Historic Home Tour

Historic Home Tour

The Next Historic Home Tour will be held in December 2024

2022 Wake Forest Historic Home Tour  |  Saturday, Dec. 3  |  1–7 pm

Stroll down the street;
Listen to holiday music;
Visit a decorated home; and
Imagine what it must have been like,
At Christmastime, in years gone by.

The Wake Forest Historic Preservation Commission and the Wake Forest Woman's Club will present their biennial Historic Home Tour on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 1-7 p.m. - rain or shine! 

Tickets - SOLD OUT

Tickets for this event have sold out. Tickets are on sale for $25 (plus taxes and fees).Children under 12 are free. Ticket sales are limited to 1,800. Ticket sales end at 5:00 pm on Thursday, December 1 and no tickets will be sold on day of tour. Sorry, no refunds will be given unless the event is cancelled.

Buy TIckets

COVID SAFETY PRECAUTIONS: Masks are recommended to enter tour properties. Updates will be provided on this webpage. 

Overview

Offered in even-numbered years, the Wake Forest Historic Home Tour is a self-guided tour featuring several Wake Forest homes and buildings decorated for the holidays and open for viewing.

This year's tour will take you through over 150 years of Wake Forest history from the circa 1807 Oakforest to the 1973 Mutschler House! Each home will be staffed with volunteer docents who will share information about the properties.

Only the first floor of tour properties will be open for the tour. Tour ambassadors will be available along the 100-300 blocks of North Main Street to share the history of the houses viewable from the sidewalk between the Museum and the Seminary Campus. 

On the Day of Tour

The tour is self-guided, you may take your ticket (printed or on phone) to any tour property to start the tour on Saturday, December 3rd beginning at 1:00 pm. If you do not want to keep up with a ticket you may exchange your ticket for a wristband available on the day of the tour beginning at 1:00 pm at the Wake Forest Historical Museum, 414 N. Main St., or the Wake Forest Community House, 133 W. Owen Ave. 

Tour brochures with maps will also be available at the Wake Forest Historical Museum or the Wake Forest Community House on the day of the tour beginning at 1:00 pm. Tour brochures and maps may also be downloaded below.  

Parking

Parking along North Main Street is discouraged. There are multiple parking areas near the tour sites along North Main. Please park in parking areas and along side streets to ensure North Main Street is accessible.

Please do not block driveways. Carpooling to the outlying properties is encouraged. As an option, the tour is providing shuttle service to the Mutschler House. Shuttles will leave from the Community House, 133 W. Owen Ave, every 30 minutes between 1-6 p.m. The last shuttle will depart at 6 p.m. 

2022 Tour Brochure & Maps

Download the full brochure 

Tour Properties and Map

Oakforest Information

Mutschler House Information

2022 Tour Properties

 

Know Before You Go

  • Show your ticket (printed or on phone) at any tour property to start your self-guided tour.

  • Tour brochures will be available at the Wake Forest Historical Museum, 414 N. Main St., and the Wake Forest Community House, 133 W. Owen Ave.

  • You may tour the properties in any order and at your own pace.

  • We recommend carpooling as driving will be necessary to visit all of the properties on the tour and parking will be limited.

  • Depending on the size of the property, the number of people allowed entry at one time will be limited.

  • High heel shoes, strollers, umbrellas, photography, smoking, and vaping are not permitted inside tour properties.

  • Restrooms will be available only at public buildings on tour. Use of tour home restrooms is not permitted.

  • Accessibility is limited due to the historic nature of the properties. Please contact Michelle Michael with accessibility concerns prior to purchasing a ticket.

Tour Music

Tour Music is provided by volunteer musicians throughout the tour. Special thanks to these musicians for donating their time and talent to this year’s tour.

Wake Forest Historical Museum, 414 N. Main Street

John Black – Trombone

Jeanette Black – Piano

Powers House, 112 W. North Avenue 2-2:45 PM

Vann-Sikes-Lake House, 316 N. Main Street 3:00 -4:00 PM

Steven Phanenstiel – Acoustic Guitar and Vocals

Oakforest, 9958 Seawell Drive

Kenile Baumgardner – Flute

Kathy Brittingham – Flute

Wake Forest Community House, 133 W. Owen Ave.

Domestic Harmony – Acapella Vocals

Susan Murray

Lynda Hambourger

Henry Rich

Pat Ward

John Federson

David Marshall

Home Tour Proceeds 

The proceeds from the biennial Tour of Historic Homes are divided by the Wake Forest Historic Preservation Commission and the Woman's Club for the benefit of the following projects:

Woman's Club Logo

Wake Forest Woman's Club

The Wake Forest Woman’s Club is a nonprofit community service club chartered by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs in Wake Forest in 1961. Our focus is the enhancement and support of the social, cultural, civic and educational well-being of our community. The Club supports a variety of community service projects including but not limited to the following:

  •  Arts and Culture community service projects, including crafts for children at the Wake Forest annual tree lighting and the July 4th Art in the Park, partner with Wake Forest ARTS, decorated pumpkins for Brookdale Assisted Living and art programs for Governor Morehead School.

  • Civic Engagement and Outreach community service projects including the Purple Heart Foundation banquet, Wake Forest Senior Center, Wreaths Across America, USO at RDU airport, Wake Forest CROP Walk and Tunnel to Towers 5K Run.

  •  Education and Libraries community service projects including school supplies for Boys and Girls Club and area schools, Books for Laundromats, Hope House and Safe Space.

  • Environment community service projects including Dirt Day, Make a Difference Day, Great National Backyard Bird Count, pollinator garden at Tyler Run Park and Note in the Pocket shoes collection.

  • Health and Wellness community service projects including Safe Space, Tri-Area Ministry, Wake Forest Senior Center Meals on Wheels, pen pals and Operation Santa at Murdoch Center, Note in the Pocket new socks and underwear and hygiene products for  Tri-Area Ministry. Learn more about the Wake Forest Woman's Club by visiting their website at https://www.wake-forest-womans-club.com/ 

 

Historic Home Tour
Senior Planner - Historic Preservation
919-435-9516