Hudson River Museum Celebrates the Holidays with Victorian Decorations and Special Programs

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YONKERS, NY, November 25, 2020 — Hudson River Museum is getting festive for the holiday season, with new and traditional Victorian decorations at Glenview, the Museum’s Gilded Age historic home. This year’s whimsical installation, which will be on view from November 27, 2020–January 3, 2021, showcases beautiful Christmas trees, antique ornaments and toys, artwork featuring children through the ages, and a tablescape that incorporates children’s ornaments and a gingerbread house. Glenview is accessible by guided tours only; advance tickets strongly encouraged (see details below). Purchase tickets here.

This year, our stunning rainbow tree holds court in the Parlor surrounded by gifts. The beautiful woodwork on the mantels in the Library, Great Hall, and Sitting Room are bedecked in elegant wreaths, ribbons, and flowers. The holiday decorations are generously supported by Jan Adelson.

Explore the cabinets around Glenview to find the favorite books and toys of Victorian children, including a nineteenth-century doll, ivory chess set, beloved children’s books, and a well-loved teddy bear. Be sure to visit the Museum’s historic dollhouse, Nybylwyck Hall, which will also be on view for the holidays.

The Dining Room table, sideboards, and serving table have been adorned with a touch of whimsy by Debra Blair Design. Look closely and you’ll see Cinderella and her coach, a court jester hanging off the centerpiece, a jester popping out of a box, a gilded crown, and crystal snowflakes. You can also find Gretel and the Wicked Witch in the gingerbread house on the sideboard. The designer used bright aubergine ribbon, an undercloth of absinthe green, and pink, silver, and gold ornaments to add depth to the tablescape. The crystal centerpiece and white wine glasses are clear cut crystal from More & More Antiques in New York City and the burgundy Coalport plates and the ruby glassware are part of the Museum’s Collection. A trustee of the Hudson River Museum, Blair donated her service.

The Museum Shop has been transformed for the holidays with a wide selection of ornaments including snow globes and crystal snowflakes; handmade jewelry, with select pieces created exclusively for the HRM; items for the home, including mermaid, Nutcracker-inspired, and other holiday ornaments provided by More & More Antiques; one-of-a-kind hats designed by Jane Elissa; children’s toys; space-themed gifts; art supplies; and an exclusive Hudson River scarf. You can also find an array of books inspired by our current exhibitions Women to the Fore and Landscape Art & Virtual Travel.

Related Programs

Holiday Kick-Off
Friday, November 27, 10:30am–5pm
Saturday, November 28, 12–6pm
Sunday, November 29, 10:30am–5pm
Mark your calendar for special programs and exhibitions for all ages at the Museum this Thanksgiving weekend. Come see our historic home, Glenview, all decked out for the holidays in Victorian splendor on a special Glenview Holiday Tours, experience an Outdoor Holiday Star Show, and take part in socially distanced Family Art Activities: Upcycled Mini Basket or Paper Pumpkin Pie Slice! Timed tickets, masks are required; advance tickets strongly encouraged. Purchase tickets here.

Glenview Holiday Tours
Friday, Saturday, & Sunday at 1, 2, & 3pm
Additional Tours for Holiday Kick-Off: Friday & Sunday, 11am; Saturday, 5pm
Learn about the Gilded Age holiday traditions of the Trevor family as you tour the Museum’s Glenview historic home, decorated for the season in Victorian splendor! Celebrate with us on a 30-minute, socially distanced tour of the six fully restored period rooms—the Great Hall, Parlor, Library, Sitting Room, Dining Room, and, of course, Yonkers’ favorite dollhouse, Nybylwyck Hall. Advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended due to capacity protocols. Tickets: $5, Seniors/Youth $4; Members: Free. Maximum of 6 visitors per tour; masks are required.

Holiday Star Show Premiere at the HRM
Friday, November 27, 1, 2:30, & 4pm
The holidays are a time to remember what’s timeless—displays of light when days are short and nights are long, and the endless cycle of the seasons. This outdoor “planetarium” program will cover the skies, the changes, and the events of the end of the year, with a projection screen in the Museum Courtyard. Free with general admission. First come, first served, to maintain proper social distancing protocol. Masks are required. Please note, in the event of rain, snow, or extreme cold, outdoor programs will be cancelled. Support provided by Art Bridges and American Sugar.

