Department of Public Safety

Historic Lafayette Square to Host Annual Holiday Parlor Tour

 

Lafayette Square will host its annual Holiday Parlor Tour on Sunday, December 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors will enjoy the sights, sounds, and scents of a Victorian wonderland as they tour ten decorated homes. The tour will also feature carriage rides around Lafayette Park, trolley rides to tour destinations, holiday caroling, and live music.

 This year's Wonderland will feature holiday magic in displays of gingerbread ornaments and houses created by local bakers, chefs, and families. In the early days, gingerbread masters had the exclusive rights to make gingerbread—except at Christmastime when everyone was allowed to make it as gifts for children and adults. During the tour, visitors will be invited to decorate their own special gingerbread ornaments.

 Tour tickets cost $16 in advance and $20 the day of the tour. Children under 12 and accompanied by an adult are free. Tickets for groups of 20 or more cost $12 each. Advance tickets are available by web at lafayettesquare.org ;by phone, beginning December 1, at 314-772-5724; by check, made payable to "LSRC Holiday Tour" and mailed to 2023 Lafayette Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63104; and in select neighborhood businesses beginning December 1 (visit website for details).

 Lafayette Square is located one mile south of downtown St. Louis and is bounded by Jefferson on the west, I-44 on the south, Truman Parkway on the east, and Chouteau on the north.

 The Holiday Parlor Tour is presented by the Lafayette Square Restoration Committee, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1971. It seeks to facilitate the preservation and redevelopment of Lafayette Square, respecting its special historic character and enhancing its overall livability.  Lafayette Square was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and has been named one of the "prettiest painted places in America."

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