Candlelight Tours in the Washington, DC Area

Take a candlelight tour and enjoy the festive holiday décor of historic homes in the Washington, DC area. Several house museums in Maryland and Northern Virginia offer candlelight tours, complete with seasonal music, storytelling and holiday treats. Some programs require reservations, so be sure to call ahead.

Mount Vernon by Candlelight
November 25-27, December 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 2011, 5 - 8 p.m. Learn about the Christmas traditions of George Washington and his family, meet historic characters and tour the Mount Vernon Estate by candlelight. Admission is $20 for adults and $14 for children under 12.

Historic Alexandria Candlelight Tours
December 10, 2011. Historic Alexandria will host candlelight tours at five festively decorated historic sites in Old Town. Ticket prices are $20 for adult and $15 for seniors, $5 for children (ages 6-17).

Candlelight Tours at Sully Historic Site
December 10-11 and 17-18, 2011, 5-7 p.m. 3601 Sully Road, Chantilly, Virginia. (703) 437-1794. Discover the spirit of Christmas at a candlelight tour of the elegant 1794 home of Richard Bland Lee. Following the tour, warm yourself by the fire, sip some cider and join in caroling. Prepaid reservations required. $10/adult, $7 senior and child.

Montpelier Mansion
December 9-10, 2011, 6-9 p.m. 9650 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, Maryland. (301) 953-1376. Enjoy refreshments and live holiday music by local performers, then take a candlelight tour of the National Historic Landmark that dates back to the late 1700s. $3/adults, $1/children

Candlelight Tours at Sotterley Plantation
December 9-10, 2011, 6-10 p.m. Hollywood, Maryland. (301) 373-2280. This year's Holiday Candlelight Tours at Sotterley Plantation will feature a time-traveling experience during the Civil War Era to Christmas 1864. This historical dramatization unfolds within the 1703 Plantation House, with stellar performances by The Sotterley Players. Reservations are required. $15 per person. Tours run every 10 minutes.

Candlelight Tour of Historic Houses of Worship
December 26, 2011, 4-9 p.m. Frederick, Maryland. More than a dozen churches open their doors to the public for special programs, angelic choirs, and nativity scenes celebrating Frederick’s tradition of religious diversity, and local history.