Family Art Activity at the HRM: Upcycled Mini Basket
Friday, November 27, 12:30–4pm
Celebrate our country’s Native American heritage and learn how to make a woven mini basket, inspired by historical examples of the Northeastern Woodlands tribes, with upcycled materials. This workshop is self-directed, and supplies will be provided. Limited space available. First-come, first-served, to maintain proper social distancing protocol. Masks are required. Free with general admission.

Family Art Activity at the HRM: Paper Pumpkin Pie Slice
Saturday, November 28, 1, 1:30, 2, 2:30, 3, & 3:30pm
Enjoy the holiday season by recreating a traditional Thanksgiving favorite and making a slice of pumpkin pie out of paper. This program is self-directed; supplies and written instructions will be provided on every table. Only four families, of up to five members each, are allowed in the classroom at a time. First-come, first-served, to maintain proper social distancing protocol. Masks are required. Free with general admission.

Outdoor Planetarium Afternoons at the HRM
Saturday, November 28, 1:30 & 3:30pm
Follow along on our projection screen in the HRM Courtyard as a science educator gives you a tour of the cosmos and answers your questions—out under the real sky. Since we’ll be outside, the program will include outdoor-only demos you can’t do in the planetarium! Seating is limited; first-come, first-served. Bring your questions and get ready to participate! Free with general admission.

Virtual Planetarium Show for Kids: The Mouth of the Fish
Saturday, November 28, 11:30am
In the Southern sky this time of the year is a bright star called Fomalhaut, which marks the mouth of Piscis Austrinus, the constellation of the Southern Fish. It might not look like much to our eyes, but there is a lot going on there. Because it’s so close to us, for a star—only 40,000 times farther than Pluto, practically next door—we can actually get some pretty good pictures with telescopes. What have we found? We’ll be using a planetarium simulator to find out! Bring your questions. Recommended for ages 6–10. Please only register once per household. Free. Registration required. Sponsored by Henry E. Niles Foundation.

Virtual Travel Through the Five Senses: Sight
Saturday, November 28, 1:30pm
Join us as we kick off this new series of family programs exploring artworks on view through the five senses! Using our sense of sight, we will visit David Hockney’s 15 Canvas Study of the Grand Canyon before experimenting with using space and color in our own grid-like work of landscape art. The work is on view in our exhibition Landscape Art & Virtual Travel. Free; registration required.

Outdoor Astro Show: Rainbows, Exoplanets, and Aliens
Sunday, November 29, 12:30, 2, & 3:30pm
Most things in space are so far away that visiting them in person isn’t currently possible, but the light they give off can tell us (almost) everything we need to know. We can uncover exoplanets, find out what things are made of, and, just maybe… find aliens! Join us in the Museum Courtyard as we demonstrate how light is used to investigate these questions. Free with general admission. Support provided by American Sugar.

Virtual Glenview Holiday Tour: A Gilded Age Christmas
Sunday, December 6, 1:30pm
Get a glimpse into how Gilded Age families celebrated the holiday season, like the Trevors, the first residents of Glenview. Laura Vookles, Chair of the Curatorial Department, and Victoria McKenna-Ratjen, Curatorial Assistant, will discuss nineteenth-century Christmas traditions that are still observed today. Seeking to imitate the royal lifestyle of England’s Queen Victoria, her German husband Prince Albert, and their children, Americans eagerly embraced a mixture of lively customs and European traditions. Free; registration required.

Virtual Holiday Spectacular: Broadway Comes to Glenview!
Saturday, December 12, 4pm
Our Gilded Age home, Glenview, aglow for the season, welcomes two of New York City’s holiday entertainment favorites! We invite you to enjoy this once-in a-lifetime opportunity to see dancers from NYC’s favorite Holiday Show, Alejandra Matos, LaTarika Pierce, and Megan Garcia, perform dance numbers choreographed exclusively for the HRM. They will be joined by Jacqueline “Jackie B.” Arnold, who most recently starred on Broadway as La Chocolat in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, singing a cheerful selection of holiday favorites. Stay for post-performance commentary and Q&A with the artistic director, choreographer, and performers. Presented by Victoria Opera House, founded by Soprano Victoria Miningham. This event is pay-as-you-wish. Registration required.

Virtual Storytime: A Pussycat’s Christmas by Margaret Wise Brown
Wednesday, December 16, 11:30am
Enjoy the holiday season and its appeal to all the senses through the eyes of a cat, with the book A Pussycat’s Christmas, written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Anne Mortimer. Recommended for ages 5+. Free; registration required.