Descendants of the Galt family lived here until the twentieth century.
Williamsburg Christmas Homes Tour
Frequently Asked Questions
How much are tickets?
Tickets are $40.
What is the date?
Saturday, December 6, 2025
9:00am-5:00pm
Where can I pick up a brochure about the homes on the tour this year?
You can view a description of the homes on the tour on this website. You may also pick up a brochure at each of the individual homes on the tour.
Where do we go first? Where do the tours start?
Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area - You can download a map of the Restored Area which locates the homes on the Christmas Homes Tour and important points like bus stops and restrooms. You can do this either from this website or the website of Colonial Williamsburg. You may visit the homes in any order.
Where do we park?
The best place to park is the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor’s Center. By showing proof of ticket purchase, you may board a shuttle bus which is included in the cost of your ticket. The bus will take you to the Restored Area and then you may walk to all of the homes on the tour. In addition, paid lots are scattered around the Historic area, including the Visitor Center.
Are tickets available on tour day?
To avoid disappointment, purchase your tour tickets early via our website. If tickets are still available, they may be purchased online.
May I purchase a ticket to see only one home on the day of the tour?
Single house tour tickets will be available on the day of the tour at each specific house (if space allows) for $15.00, via the website, or via cash or check only (no credit cards accepted).
As in previous years, will tickets be sold at both the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center and the Williamsburg Lodge?
No, tickets will not be sold at these two locations. Tickets must be purchased online.
Are there restrooms available on tours?
There are NO public restroom facilities at home tour properties, but restrooms are available in the Restored Area.
Is photography allowed?
Photography of any kind, including via cell phone, is prohibited inside tour home properties, but exterior photography is welcomed.
What if it rains? What is your refund policy?
The Christmas Homes Tour will go on rain or shine. Therefore, there will be no refunds.
Is the Christmas Homes Tour accessible for people with disabilities?
All of the Christmas Homes Tour properties are private and therefore are not accessible for visitors with disabilities, or those with physical limitations.
May children attend the Christmas Homes Tour?
Children under 12 years old, accompanied by parent or adult are Free of charge
Safety
For your comfort and safety, please wear flat walking shoes, no spiked heels, and watch for steps and uneven surfaces as you visit the homes and gardens
- Pets — except service animals — are not permitted.
- No smoking.
- No strollers, backpacks, or large bags.
- The Green Spring Garden Club, Inc. and owners of the properties are not responsible for accidents occurring on the tours.