Step into a Village Illuminated by Errands of the Heart!
Join us at GCV&M on December 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 19, & 20 for an immersive journey through the lives and the times of Western New Yorkers. This year’s tour will once again invite visitors into a series of festive 19th-century homes and businesses on Christmas Eve, but with all-new vignettes, dialogue, and surprises along the way.
This season, step into the candlelit world of Christmas Eve, 1870. Follow Joy Nichols, a hardworking servant with one too many errands and a heart big enough for all of Wheatland, as she weaves through parlors, taverns, churches, and shops on a single winter’s night. Along the way she meets the people who keep the holiday alive, and discovers how generosity, faith, and a dash of mischief light even the darkest December.
Event sponsors:
Step into holiday traditions of the past
From a Hogmanay household to a Hanukkah kitchen, from the hum of a Calico Hop and Christmas festival to the hush of a Watch Night service, each stop reveals a different facet of community and a glimpse into the history behind the season’s celebrations. Come share in laughter, longing, and the simple acts of kindness that made Christmas truly shine in 19th-century New York.
Take in the beauty of the candle-lit Village
Marvel at our 19th-century Historic Village, covered in a dusting of snow and lit only by candle light as you make your way in and out of historic buildings decorated for the season.
See authentic holiday decorations, and take in the charm of a 19th-century village for the holidays!
Savor a sumptuous meal
Pair your tour with a festive Yuletide Dinner – a sumptuous GCV&M tradition featuring savory and sweet holiday dishes! Whether in conjunction with your tour, part of your family traditions, or a brand-new adventure, our cozy dinner will have your heart swelling with cheer.
How do you plan your tour around dinner (or vice-versa)? Yuletide tours are about 90 minutes in length. If you purchased for a 3:45 tour, you would purchase the 5 pm buffet. If you purchased for a 3:30 buffet, you would purchase for a 4:30 tour.
Please note: tickets for Yuletide Dinners and Tours must be purchased separately.
Plus, enjoy sweets, hot beverages, and a cash bar in our festive Meeting Center Lounge, alight with holiday cheer and a roaring fire. Not planning to join us for dinner? You can still enjoy the bar and refreshments in our Meeting Center Lounge!
Ticket Information
Tickets for this event will not be sold onsite and must be purchased online before Thursday, December 4.
Tours:
Museum Members: $27
Non-Members: $30
Age 3 and under: FREE
Buffet Dinner:
Age 13+: $32 + tax
Age 4-12: $20 + tax
Age 3 and under: FREE
FAQs
We do pick an overall theme and concept to carry forward for several years in a row, but we never repeat the same show twice. Every season brings new scenes, characters, and storylines woven around that central theme, so returning guests always experience something fresh.
This year’s tour will once again invite visitors into a series of festive 19th-century homes and businesses on Christmas Eve, but with all-new vignettes, dialogue, and surprises along the way.
Yes. We offer a mobility-friendly tour on December 14 at 3:30 p.m. for guests who need more time to move between buildings, as well as their accompanying family or friends. The storyline and scenes are the same as our standard tour, but this option allows a slower, more comfortable pace. Some scenes include limited seating, though seats cannot be guaranteed. Our Security team assists with travel between the Meeting Center and the Toll House. The tour lasts about 90 minutes.
Yes. We offer an ASL-interpreted tour on December 14 at 3:15 p.m. for guests who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, along with their guests. This tour follows the same storyline and schedule as our standard experience, with a certified ASL interpreter present at each scene.
Please refrain from filming during this theatrical production. Photos without flash are permitted.
No. Because this is a limited-capacity, reservation-only event, courtesy passes are not accepted. You must purchase tickets online in advance to attend this event.
All Yuletide tickets are absolutely non-refundable for any reason and strictly non-transferable by date, entry time, or program. However, if you are unable to attend, you are welcome to give your tickets to friends or family; just have them check in under your name.
For Yuletide Tours and Yuletide Buffet both, please arrive no later than 15 minutes before your tour or reservation time begins. If you are too late, we cannot guarantee you a later spot.
There is no age limit for Yuletide in the Country; it is up to the parent whether or not they think their child(ren) will enjoy the program.
Please note that this is a walking tour; strollers and wagons will not be allowed past the Toll House due to space constraints. Small children will need to be able to walk or be carried for the entirety of the tour.
No. The Historic Village will only be open to those who have purchased a ticket for guided Yuletide in the Country Tours. You may not be in the Historic Village unless/until you are on your guided tour.
Tours commence rain, snow, or shine! Please feel free to bring a flashlight and gear for the outdoor conditions. Museums events are only cancelled by emergency order of Monroe County. Please allow yourself plenty of time to get to The Museum before your tour time!
In the event that weather has an impact or causes the cancellation of a Yuletide program, our Visitor Services team will contact you via phone and/or email, making you aware of any date and/or time change or offering a refund if needed. Please note that GCV&M carefully watches the weather forecast for a week leading up to each event and will make decisions accordingly.
No outside food or drink is permitted; food and beverages will not be permitted on the Tour in the Historic Village. Please leave pets at home; leashed service animals are welcome with proper identification. There is no smoking or vaping except in the front parking lot. Professional videography and flash photography is prohibited.
Code of conduct: staff and visitors are expected to behave in a way concurrent with our mission and values. The Museum will not tolerate comments that are hateful, violent, homophobic, racist, derogatory, or abusive by either visitors or staff. Those who violate these expectations will be removed from the site.
No. Strollers and wagons are not permitted for this tour, as you will be walking on uneven Village paths, and entering and exiting through very narrow doorways that will not accommodate a stroller or wagon. You will be asked to park your stroller or wagon at the Toll House.
The buffet and dining rooms will close one hour after the last seating starts.
- Fridays – buffet and dining rooms will close at 8:30 pm.
- Saturdays – buffet and dining rooms will close at 8 pm.
- Sunday – the buffet and dining rooms will close at 7:30 pm.
Last call for the cash bar and complimentary drinks/cookies will be when the last tour launches.
You will sit down to dinner at your exact reservation time. You will have about an hour to eat.
Examples:
I have a 5 p.m. Friday tour time booked and then I want to eat after my tour is over, at 6:30 p.m. – perfect!
I have an 8 p.m. tour time booked on Saturday, and I want to eat at 6:30 or 7 before my tour – perfect!
No. Yuletide in the Country Tour tickets must be purchased online in advance at shop.gcv.org.
Only if there are dinner tickets available. If the dinner is sold out, we will not be able to sell you any tickets.
Yuletide Buffet has family-style seating!
Please note: we only reserve tables for parties of 8 or more people. Please see the next FAQ for more information.
We only reserve tables for groups of 8 or more people. Please stop at the hostess station on the way into the dining rooms, and they will show you to your table.
Groups of 8 or more should email info@gcv.org with the date, reservation time, and names of all ticketholders.
