Willistead Manor Annual Holiday Tours Return for the 2024 Holiday Season

Published

The City of Windsor invites you to get into the holiday spirit and treat yourself to something unforgettable at Willistead Manor. Experience breathtaking beauty as you tour one of Windsor’s most elegant mansions all decked out in its holiday finest. From the main floor Great Hall — with its portraits of Edward Chandler Walker, Mary Walker, Hiram Walker, and James Harrington Walker — to Mrs. Walker’s private dressing chamber on the second floor, each room boasts a unique colour theme and aesthetic, courtesy of the Friends of Willistead and their dedicated team of volunteers.

As part of the holiday tours, guests will also have access to the permanent Coach House Historical Exhibition that shares and celebrates the history of Edward and Mary Walker, Hiram Walker, the Walker family businesses and community impacts, the formation of Walkerville, the construction and uses of Willistead Manor, and much more. The exhibition was researched, designed and installed by HCA Mindbox, and supported by The Charleigh Charitable Trust, the Walker descendants, Willistead Manor Inc., the Friends of Willistead, and the City of Windsor.

2024 Holiday Tour Dates and Times:

Sundays – December 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, 2024, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Wednesdays – December 4, 11 and 18, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Silver Bells bell ringers perform Sunday, December 15, 2024.
Windsor Community Choir performs on Sundays, December 1 and 22, 2024.
Reservations are not required. Purchase tickets at the Coach House upon arrival.
To guarantee a complete tour, final tours begin at 3:30 p.m. on Sundays and at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Tour Ticket Prices:

$6.50 – adults
$5.50 – students and seniors
$3.00 – children 12 and under

2024 Breakfast With Santa: Sold Out!

Our 2024 Breakfast With Santa takes place December 1, 8, 15 and 22, 2024. Tickets went on sale on November 1, 2024, and the breakfast events are sold out for this year. Please note that tickets for this popular event go on sale each year around November 1 and are available at www.ThymeToGo.ca. The ticket price includes a delicious breakfast buffet, Santa visit and photo op, and a self-guided mini-tour of Willistead Manor. Keepsake photos with Santa to take away will cost extra on-site. This year’s Santa visits photographer is Ted Kloske of Maple Grove Studios.

Support Vulnerable Populations:

Again this year, Willistead Manor is proud to be one of CBC Windsor’s “Make the Season Kind” campaign sites. Since 2015, the CBC has raised over $51 million for food banks and other charities from coast to coast to coast as part of their annual holiday drives. While this is a Canada-wide effort, all donations raised locally go to support the Windsor-Essex Food Bank Association – an organization representing area food banks. Guests of Willistead Manor’s 2024 Holiday Tours are encouraged to bring a food item to donate onsite at the Coach House to help make a difference in our community. You can also donate online at cbc.ca/kindontario.

The 2024 Willistead Manor Holiday Tours are brought to you in partnership by the City of Windsor, the Friends of Willistead, Willistead Manor, Thyme To-Go, Ted Kloske & Maple Grove Studios, Biz X Magazine, and CBC Windsor.

Quotes:

“Willistead Manor is a true gem of Walkerville and of the City of Windsor. The annual holiday tours are popular with visitors of all ages. Once again, we invite you to combine the Willistead holiday tours, a visit to the Coach House Historical Exhibition and the Hiram Walker Commemorative Sculpture, Bright Lights Windsor, and a stop at the Chimczuk Museum’s gift shop to make for an amazing holiday experience with lots of opportunities for keepsakes for families from across Windsor-Essex and beyond. This certainly will be a ‘season to shine’ in Windsor! City Council thanks the Friends of Willistead and the teams at Willistead Manor and Thyme To-Go for the work they put into this event each year.” - Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens

“Once again, the Friends of Willistead led a team of about 75 volunteers as we transformed the manor’s 12 rooms, with everyone working together tirelessly to create an unforgettable experience in the historic Walkerville mansion. We’ve fluffed the trees, strung the lights and many massive wreaths, put the finishing touches on each space, and now we’re ready to showcase the manor in all its holiday glory. Some of this year’s unique room themes include ‘Classic Christmas’ in the Great Hall, ‘Festive Elegance’ in the Dining Room, ‘Candy Cane Lane’ in the Butler’s Pantry, ‘Pretty in Pink’ for Mrs. Walker’s Withdrawing Room, and ‘Nutcracker Magic’ in the Billiard Room. We thank all the volunteers for helping create magic at the manor, and all the docents who will be on hand for the tours. We invite everyone to return to the manor again this year, where our overarching goals are not only to help preserve Willistead as a cultural and architectural marvel but to dazzle every visitor who walks through the doors.” - Connie Pitman, President, The Friends of Willistead

“The Willistead Manor Holiday Tours are a beloved tradition for many families across Windsor and Essex County. We look forward to this opportunity to showcase Willistead in a special way each year. In the grand tradition of Edward and Mary Walker’s ‘At Home’ parties, the present-day ‘At the Manor’ series of poetry readings, live arts performances, themed dinners, tours, and more fills Willistead with folks celebrating and making memories together all year long. Willistead Manor remains a special community gathering place – a backdrop for so many significant life moments. We’re excited to welcome everyone back again this December!” - Christopher Lawrence Menard, Supervisor, Community Programming – Cultural Affairs

For more information, please contact Willistead Manor at 519-253-2365, visit www.Willistead.ca, or call 311.