Christmas is back at the Historic Odessa Foundation.
Last year’s holiday exhibit at the Historic Odessa Foundation was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This year, it returns with the 35th anniversary of its Christmas tradition of recreating scenes from classic literature through vignettes displayed at the historic Wilson-Warner House.
Historic Odessa Foundation curator Brian Miller says this year’s theme is Little Women.
“Little Women” is an amazing story; there’s been a few movies recently," Miller said. "The book has never been out of print and it has - I think - been translated in over 50 different languages. So it has a worldwide audience.”
Miller says the old-fashioned room vignettes include the sisters’ Christmas parlor, festive dining room and bed chamber.
There’s also a display case full of Little Women memorabilia on loan from the Louisa May Alcott Orchard House Museum in Concord, Massachusetts.
The holiday exhibition at The Historic Houses of Odessa runs until the end of the month. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4:30 p.m.
Miller says the Christmas tradition also includes the lights on the Historic House of Odessa and candlelight walking tours.
“The candlelight tours are all throughout December - every Tuesday and Thursday - they are at 6 o’clock, where guests start with a little bonfire outback of the Wilson House; then they get a candlelight tour," said Miller. "And I strongly urge guests to make a reservation (ASAP) for one of those.”
Candlelight tours are $15 and include a drink at Cantwell’s Tavern.
Miller notes that the foundation also has a holiday ornament resale shop at Collins-Sharp House.
Community members can donate gently used decorations and ornaments through December 31, 2021. Sales of those donated items support the foundation’s educational programming and preservation efforts.
Delaware Public Media' s arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
