These North Jersey historic holiday home tours will transport you to Christmas past

Have you ever wanted to be transported back to the Victorian era to see what the holiday season was like? What about the roaring 20s?

Now you can: The beloved historical sites of North Jersey are decorated from head to toe for the holiday season. For a limited time, these mansions, castles and museums will be adorned with festive décor and open to the public to explore.

Don't miss out on the fun. Here are four historic holiday open houses that you can take a stroll through this season.

Victorian Christmas at Ringwood Manor

For a peek into a classic Victorian-style Christmas, look no further than Ringwood Manor. Located in Ringwood State Park, the historic site dates back to 1807 and was home to a number of ironmasters from the colonial period through the early 20th century.

During the holiday season each year, the first floor of Ringwood Manor is decorated in Victorian-era décor by the Women's Club of West Milford. Each room is decorated differently and the themes of the rooms change each year, such as vintage clothing displays or a room with décor made out of decks of cards. (The video above is from the 2019 version.)

Self-guided tours of Ringwood Manor's holiday furnishings will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays through Sundays from Dec. 1 to Dec. 17. Tickets can be purchased at the door, and are $5 for children ages 5 to 12, $8 for seniors and students, as well as $10 for adults.

Go: 1304 Sloatsburg Road, Ringwood, 973-962-2240; ringwoodmanor.org/Victorian.

Skylands Manor Holiday Open House

Located within the Botanical Gardens of New Jersey, Skylands Manor was designed in the 1920s by American architect John Russell Pope with a Tudor-revival architecture style. Now, for the 34th year, Skylands Manor will be covered in festive glitz and glam for the holiday season.

For this year's theme, "Holiday in the Highlands," each room of the manor has been elaborately designed and decorated by various volunteer groups to incorporate grand Christmas trees, unique wreaths and holiday flowers galore. Tours of the manor's holiday set up will only be open for one weekend, Nov. 30 to Dec. 3.

Daytime, self-guided tours will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3; tickets are $12 for adults, $7 for children ages six to 12 and $10 for students and seniors. An evening reception will take place on Dec. 2 from 6 to 8 p.m., including wine, light refreshments and valet parking; tickets are $50 for New Jersey Botanical Gardens members and $55 for other guests. Tickets must be purchased over the phone, or online.

Go: 5 Morris Road, Ringwood, 973-962-9534; njbg.org/event/holiday-open-house.

Essex County Historic Holiday House Tour

Each year, Essex County hosts a one-weekend-only historic house tour. This year, the self-guided tour features 11 homes and historic sites decorated for the holiday season, which each location offering entertainment, refreshments and educational opportunities.

Among the sites on this year's tour is Kingsland Manor in Nutley, a 1700s brownstone on park-like grounds that overlooks a pond and waterfalls. In Verona, a medieval-style mansion known as Kips Castle will feature a 1920s-era Christmas theme, including a dining room set for a holiday feast and a parlor filled with ribbons and holiday greenery.

The house tour is only open on Saturday, Dec. 2 and Sunday, Dec. 3. Tour ours vary by location, so visit the house tour's website for the complete list of locations and times.

Deck the Halls at Macculloch Hall Historical Museum and Acorn Hall Museum

For one day only, guests will be able to "Deck the Halls" and take a walk through Christmas past in Morristown. The Deck the Halls event features stops at two different Morristown historic sites: the Acorn Hall Museum and the Macculloch Hall Historical Museum. From holiday music on a 1873 Chickering grand piano to Thomas Nast's famous Christmas scenes, it's sure to be day full of historic holiday festivities.

The event will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 2. Tickets are $30 per person — which includes entry to both sites − and can be purchased online or in person.

Go: 45 Macculloch Ave., Morristown, 973-538-2404 & 68 Morris Ave., Morristown, 973-267-3465; maccullochhall.org/upcoming-events/deck-the-halls.

Maddie McGay is the real estate reporter for NorthJersey.com and The Record, covering all things worth celebrating about living in North Jersey. Find her on Instagram @maddiemcgay, on X @maddiemcgayy, and sign up for her North Jersey Living newsletter. Do you have a tip, trend or terrific house she should know about? Email her at MMcGay@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Historic holiday home tours in NJ: Check out these locations