The holiday season at Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum is a month-long extravaganza of delights for children and adults. The Storybook Christmas theme is brought to life with Christmas trees throughout the mansion inspired by children’s books about Christmas in New York and decorated by professional designers. Over 1,500 people visit this historic landmark during the holidays.

Bartow-Pell is an 1840s Greek Revival mansion and carriage house tucked away in the northeast corner of the Bronx in Pelham Bay Park. Both a New York City and a national landmark, it is one of the 23 Historic House Trust of New York City properties, operated by the private non-profit Bartow-Pell Conservancy.

The holiday season gets launched at Bartow-Pell with a very merry Holiday Luncheon, a book signing by Michael Storrings, and shopping—including a roomful of homemade goodies. That evening, the First Friday! program is a sell-out affair with a capella music by the MetropoliTones and the free Bronx Trolley. The Annual Holiday Family Day features fun for kids with storybook readings in the double parlors, arts and crafts in the Orangerie, professional pictures with Santa, and more holiday shopping. The event culminates with a festive party kick-off to the season. Guests delight in the mansion in full holiday splendor and enjoy cocktails, dinner, caroling, and more.

Music for St. Nicholas Concerts by the Bronx Arts Ensemble in the afternoons and another opportunity for visitors to enjoy the mansion fully decorated with docents in costume, Victorian carolers, and wassail at the Saturday evening Holiday Candlelight Tours. The trees remain up through the New Year holiday.