Four New England House Museums with Stunning Holiday Decorations

The Great Hall at the Breakers / Photo courtesy of the Preservation Society of Newport County

 🎁 The Newport Mansions 🎁

The Newport Mansions give definition to the phrase “deck the halls.” For years, breathtaking homes like the Breakers, the Elms, and Marble House have been going all out for the holidays. (Think: Towering Christmas trees, vintage toys, and lots of ribbon.) Visitors can look forward to 30 decorated trees, including a 15-foot tree made of poinsettias, as well as 24 decorated mantels and gingerbread models of each house in their respective kitchens. For concerned Instagrammers, there will also be a selfie spot where guests can take photos with a gilded frame.

Christmas at the Newport Mansions, open daily, for more information see newportmansions.org.

Photo by Dan Kennedy / Harmon’s Floral Company

 🎄 Victoria Mansion 🎄

A road trip up the coast to Portland, Maine is never a bad idea, but in December, it’s the holiday splendor at Victoria Mansion that’s a must-see. The pre-Civil War home, also known as the Morse-Libby House, was built in Italianate style, and boasts more than 90 percent of its original interiors. The mansion’s decorations are always highly anticipated, and this year’s theme is “Christmas in the City by the Sea.”

Open Monday 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 109 Danforth St, Portland, Maine, victoriamansion.org.

Photo provided by the Trustees

 🎁 The Crane Estate 🎁

You probably recognize Ipswich’s glamorous Great House as the backdrop to the Crane Estate’s annual Roaring Twenties Lawn Party. But at Christmastime, the Stuart-style mansion transforms into a lavishly decorated treat for the eyes. This season, each room in the 1928 manor will be decorated in the theme of a different Christmas carol.

Open select weekends 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 290 Argilla Rd., Ipswich, thetrustees.org.                                                                                         

Photo courtesy of Historic New England

🎄 The Eustis Estate 🎄

Opened to the public this year, the Eustis Estate is the most recent addition to Historic New England’s impressive roster of house museums. To kick off its first holiday season, the 1878 property will be decked out in period-appropriate decor. During “A Victorian Christmas at the Eustis Estate,” visitors will have the chance to admire elegant, late nineteenth-century decorations.

Open Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 1424 Canton Ave., Milton, historicnewengland.org.