“Pennsylvania’s Holiday Traditions” will welcome visitors to the Governor’s Residence this holiday season, First Lady Susan Corbett announced today. The annual holiday tours are free and open to the public.
“The Governor’s Residence is especially beautiful this time of year and the governor and I are happy we can share it with the people of Pennsylvania” Susan Corbett said. “Pennsylvania has a rich heritage from all over the world, so we chose “Pennsylvania Holiday Traditions” to pay tribute to the many cultures that make up the commonwealth.”
Christmas trees donated by the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association adorn the building’s public areas. Each tree has a specific theme recognizing the diverse heritage of Pennsylvania.
Each tree also has two Airedale Terrier ornaments in honor of Penny and Harry, the Corbetts’ dogs. The ornaments are hidden on the trees so that children and adults can try to find them.
A train display around the tree in the State Reception Room depicts a winter village scene, complete with an operating skier’s gondola that moves up the mountain. The display is on loan from the Railroad Museum of PA, the commonwealth’s official railroad museum.
A menorah in recognition of Hanukkah will be on display in the State Reception Room. A candle will be lit each night of the Jewish holiday beginning Dec. 8.
The Residence, located at 2035 N. Front St. in Harrisburg will be open for holiday tours from noon to 2 p.m. on Dec. 3, 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12.
A holiday open house will be held from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 9. The event will feature musical entertainment by local artists. The open house is part of Historic Harrisburg Association’s annual Candlelight House Tour.
Visitors will have an opportunity to sign holiday cards to send to members of the military, veterans and their families as part of the American Red Cross “Holiday Mail for Heroes” program. Cards will be available at the tours and will be sent to troops overseas and to VA medical centers throughout the state.
There is no cost to attend the holiday tours or open house and reservations are not required. No cameras, large bags, purses or totes are permitted.
The holiday tour season is also the last opportunity that the public will have to see the “Violet Oakley and the Women Artists of Paris” art exhibit on display in the Governor’s Residence. The exhibit, on loan from the Woodmere Museum in Philadelphia, features 20 works of art by Violet Oakley, Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot and other influential female artists who studied in Paris during the late 1800s.
For more information, contact the Residence tour line at 717-772-9130. Learn more about the Governor’s Residence online at www.pa.gov. Select the links for “Office of the First Lady,” then “The Governor’s Residence.”
Source: Governor’s Office