Today I’m showing you more images from last weekend, specifically the Candlelight Tours at the Missouri Governor’s Mansion. I’ve been to these in the past, and it’s really fun.
The basic deal is, you get in a line, hopefully don’t freeze to death while you wait, walk up the front steps to the portico, pass between massive, polished pink granite Corinthian columns, and then, once inside, you process through the ornately decorated first floor of the mansion. It’s been beautifully restored to 1870s splendor.
There are indeed some real, actual candles lit. Bless their hearts.
The governor and first lady are traditionally there, in the back half of the double parlor, and they cordially greet every single visitor, shaking hands of grown-ups and crouching down to say hello to the little ones.
Mansion docents are in each room, wearing Victorian dresses and such, to answer your questions about the history, architecture, and furnishings.
A choir carols on the magnificent grand staircase, and a Christmas tree stands within its curving, black walnut lines.
With all the visitors milling about, the guards and other staff are there in numbers, dressed in nice suits, smiling, and handing out little candy canes. It’s just a pleasant evening—at least for us visitors.
I’ll bet it’s grueling for the first family and their staff! Still, it’s a wonderful tradition, and an excellent opportunity for us little people to see this lovely building, which actually belongs to all of us.
If you missed it this year, put it on your calendar for next December. The Friday of the first weekend. You’ll be glad you went.
P.S. This post is dedicated to Ann Liberman, whose love and enthusiasm for the Missouri Governor's Mansion is contagious . . . and impressive.
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