WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (NOVEMBER 7, 2016) – Old Salem Museums & Gardens is offering Self-Guided Holiday tours from November 8 through December 31. Self-Guided Holiday Tours offer visitors the chance to experience holiday decorations and traditions, including hearthside cooking, music, and other demonstrations. Self-Guided Tours are available from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and on Sunday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Please note Old Salem will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

A visit to Old Salem during the holiday season is a step back to a time when the holidays were simpler, less stressful, and more focused on faith and family. Traditional wreaths hang from the doors, lampposts and fence posts are wrapped in their winter greenery, the smell of fresh baked treats emanate from the bakery warming even the coldest nose, and the sound of music drifts through the air to draw you into the holiday spirit.

Follow the progression of Christmas decorating and how it changed over time, with more elaborate decorations in the 19^th-century buildings:

• Single Brothers’ House (1769/1786): View the Putz, or nativity in the Saal.
  Please note that during Home Moravian Church’s Candle Tea (Dec. 3-10), this display will be unavailable.
• Miksch House (1771): Visit this colonial era house to see how simple the Moravians Christmas celebrations were in the early years of Salem.
• Salem Tavern Museum (1791): See traditional decorations in the public and dining rooms, and enjoy the children’s Putz in the Tavern keeper’s office.
• John Vogler house (1840): See decorations and gifts being made, including greenery, a Putz, and a traditionally decorated Christmas tree.
• St. Philips African Moravian Church (1823/1861/1890): Learn what Christmas would have been like for the African Americans in Salem

See traditional Moravian Christmas activities*:

• St. Philips African Moravian Church: See the church decorated with greenery for the holidays. Hear “Morning Star” a traditional song played during Moravian lovefeasts.
• John Vogler House*: Learn how Christmas decorations were made for the tree and home; see Christmas gifts being made, and wooden cookie molds being carved just as John Vogler made for his wife; see the baking of special treats for the Christmas guests; and see illuminations being painted for decorating the windows of the house.
• Single Brothers’ House: Learn about Christmas services and the Moravian lovefeast held on Christmas Eve
• Miksch Garden: See the winter garden and learn what seasonal foods were grown during Christmastime.

*activities subject to change based on daily schedule and availability

Enjoy holiday shopping in our retail stores:

• Moravian Book & Gift Shop: Purchase crafts items, including local pottery and handcrafted soaps; Moravian items; books, including titles on NC and Moravian history; NC foods; jewelry; and seasonal home décor.
• Butner Hat Shop: Find handmade period hats; locally-crafted baskets; assorted teas and tea accessories.
• T. Bagge Merchant & Garden Shop: Shop for craft items, including pottery made in Old Salem; stationery, inks, quills, sealing wax, and greeting cards; candles, including Moravian beeswax candles; and garden décor.
• Winkler Bakery: Purchase freshly baked sugar cake, lovefeast buns, and breads and an assortment of other baked goods.  Learn the history of the bakery and view the 200-year-old brick bake oven.

All the activities are included with purchase of an All-in-One ticket. Friends of Old Salem enjoy free admission.  For more information or to purchase a ticket, please visit oldsalem.org. For more information call 336-721-7300 or email info@oldsalem.org.

 

About Old Salem

Old Salem Museums & Gardens is one of America’s most comprehensive history attractions. Its museums—the Historic Town of Salem, the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), and the Gardens at Old Salem—engage visitors in an educational and memorable historical experience about those who lived and worked in the early South. Old Salem Museums & Gardens is located at 600 South Main Street in Winston-Salem. For more information call 336-721-7300 or visit oldsalem.org.