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Hunt Valley Life Staff

Holiday Open House at the Liriodendron Mansion

Event Details

Sat, Dec 6, 2025 at 9:00 AM

The Liriodendron Mansion, 502 W Gordon St, Bel Air, MD, 21014

More info here

Visit the historic Liriodendron Mansion in Bel Air on Saturday, December 6 from 9 am to 4 pm for a beloved holiday tradition!

Tour our beautifully decorated historic mansion and enjoy holiday favorites including:

Art and craft vendors selling one-of-a-kind gifts and decorations
Greenery and arrangements for purchase
Live music throughout the day
Refreshments for sale from 1120 Espresso and Waffle Bar
Activities for kids
Visits with Santa
A holiday raffle basked filled with lots of goodies

And more!

$5 suggested donation to benefit the non-profit Liriodendron Foundation

The Liriodendron

Built in 1898, The Liriodendron was the summer home of Dr. Howard A. Kelly, his wife Laetitia, and their nine children. Dr. Kelly was a world-renowned surgeon, naturalist, author, philanthropist, and one of the four founding physicians of the Johns Hopkins Medical School and Hospital.

Liriodendron (leer-ee-o-den-dron) is the botanical name for the tulip poplar, many of which can be found around the grounds of this historic property in Bel Air, Maryland.

The Kellys purchased the property – originally 196 acres of rustic woodlands and farm fields on the western edge of the Town of Bel Air – for $12,000 in 1897. The firm of Wyatt & Nolting of Baltimore was engaged to design the Palladian-style mansion in keeping with the houses of Laetitia’s upbringing in Germany. The firm was known for designing the Baltimore City Court House, the Fifth Regiment Armory, and Emanuel Episcopal Church in Bel Air.

The 2 1⁄2-story stuccoed brick mansion was designed in the Georgian Revival style and construction was completed in 1898. The 2 1⁄2-story Georgian-style Graybeal-Kelly House (now a private residence), built in 1835, was the manor house for the farm until the mansion was constructed.

The estate included the mansion house – the Liriodendron – the Graybeal-Kelly House, a circa 1835 bank barn, a circa 1898 carriage house, a circa 1850 board-and-batten cottage, and five other outbuildings including a corn crib, a smokehouse, two ice houses, and a shed.

In 1935, Dr. Kelly passed ownership of the estate to his son, Fritz. Portions of the property were sold starting in the late 1940s, including the area of Bel Air now known as Howard Park. Surrounding streets bearing such names as Kelly, Boulton, and Atwood were derived from the Kelly family tree.The remaining property was used as a year-round residence by Fritz and his family until his death in 1980. The estate was then sold to Harford County, which still owns the property of 103 acres, now part of Heavenly Waters Park.

Liriodendron Archival Collection

Liriodendron circa 1933 – Library of Congress, Walter Smalling, Photographer

The non-profit Liriodendron Foundation was established to preserve and maintain the mansion and surrounding grounds. The Liriodendron is now used as a cultural center and events venue, hosting concerts, recreational and educational programs, art exhibits, and other community offerings. The main building houses a Historical Museum and an art gallery, and the remaining Ice House offers a Prehistoric Native Marylanders exhibit.

The venue can be rented for weddings, corporate functions, social events, and styled photo shoots.

The Liriodendron hosts a free Open House each Wednesday from 1 to 6 pm, and on the Second Sunday of each month from 11 am to 3 pm. Private and group tours are available by appointment. The grounds are open daily to visitors from dawn to dusk unless closed for a private event.

The Liriodendron is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.