The holidays are a time for traditions in Winston-Salem, and what better place to start a new tradition than inside one of the city’s most iconic estates? That’s the thinking behind this year’s Candlelight Guided Tours at Reynolda House Museum of American Art. The staff-led tours will provide a rare glimpse inside the historic home at night, as all four levels of the property will be illuminated by the soft glow of flickering light.

The tours will re-create the Christmas of 1917 inside the Reynolda “Bungalow.” It was the Reynoldses’ first Christmas at the estate, and the only one Richard Joshua (R.J.) Reynolds was alive to enjoy. Reynolds was gravely ill at the time, and had spent the majority of the year being treated outside Winston-Salem. Despite this, he and the family came together for a festive celebration at Christmas.

“It was a bit of levity in a gloomy time for the family,” says Phil Archer, director of adult programs at the house. “Since Mr. Reynolds passed away the following July, it’s really sort of a bittersweet story, but one we think is worth sharing.”

Holiday decorations, festive stories, family letters, a fully adorned dining-room table, and two towering Christmas trees will liven up the tours, while Christmas carols will ring out over the home’s 2,600-pipe Aeolian organ. Each tour will conclude with refreshments that were hand-selected from Katharine Reynolds’ holiday menu that year.

“Reynolda House is such a part of this city’s past,” he says. “We hope this is something we can continue for years to come.”

Tours will be held December 10–12. Admission: $10 members/students; $15 otherwise. Reservations aren’t required, but tickets can be pre-purchased at reynoldahouse.org.