Essex County Holiday Historic House Tour, Various Times on Dec 2 and 3

Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. invites the public to celebrate the holiday season and participate in the Annual Essex County Historic Holiday House Tour. This year, the tour includes 15 Essex County historic sites, which will be decorated for the holidays and open to the public for a weekend tour. The tour includes Essex County Kip’s Castle and the Walther House at the Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Gardens. The self-guided house tour will be held Saturday, December 2nd and Sunday, December 3rd at the following locations:

Essex County Kip’s Castle Park

22 Crestmont Road, Verona

973-433-7469, or find it online here.

Admission is free. Open 12 noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Walther House at the Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Gardens

474 Upper Mountain Avenue, Upper Montclair

973-783-5974, or find it online here.

Admission is free. Open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Large groups should call to make a reservation.

Ballantine House at Newark Museum

49 Washington Street, Newark

973-596-6648, or find it online here.

Admission is $15 for adults, $8 for children, seniors and students with a valid ID, and free for Newark Museum members, Newark residents, active duty military, students attending colleges and universities in Newark, and children ages 2 and younger. Open 12 Noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Canfield-Morgan House and Museum

903 Pompton Avenue, Cedar Grove

973-239-5414, or find it online here.

Admission is free. Donations are accepted. Open 12 noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart

89 Ridge Street, Newark

973-484-4600, or find it online here.

Admission is free. Donations are accepted. Open year round.

Force Homestead and Museum

366 South Livingston Avenue, Livingston

973-533-0211, or find it online here.

Admission is free. Donations are accepted. Open 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Glenmont at Thomas Edison National Historical Park

211 Main Street, West Orange

973-736-0550, Ext. 11, or find it online here.

Admission is $10 per person and free for children under 16. Tickets can be purchased at the Park’s Visitor Center and include access to the Laboratory Complex. Open by tour only from 11:30 a.m. 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Greenwood Gardens

274 Old Short Hills Road, Short Hills

973-258-4026, or find it online here.

Admission is $10 per person and free for children under 12. Open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Grover Cleveland Birthplace

207 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell

973-226-0001, or find it online here.

Admission is free. Donations are accepted. Open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.

Kingsland Manor

3 Kingsland Street, Nutley

973-235-1549; or find it online here.

Admission is free. Donations are accepted. Open 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Montclair History Center

973-744-1796, or find it online here.

Suggested donation is $5 per person and free for Montclair Historical Society members. Open 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Crane House and Historic YWCA

108 and 110 Orange Road, Montclair

Charles Shultz House-Evergreens

30 North Mountain Avenue, Montclair

Salvatorian Fathers

23 Crestmont Road, Verona

973-746-8770

Admission by donation. Open 12 noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Zenas Crane Homestead

289 Westville Avenue, West Caldwell

973-364-0155

Admission is free. Open 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

“The Holiday House Tour is a great example of organizations throughout the County pooling their resources to create a wonderful event for families to enjoy and to provide insight into how past holidays were celebrated,” DiVincenzo said. “Take a break from the hustle and bustle this December and visit local homes and landmarks that will have decked the halls in holiday extravagance for one spectacular weekend. Tour historic Essex County with your friends and delight in the spirit of the season,” DiVincenzo said.

The public can visit each site at their own pace. The houses will be exquisitely decorated for the holidays and be open for public viewing. Each site will offer something unique, including musical entertainment, refreshments or educational programs. There may be an admission fee at some locations. For more information, please call 973-433-7469 or visit here.