Hudson River Museum Celebrates the Holidays with Exuberant Victorian Decorations and Special Programs
YONKERS, NY, November 20—The Hudson River Museum is gearing up for the holidays with festive Victorian decorations in Glenview, the Museum’s Gilded Age historic home, as well as a series of fun, family-friendly events and new programs throughout the season. This year’s holiday decorations, which will be on view in Glenview from November 24–December 31, 2023, showcase festive Christmas trees and elaborate garlands and wreaths throughout the period rooms, Gilded Age costumes, a new Dining Room installation, and an antique wooden sleigh laden with presents.
Our stunning Rainbow Tree holds court in the Parlor surrounded by antique toys. The Dining Room will feature a dramatic sunburst-themed tree, as well as a tablescape with gilded branches and snowy white birds, designed by Debra Blair Design. A trustee of the Hudson River Museum, Debra Blair has donated her service.
Gilded Age fashion will also be on display this year, inspired by HBO’s The Gilded Age, which was filmed in Glenview as the home of Mrs. Astor. The costumes in the Parlor adorn a hostess and two guests who have arrived to pay a call and still have their elaborate fringed and embroidered coats and beaded bags. One woman wears a velvet ribbon and lace trimmed hat that Trevor family daughter Mary Winthrop purchased from the Lichtenstein Millinery Co. in New York City. In the Dining Room, another hostess, wearing a gown embellished with multicolored embroidery, inspects the table setting to see if it meets her approval.
In addition, a wooden sleigh from the Museum’s collection bearing the date 1794 will be on display in the Library. The sleigh was donated to the Museum in 1949 by Colonel John Stilwell, along with a photograph of himself riding it as a child, pulled by two ponies. This Giving Tuesday (November 28), all those who make a donation to the HRM will have their name prominently featured on a wrapped present in the sleigh.
The Glenview holiday decorations are generously supported by Jan and Warren Adelson.
Related Programs
Holiday Kick-Off
Friday, November 24–Sunday, November26, 11–5pm (Museum hours: 11am–5pm)
Celebrate the holiday season at the HRM with a selection of festive programs all weekend. Tour our Gilded Age historic home decorated for the holidays on Glenview Holiday Tours, create an out-of-this-world holiday ornament in Family Studio Science Workshop: Nebula-in-a-Bubble Holiday Ornament, and enjoy planetarium shows for all ages, including an interactive holiday edition of The Sky Tonight! Don’t miss Stories from the People of the Longhouse with Master Storyteller Perry Ground (Friday, 1 & 3pm) and the Shadow Masks workshop (Saturday, 1:30pm) with puppetry and theater artist Sarah Provost on Saturday! See the full schedule.
NEW! Free First Fridays: Gilded Holiday Glow
Friday, December 1, 5–8pm
Celebrate the holiday season at our new free and festive evening hours, featuring live music by Diverse Concert Artists, who are committed to changing the face of classical and crossover music through diversity. The string quartet will play a mixture of classical, Broadway, holiday, pop, and Hip Hop tunes. Enjoy highlights of Glenview on special guided holiday tours throughout the evening and sketch a seasonal landscape in a bilingual art workshop with artist Carolina Amarillo. Cash bar with holiday-inspired refreshments.
Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.
A Gilded Age Holiday: Live Opera in Glenview
Sunday, December 10, 3pm
Travel back in time to the Gilded Age at this joyous concert in Glenview decked out for the holidays in Victorian splendor. The musical program is performed by internationally renowned soprano Korliss Uecker, baritone and pianist James Rensink, and principal cellist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Jerry Grossman. In addition to songs from the period and music celebrating the Museum’s current exhibitions, we’ll hear arias and selections from operas and operettas that Nellie Melba, an Australian operatic soprano, might have performed at the Metropolitan Opera. Glenview and the Metropolitan Opera both appear in HBO’s award-winning The Gilded Age, whose second season premiered on October 29. Learn more about the series. Tickets: $30; HRM and Chaminade Members $25; includes general admission. Capacity is limited. Advance reservations are strongly encouraged.
‘Twas the Night: Reading & Book Signing in Glenview
Sunday, December 17, 3pm
Take a seat in the Great Hall of Glenview, the Museum’s 1877 Gilded Age historic home lavishly decorated for the holiday season, and hear historian and author Pamela McColl read the classic poem “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” McColl traces the origins of Clement Clarke Moore’s poem, delving into two centuries of winter traditions. Learn about the historical and literary figures, along with the artists and illustrators, who shaped Moore’s iconic depiction of jolly old St. Nick. Using familiar works of art, vintage illustrations, and archival material, McColl sheds light on the poem’s own story and the life and times of “The Poet of Christmas Eve.” McColl is on a multi-state tour celebrating the poem’s 200th year in print, and Moore (1779–1863) will be inducted in the New York State Library Hall of Fame this December. The reading will be followed by a book signing. Tickets: $20; Members $10; includes general admission.
School’s Out, Stars Are In (SOSI)
Tuesday, December 26–Friday, December 29, 11–5pm
During the holiday week, students and their families are invited to enjoy all the HRM has to offer. Enjoy the exhibitions on view, attend free planetarium shows under the dome, engage in interactive art and science workshops, and challenge yourself with a scavenger hunt. Take a ticketed tour of our historic home, Glenview, decked out in seasonal splendor. All programs are free with general admission; Glenview guided tours are an additional fee.
SOSI is sponsored by Con Edison.
#HRMHolidays #HRMHolidayKickoff
Press contacts:
Jeana Wunderlich
jwunderlich@hrm.org
(914) 963-4550 x240
Samantha Hoover
shoover@hrm.org
(914) 963-4550 x216
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The Hudson River Museum is a preeminent cultural institution in Westchester County and the New York metropolitan area. Situated on the banks of the Hudson River in Yonkers, New York, the HRM’s mission is to engage, inspire, and connect diverse communities through the power of the arts, sciences, and history.
The Museum offers engaging experiences for every age and interest, with an ever-evolving collection of American art and dynamic exhibitions that range from notable nineteenth-century paintings to contemporary art installations. The HRM’s new West Wing offers sweeping views of the Hudson River in dedicated exhibition galleries. The campus also includes Glenview, an 1877 house on the National Register of Historic Places; a state-of-the-art Planetarium; an environmental teaching gallery; and an outdoor Amphitheater. Accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM), the Museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting these multidisciplinary offerings, which are complemented by an array of public programs that encourage creative expression, collaboration, and artistic and scientific discovery.
Hours and Admission: Hudson River Museum is open to the public Thursday–Friday, 12–5pm, Saturday–Sunday, 11am–5pm. Mask wearing and COVID-19 vaccination are no longer required, but are recommended for all visitors. Learn more and purchase tickets at hrm.org/visit.
General Admission: Adults $13; Youth (3–18) $8; Seniors (62+) $9; Students (with valid ID) $9; Veterans $9; Children (under 3) FREE; Members FREE; Museums for All* $2, *SNAP/EBT card with photo ID (up to 4 people). Planetarium tickets: Adults $7; Youth (3–18) $5; Seniors (62+) $6; Students (with valid ID) $6; Veterans $6; Children (under 3) Free. Glenview tours: Adults $7; Youth (3–18) $5; Seniors (62+) $6; Students (with valid ID) $6; Veterans $6; Children (under 3) Free. The Museum is accessible by Metro-North (Hudson Line—Yonkers and Glenview stations), by Bee-Line Bus Route #1, by car, and by bike. Make your visit a One-Day Getaway, and buy a combined rail and admission discount ticket. Learn more about Metro-North Deals & Getaways.
