12-09-2025 4:46am

Explore A Century

Jeff Barto Editor

Explore stories of the festive season during Holidays at Hampton

TOWSON, Md.— Season’s greetings from Hampton National Historic Site! On Saturday, December 13, 2025, the National Park Service will host its annual Holidays at Hampton open house. Join park rangers and volunteers to explore how songs, music, and storytelling shaped and enriched the holiday traditions of all those who lived and worked at Hampton.

Enjoy a variety of holiday musical performances, traditional African American storytelling and an open house exploration of the mansion decorated for Christmases from the Early Republic to the Twentieth Century. This year’s event also features a new exhibit highlighting the history of holiday greeting cards featuring original cards from the 1880s-1950s.

The mansion will be decorated from Thursday, December 4, 2025 through Sunday, January 4, 2026. Mansion tours will be available throughout the holiday season. Please check the website for more information.

Schedule of Events

Mansion Open House: 11a.m.– 4 p.m.
- Explore the mansion at your leisure during our open house. Park rangers and volunteers will share stories of Hampton Hall and throughout the day we will feature performances in the great hall by ConneXions Academy choir and the Griots’ Circle of Maryland highlighting songs and stories of the festive season!

Orangery Activities: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Have a custom, handmade 19th-century silhouette created!
- Create your own 1800s-style greeting cards.
- Enjoy cider and cookies provided by our friends from Historic Hampton, Inc.

Plan Your Visit

Admission—FREE!
Parking is free. Limited parking is available at Hampton National Historic Site. A free shuttle service is available for the event from 10:30 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. from the parking lot at Towson United Methodist Church (501 Hampton Lane) to Hampton National Historic Site. The shuttle will stop at the mansion and the church parking lot.
Accessibility—The mansion ADA Lift is currently not functional. Physical accessibility to the mansion will be limited to those with the ability to climb 3-4 steps into the first floor.
Event details and tour information are available on the park’s event page.

About Hampton National Historic Site. Hampton preserves what remains of a once 25,000-acre plantation. Established in 1948, it was the first unit in the National Park Service preserved for its architectural merit and prompted the creation of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The 63-acre park features several historic structures including a Georgian mansion, quarters once home to enslaved families, and farm outbuildings. Hampton also features a diverse landscape including formal gardens, meadows, and several exotic specimen trees. Learn more at www.nps.gov/hamp and on Facebook and Instagram.