WINSTON-SALEM — This holiday, step back in time to 1917 with a visit to Reynolda. The gardens, village and house that comprise the historic estate of R.J. and Katharine Reynolds will be decorated for the season and offer a variety of experiences for the whole family. Visitors will experience Christmas as the Reynolds family did that first year, with decorations, performances and activities that recall the era.

Reynolda House, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, presents a window into a grand moment of the city’s history, but never more so than during the holidays. Furnishings in the house are nearly 85 percent original, and together with a recreation of holiday decorations — multiple wreathes and ornamented Christmas trees, swags of fresh garlands, and hand-stamped Christmas cards, all researched from the family archives — visitors will experience the Reynoldses’ own 1917 holiday. The home is decorated starting Wednesday, Nov. 14.

Holidays at Reynolda includes house tours, shopping days, performances, overnight packages and many family activities. Tickets and information for all events available at reynoldahouse.org/holidays. Full event listing below.

Reynolda Village Holiday Stroll — Saturday, Nov. 17, 5-8 p.m.
The boutiques and streets of the Village come alive for the holidays during this evening event featuring carriage rides, hot beverages and cookies. Enjoy the music of the Carolers of Christmas Past and plan a special visit with Santa Claus while you shop for the season.

Caroling Fridays – Fridays, Nov. 24 – Dec. 21, 2:45 p.m.
Museumgoers are invited to assemble around the historic Aeolian organ in Reynolda House every Friday afternoon for singing with friends old and new. Caroling Fridays are included in the museum admission; no reservations or caroling experience required.

Wreath Workshop – Nov. 27 and Dec. 4
The staff of Reynolda Gardens will lend a helping hand to create holiday wreaths. Each participant in the workshop will receive a large, natural wreath along with an assortment of decorations. Pruners and gloves are encouraged. Admission is $40 for general admission. Price includes supplied materials. Registration and payment are required by December 1. Please call the Education Office at 336-758-3485 to register.

How Greeting Cards Went to War – Saturday, Dec. 1, 2 p.m.
For the last 100 years, when America has gone to war, so have greeting cards. This lecture by scholar Anne O’Donnell will explore how cards’ verses and images, and papers and inks combined to paint a vivid picture of wartime life as experienced at Reynolda, across the United States and by troops overseas. Tickets are $20 and include museum admission.

Family First: Holiday Tour and Cardmaking Workshop – Sunday, Dec. 2, 2-4 p.m.
This annual workshop for elementary school-aged children and their families offers an opportunity to learn about holiday stories at Reynolda while making one-of-a-kind cards on the printing press with the museum’s hand-carved stamps. Admission is $15 and includes materials. Advance purchased required. Limited spots are available.

Christmas 1917 Tours – afternoon and evening tours available
Costumed actors playing the role of a Reynolda butler, governess, schoolteacher and holiday partygoer will guide visitors through all four floors of the 30,000 square foot, 64-room mansion.

Day tours are scheduled for Tuesday afternoons, Dec. 4, 11, and 18, between 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Evening tours, when the lights are dimmed and the house is aglow, are scheduled for two nights only: Dec. 7 and 8, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tours will depart every fifteen minutes. Admission is $25 per person; children under the age of five are free. Advance purchase is required.

Visits with Santa – Saturdays, Dec. 8 and 15, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Make sure that Santa knows your Christmas wishes! Visits with Santa in the shops of Reynolda Village are free; please bring your own camera.

“A Christmas Memory” – Sunday, Dec. 16, 4 p.m.
The annual reading of Truman Capote’s classic short story, “A Christmas Memory,” has become a holiday tradition for many locals and is always a sell-out. Arrive early to see the museum decorated for Christmas. Admission is $20 and includes museum admission. Advance purchased is encouraged.

Carolina Brass Holiday Pops Concert – Tuesday, Dec. 18, 7 p.m.
This fun-filled performance will feature seasonal favorites by the Carolina Brass. Tickets are $20, and advance purchase is encouraged.

Historic Holiday Travel Package – Reynolda House is partnering with The Graylyn Estate to offer overnight packages for the holiday season. In addition to beautiful accommodations, complimentary breakfast, a welcome gift, and numerous other amenities, the packages include admission to Reynolda House and a butler’s tour of Graylyn. The unrivaled hospitality also features Mrs. Gray’s butterscotch cookies at bedtime.

About Reynolda
Reynolda, in Winston-Salem, is a rare gem among the nation’s cultural institutions and historic greenspaces. The 51-year-old art museum at the center of Reynolda’s 180 acres, Reynolda House Museum of American Art, presents a renowned art collection in a historic and incomparable setting: the original 1917 interiors of the country manor of R. J. Reynolds. Spanning 250 years, the collection is an uncompromisingly selective one, a chronology of American art, with each artist represented by one work of major significance. Highlights are: Albert Bierstadt, Mary Cassatt, William Merritt Chase, Frederic Edwin Church, Stuart Davis, Martin Johnson Heade, Alex Katz, Lee Krasner, Jacob Lawrence, Georgia O’Keeffe, John Singer Sargent and Grant Wood. The collection was assembled by the unerring eye of Barbara Babcock Millhouse, granddaughter of R. J. and Katharine Reynolds. The Reynolda experience includes a free app called Reynolda Revealed; touring exhibitions in the museum’s Mary and Charlie Babcock Wing; formal gardens, conservatory and walking trails of Reynolda Gardens; and more than 25 of the estate’s original buildings repurposed as shops and restaurants in Reynolda Village. Reynolda, located at 2250 Reynolda Road, is adjacent to Wake Forest University. For more information, please visit reynolda.org. Connect at facebook.com/rhmaa and @CurateReynolda.