Christmas by Candlelight

Friday December 1st & 8th 2023

5:30 pm to 9:00 pm

Tickets purchased Online in Advance or At the Door starting at 5:15 pm the night of, if available.
Tickets are subject to tax

Join Duke Homestead for evening candlelight tours and celebrate an old-fashioned traditional Victorian Christmas with the Duke Family in 1870. As the Dukes switched from growing to manufacturing bright leaf tobacco, they enjoyed the start of soaring wealth just a few short years after the hardships of war.

Come enjoy live Christmas music, dancing, singing, holiday cookies, and a whole lot of history as you follow a candlelit tour through our historic area. Costumed interpreters will bring the Duke family home to life as it might have been for Christmas in 1870 when the Dukes lived here!

Tours depart from the Visitor Center every 10 minutes. You will purchase tickets for a specific tour time. Please plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early.

Each tour is limited to 20 people total.

We are unable to offer refunds on purchased tickets. All cancelled tickets will be considered a donation to the site and will be used for future educational programming.

Tickets can be purchased via the forms below, or the Eventbrite pages linked here.

--December 1st tickets

--December 8th tickets

Christmas by Candlelight FAQ:

WHEN AND WHERE CAN I BUY TICKETS?

Tickets can be purchased in advance online. This is the only way to pre-purchase tickets. We recommend purchasing tickets in advance. If there are remaining tickets on the night of each event we will sell them at the door. We cannot guarantee that tickets will be available at the door. 

WHEN DO THE TOURS GO OUT? HOW MANY TOURS WILL THERE BE?

Tours will be going out every 10 minutes starting at 5:30 pm, with the last tour leaving at 8:50 pm. Your ticket will be purchased for a specific tour time. Please see above for a list of tour times.

I AM BRINGING A LARGE GROUP. HOW DO WE GET TICKETS?

There is no limit on how many tickets you can purchase at one time, aside from the maximum capacity for each tour (20 people). Christmas by Candlelight tickets make fabulous holiday gifts! 

WILL IT BE DARK OR HARD TO SEE?

The tours take place at night in the Historic Area. Visitors will be led by guides with lanterns and candlelight luminaries along their path. Please be aware that this will make for limited visibility. The pathway to the Historic Area is not paved. 

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR? WILL IT BE COLD?

This program takes place mostly outdoors in December. Some years it has been 70 degrees, and some years it has been 30. Please keep an eye on the weather and dress accordingly.

I AM BRINGING AN ELDERLY PERSON OR A PERSON WHO HAS LIMITED MOBILITY. WILL THEY BE ABLE TO DO THIS TOUR? HOW?

If this is the case for your group, please call the staff in advance (919-627-6990) of the event and we will do our best to accommodate your needs. One building on this tour is not wheelchair accessible. The entire tour is approximately 300 yards in distance, and visitors will be standing or walking most of the time.

What if my plans change and I need a refund? 

We are unable to offer refunds on purchased tickets. All cancelled tickets will be considered a donation to the site and will be used for future educational programming.

I bought tickets for the wrong time/date, can I change my tickets?

If there are still tickets left for the time slot/date that you wish to switch to, we can move your tickets. Please call (919-627-6990) or email (duke@ncdcr.gov) staff to assist you with this.