Celebrate Winter Holiday Season At Osborne Homestead Museum

DERBY — For the 2007 winter holiday season, the Osborne Homestead Museum will welcome visitors with the return of a special holiday exhibition. This year’s special event, entitled “Not A Creature Was Stirring: The Night Before Christmas,” has each room of the historic house museum depicting exquisite holiday scenes inspired by the different stanzas of the classic holiday poem.

While touring the decorated homestead, visitors will learn about the history of Clement Clarke Moore’s famous poem, which is formally known as “A Visit from St Nicholas.” Visitors will discover how the words and images from this poem greatly influenced many of today’s holiday traditions and customs.

As they have done for more than twenty years, volunteers create the lavish holiday decorations. Committed volunteers represent Ansonia Garden Club, Olde Ripton Garden Club of Shelton, Oxford Garden Club, Naugatuck Garden Club, Roxbury-Bridgewater Garden Club, Derby Garden Society and Pomperaug Garden Club.

The exhibit is open through December 16. The museum hours during the holiday season will be Thursday through Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. Museum docents can provide a special holiday guided tour upon request.

On the Friday evenings of November 30, December 7 and 14, the museum will present Twilight Tours, highlighting the special glow of the decorations in the evening hours. Twilight Tours will last from 4 to 6:30 pm.

In addition, group tours for adults and youth programs are available during weekdays; call 734-2513 if bringing a group to the museum of more than eight people.

Osborne Homestead Museum exhibits the fine art and antiques of Frances Osborne Kellogg. There is no admission cost, but donations are gratefully accepted. The Osborne Homestead Museum and the Kellogg Environmental Center, which are part of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Environmental Education, are located at 500 Hawthorne Avenue, off Route 34 (signs are posted).