For Immediate Release:
Nov. 14, 2023
Contact:
Marie Cheek
Community Relations Coordinator
Culture & Heritage Museums
www.chmuseums.org
803.909.7312 mcheek@chmuseums.org
New schedule for Historic Brattonsville’s annual Christmas Candlelight Tours
Christmas Candlelight Tours illuminate 19th century holiday traditions of the Carolina Piedmont
McCONNELLS, S.C. – This year’s Christmas Candlelight Tours at Historic Brattonsville are a one-weekend-only event. The evening tours feature 19th century-style holiday festivities beginning with a Culture & Heritage Museums member-exclusive on Dec. 8 followed by time-ticketed tours on Dec. 9 and 10.
For all Christmas Candlelight Tours, living history interpreters present scripted scenarios set in 1867 and portray the apprehension and hope of post-Civil-War York County. Father Christmas, a brass band and fiddle music, unique shopping opportunities, and fun make-and-take activities make this annual event a family tradition. Cash concessions available.
WHAT: Christmas Candlelight Tours at Historic Brattonsville
WHERE: Historic Brattonsville, 1444 Brattonsville Rd. McConnells, S.C. 29726 ***Look for Detour – Brattonsville Rd. closes at 2:45 – 9 p.m. for safety***
WHEN: Dec. 9 and 10 with timed-tours scheduled from 3 – 9 p.m.
CHM Member Exclusive event is Dec. 8 with timed-tours scheduled from 3 – 9 p.m.
TICKETS: Pre-registration required chmuseums.org/tickets
GOOD TO KNOW: Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance for timed-tour slots.
Historic Brattonsville will be closed to the public on Dec. 8, 9, and 10 until 3:00 p.m.
Brattonsville Road closed from 2:45 – 9 p.m., look for detour.
VISITORS SERVICES: 803.684.2327
About CHM Member Exclusives:
CHM Member-Exclusive Christmas Candlelight Tours on Dec. 8 include free admission, photo sessions with Father Christmas, keepsake coloring ornaments, and complimentary concessions.
Become a CHM member and enjoy one year of exclusive benefits, including free general admission to all CHM museum sites: Historic Brattonsville, Museum of York County and Main Street Children’s Museum. Membership helps support the work of preserving and communicating the cultural and natural history of the Carolina Piedmont. Consider becoming a CHM member and/or give the gift of CHM membership. Find details here: chmuseums.org/membership or email agray@chmuseums.org .
IMAGES: Father Christmas makes his rounds at Historic Brattonsville during a previous Christmas Candlelight Tour event. Courtesy of CHM staff.
About Historic Brattonsville:
Historic Brattonsville features historic houses and structures built over the course of three generations of the Bratton family and the enslaved community. Award-winning exhibits and programs tell York County’s unique history from the American Revolution to the Reconstruction Era. The plantation spreads over 800 acres and includes farmed land with heritage breed animals, a Revolutionary War battlefield with interpretive trail, and a nature preserve with miles of walking trails. Seasonal events, reenactments, and living history programs interpret what life was like in the Carolina Piedmont during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Historic Brattonsville is included in The Green Book of South Carolina – a travel guide to significant African American heritage and cultural destinations across the state.
About Culture & Heritage Museums:
Culture & Heritage Museums is a family of museums in York County: Historic Brattonsville in McConnells, the McCelvey Center, which includes the Historical Center, in York, and the Museum of York County and Main Street Children’s Museum in Rock Hill. CHM is a Smithsonian Affiliate and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. According to AAM, accreditation is “the ultimate mark of distinction in the museum field” and “signifies excellence and credibility to the entire museum community, to governments and outside agencies and to the museum-going public.”
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