Silhouettes By Hand once again cuts silhouettes for guests at the Hampton Holidays event in the Lower House. First-come, first-served - the silhouettes ends at 4pm (the line will be cut off to end at 4pm).
CELEBRATE THE SEASON AT “HOLIDAYS AT HAMPTON”
Towson, Maryland. Get into the holiday spirit early with “Holidays at Hampton” where the public can celebrate the season at Hampton National Historic Site. Visitors will experience over 2 centuries of holiday traditions at Towson’s only National Park – all of the festivities are free and open to the public. Special evening tours, period crafts, live music and songs of the season, African American storytelling and holiday shopping in the gift shop are just part of the revelries taking place during the “Holidays at Hampton” Yuletide weekend of Saturday, December 10 through Sunday, December 11, 2016.
“Find Your Park”! This year, Hampton NHS also celebrates the Centennial of the National Park Service – when Hampton Plantation became a National Park in 1948, it was the first National Park designated for its architectural significance. From the Mansion, described in 1790 as a “palace in the wilderness” to the authentic stone Slave Quarters to the original Lower House/Overseer's house, feel the magic of the holiday season like you’ve never felt it before at Hampton National Historic Site this December!
Free parking and continuous shuttle bus service available from the Towson United Methodist Church at 501 Hampton Lane.
Mansion activities:
- 10 am, 11 am: Hourly Guided Tours of the Mansion
- 1 pm - 4 pm: “Open House” starts at 1 pm. Hampton Mansion will feature an open house where visitors will be able to walk through at their own pace. Park staff & docents will be available to tell the exciting stories of Hampton at Yuletide. Each room will highlight how Christmas was celebrated at different periods during which the Ridgely family lived at Hampton, from 1790 - 1948. Learn how the holidays were observed by the Ridgely family, their enslaved African Americans and European indentured servants on the estate.
- 1 pm - 4 pm: Enjoy live harp music in the Great Hall! Performed by the talented harpist, Elaine Bryant.
FARM Activities:
- Noon - 1 pm: African American Storytelling at the Lower House: Join Ranger and storyteller Anowkale as she describes the Yuletide season at Hampton from the enslaved African-American perspective.
- Noon - 4 pm: Period arts and crafts in the lower house for the entire family.
- 1 pm - 4 pm: Silhouettes! Visit the Lower House and get a hand-made silhouette. Such silhouettes were given as gifts during the holiday season in the early 1800s. Lauren Muney is an award-winning artist of traditional silhouettes. First come, first served, free to the public.
In the Orangery:
- 10 am - 4 pm: Enjoy The National Park Service's Centennial Celebration and Hampton National Historic Site on "Find Your Park: How Hampton became a National Historic Site and the National Park Service's Centennial!