Yuletide 2012
Holiday Time at Bayou Bend (November 17–January 1)
Bayou Bend is renowned for its annual Yuletide tradition featuring festive lights, decorations, and holiday room settings that bring early American celebrations to life. Holiday Time at Bayou Bend is a festive stroll through 250 years of history to see how Americans have celebrated with family and friends during the holidays.
This year’s presentation includes popular past displays such as a gallery of Christmas trees that show the evolution of the winter holidays; an adaptation of William Hogarth’s A Midnight Modern Conversation; and a Texas Civil War Christmas. New room settings feature an 1855 Galveston Christmas, with gift ribbons arranged around the room to form an elaborate web; and a Christmas dinner given by Benjamin Franklin.
Special thanks to Mrs. Evelyn Houstoun Chew for her major contribution to "Yuletide 2012: Holiday Time at Bayou Bend," which she made to commemorate her experiences as a member of the Bayou Bend Docent Organization.
Yuletide Hours, Tours, and Events
Bayou Bend/Yuletide Hours
Open Tuesday–Sunday
Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
Candlelight Fridays
November 23, 30, December 7, 14, 21, 2012
5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Visit Bayou Bend on one of these special nights to see the festive lights and decorations. Tour the holiday-themed rooms on the first floor of the house. Outside, enjoy cider, cookies, music, and holiday cheer. Admission is $7.50 for adults; $5 for students and senior adults with ID; free for children 17 and younger.
Yuletide Thursdays
December 6, 13, 20, 2012
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Adults are invited to experience the annual Yuletide exhibition at these special evenings. In select rooms, performers re-create historic moments in time. Guests can peek into a Victorian Christmas parlor and enjoy live music performances outside. Yuletide-themed spirits and refreshments are served. Admission is $20. MFAH Members receive $5 off with the Yuletide card from the November/December issue of "MFAH Calendar." Capacity is limited; advance purchase recommended. Recommended for visitors 18 and up.
Yuletide Family Day Holiday Traditions
Sunday, December 16, 2012
1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Across cultures, December is a time of celebration, and Bayou Bend is the place to immerse yourself in the holiday season! Enjoy music and crafts before taking a house tour of America's holiday past. Have a cookie and a cup of wassail, and join carolers to sing your favorite holiday songs. Admission is free.
Docent-Guided and Self-Guided Home Tours
Tuesday–Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m.
Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
These tours include the Yuletide displays on the first floor as well as the Bayou Bend Collection rooms on the second floor. Reservations strongly recommended for docent-guided tours: call 713.639.7750 to check availability. No reservations required for self-guided tour hours.
The Shop at Bayou Bend
The Shop at Bayou Bend, located in Bayou Bend's visitor center at the corner of Memorial Drive and Westcott Street, is the perfect place for holiday shopping, with a wide range of unique gifts for all ages, in all price ranges. Open late on "Candlelight" nights.
This program is generously underwritten by Mrs. Evelyn Houstoun Chew.