Hudson River Museum Welcomes the Holiday Season with Gilded-Age Splendor, Beginning Thanksgiving Weekend with Holiday Kick-Off!

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YONKERS, NY, November 19, 2018 — This season, the six period rooms of Glenview, the Museum’s Gilded Age home on the National Register of Historic Places, are decked out for the holidays in full Victorian splendor through December 30, 2018. The Library, Parlor, Great Hall, Sitting Room, Dining Room, and Billiard Room are decorated with garlands, baubles, and trees. Each room is defined by a specific color scheme—the Parlor, for example, is characterized by teal, royal blue, and chartreuse hues that play off the stuffed peacock that sits by the mantelpiece. In the Library and Sitting Room, trees feature traditional elements such as ribbons, flowers, and German glass ornaments—a holiday norm by the 1870s—while the rainbow-colored ornaments that bedeck the tree in the Great Hall boast a contemporary flair. Theatrical designer Karin White, whose client roster includes the New York City Opera, the Westport County Playhouse, and the Manhattan School of Music, is leading this year’s installation. The decorations are generously supported by Jan Adelson.

The Dining Room will be decorated with an elaborate Victorian Christmas table setting designed by interior designer Debra Blair. The theme is “Winter Wonderland,” inspired by the snow-covered land and the river beyond, and will feature layers of porcelain dinnerware, utensils, and three to four wine glasses at each setting. The holiday meal would start with soup, followed by fish, a sorbet palate cleanser, and finally the main course—traditionally a roast of game or beef—with a different, specific utensil, plate, glass, and wine selection for each course. Blair is a trustee of the Hudson River Museum; her services were donated.

In addition to these festive decorations, Darren Scala, owner of D. Thomas Fine Miniatures, has curated delightful miniature holiday decor in Nybylwyck Hall, a 24-room dollhouse located in the Billiard Room of Glenview. His arrangement includes a della Robbia-inspired wreath, garland, and topiaries created by Scala with Sharon Harbison and Donald Morcone, which surround the front door. New this year are minuscule holiday sweets such as Linzer tarts, created by Jeanie Anderson for Maya Miniatures, and a yule log by Malena Sullivan for The Clay Kitchen, as well as an assortment of holiday gifts from Scala’s personal collection, such as three Jack-in-the-Box; a gift box with knitted baby clothes; a toy doll; and a small red door from which the Hall’s resident Elf, Paddy, who lives under the grand staircase, can work his Christmas magic.

The Museum Shop has also been transformed for the holidays with a wide selection of ornaments ranging from glass globes to felt animals, Christmas stockings, snow globes, and festive figurines of all sizes from plush snowmen to toy wooden soldiers. There is also a wide selection of handmade jewelry, with select pieces made exclusively for the HRM; items for the home—including eco-friendly bamboo tableware; children’s toys; space-themed gifts; art supplies; and books and museum publications.

Related Programs

Friday–Sunday, November 23–25, 12–5pm
Holiday Kickoff
Spend Thanksgiving weekend at the HRM! Art workshops and festive tours kick-off a season of holiday spirit with something for everyone to enjoy! Be the first to see our new star show We Are Stars at 12:30 & 3:30pm all weekend long. On Friday, take a holiday tour of Glenview at 1 & 3pm; join an art workshop and paint a wintry river scene from 1–4pm; create a fluid drawing of the Hudson River using recycled materials in a Family Art Class; discover Hudson River species past and present in a Family Tour: Making Hudson River Memories at 1:30 & 2:30pm; and explore the Legends and Lore of the Hudson at 2 & 4pm with Teaching Artist-in-Residence Jim Keyes, who spins traditional and modern tales of the Hudson River. On Saturday, join holiday tours in Glenview at 1 & 3pm; learn West African dance in a dance workshop at 1 & 3pm taught by master dance teacher Vado Diomande of Youth Theatre Interactions, Inc.; and create gestural drawings with artist Julia Whitney Barnes in Drop In & Draw from 2–4pm.

Saturday & Sunday, November 23–December 31, 2pm
Holiday Planetarium Show
A special holiday-themed edition of The Sky Tonight in the Planetarium covers end-of-the-year astronomical events like the Winter Solstice, the lore of the holidays, and something special to look for at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Friday, December 14, 6–8pm
Paint Night: Holiday Edition
With the stress of the Holiday Season upon us, take some time for yourself to grab a glass of wine and paint a winter-inspired scene, led by artist Leo De La Cruz. Tickets: $20; Members $15; includes one drink.

Saturday, December 15, 2pm
Object of the Month: Dora Wheeler Keith
Dora Wheeler Keith was a pioneering portrait artist, muralist, book designer, illustrator, and tapestry designer. Christmas Card: Shout with Joy, 1882, the first work of art designed under her name, marked the beginning of a long and varied professional career in which Oscar Wilde, William Merritt Chase, John Singer Sargent, and Mark Twain were considered friends, teachers, colleagues, and confidants.

Saturday, December 15, 3pm
Holiday Stories from Around the World
Join April Armstrong and musician Mario Sprouse in Glenview, our Gilded Age historic home, as they perform holiday stories from around the world from Victorian Christmas, Kwaanza, and Hanukkah traditions.

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