Experience a By-Gone Era

Guided tours leave every 12 minutes! 

Friday, Dec. 9, 2022: 5:00pm - 8:00pm  | Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022:  10:00am - 8:00pm

Reserve your time now.  Tours sell out quickly! 

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We are excited to welcome you (BACK!) to the 39th Annual Old Allegheny Victorian Christmas House Tour. 

These personally guided tours afford a rare opportunity to glimpse a by-gone era and experience the warmth of the season in a truly old-fashioned style. Most homes in Allegheny West are over 100 years old and Victorian in architectural style. Lavishly decorated for the holidays, they recall the late 19th Century birth of the traditional American Christmas: elaborately decorated mantels, towering Christmas trees and pine, holly and mistletoe on stairs and chandeliers. 

This year we are excited to announce that there are two houses that have never before been on tour!

More information about  the tour including directions & parking may be found on our website under Frequently Asked Questions

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Prices

       Before Nov. 30:  House Tour - $35 | Train Tour - $15

         After Nov. 30:  House Tour - $40 | Train Tour - $20

Limited tickets for the house tour may be available at the door, if a specific time has not sold out, however, walk-ins will be asked to wait until there is an open tour (sometimes up to 2 hours).  The shortest wait times are likely to be after 6:00pm (be sure to visit the train museum first!)   There are no wait times for the Train Museum.

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IMPORTANT

For walking tours leaving after 6:00pm on Saturday, if you are planning to visit the trains, you must visit the trains BEFORE the tour, because the museum will be closed before your tour is finished. If your house tour beging after 6:00pm on Saturday AND you are visiting the traings please start at Holmes Hall (719 Brighton road). Allow about an hour to visit the trains before walking over to Calvary Church to check in for your walking tour.

About the Tour

Our tour features six (6) restored Victorian homes plus the historic Calvary United Methodist Church, famous for its beautiful Louis Tiffany stained glass windows, all decorated to celebrate a Nineteenth Century Christmas.

All tours are guided and leave every 12 minutes from Calvary Church.  You must purchase tickets for a specific time slot on either Friday or Saturday.  Train tickets need to be purchased separately.  Tour guides will explain Victorian holiday traditions, provide the history of Allegheny West and its famous Nineteenth Century residents and discuss the individual homes as they are visited.

Plan to come early!  Calvary church will be hosting a Christmas Shop featuring local artisans in the basement of the church.  They will make arrangements to hold your purchases during the tour.

The doors at Calvary church open at 4:30pm on Friday and 9:30am on Saturday. 

Train Museum

As part of your tour, you can visit one of the world’s largest toy train museums – a private collection of hundreds of colorful train sets from the early 20th century; many of them rolling through enchanting miniature villages. There is an additional charge for the train museum. Returning this year, we have the DVD – Tinplate Legends in Action 3, a virtual tour of the train museum – available for purchase.

You may purchase Train Tour tickets at the door at 719 Brighton Rd. ($20) without purchasing Christmas House Tour tickets.  

Important: The trains are only open:

       Friday | 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm ~ Saturday | 12:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Train tickets are valid for a single admission during any period when the museum is open, no matter which house tour date/time you purchased the tickets from.

Looking for Brunch, Lunch, Tea or Dinner Tours?

We will not be offering special meal tours as part of a package this year. If local restaurants are offering special Brunch or Dinner seatings we will post more information.   We can happily recommend any of our local restaurants.  Please contact them directly to check availability and hours during the tour.

Exchanges and Refunds

We are unable to offer refunds for tickets purchased in advance, however, you are welcome to have someone else use the tickets.   We do not maintain any kind of waiting list for people wishing to sell or purchase tickets.  If you would like to exchange your ticket for another time slot for tickets that are still available please contact Showclix directly at 1-888-718-4253.  You may exchange tickets purchased before 11/30 for a new time/day after 11/30 for no additional increase in ticket price. 

Additional Questions?

We're looking forward to welcoming you to our neighborhood.  Please give us a call if you have any questions:   (412) 444-8687 or tours@alleghenywest.org.   Our volunteers are unable to change tour times, please contact Showclix at the number above if you would like to change times.  

Thank you for supporting the Allegheny West Civic Council.

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This unique tour is part of Rick Sebak’s Emmy Award® winning documentary, Happy Holidays in Pittsburgh, showcasing the finest holiday celebrations in Western Pennsylvania and is featured in the best selling international travel guide “1000 Places to See in the U.S and Canada Before You Die.”