Historic Columbia announces December 2025 events

Historic Columbia offers a full slate of tours and programs throughout December, including Historic Holiday Tours at two landmark properties and a preservation-focused Renovation Rodeo in the Vista.

PROGRAMS & EVENTS IN DECEMBER

Historic Holiday Tours

Through Sunday, January 4 | Times vary | Robert Mills House and Hampton-Preston Mansion | 1616 Blanding Street

Tour the Robert Mills House and Hampton-Preston Mansion, each beautifully adorned for the season, and enjoy stories of holiday gatherings, gift giving, and seasonal customs that connect past and present.

Admission: FREE HC members; $20 adult; $16 youth

Renovation Rodeo | Congaree Vista

Tuesday, December 9 | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. | Ticketholders will receive the property address the day prior to this event

Explore an award-winning example of historic preservation in the Vista. Palladium members can learn about the site’s history and renovation while mingling with fellow preservation enthusiasts over light refreshments. Renovation Rodeos are exclusively offered as a perk of Palladium membership and are not open to the public.

Admission: FREE for Palladium level members; reservations required. This event is not open to the public.

Main Street Walking Tour

Sunday, December 14 | 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. | Begins at Boyd Plaza | 1515 Main Street

Explore the heart of the city on a 75-minute walking tour to learn about the architecture and history of the buildings along the 1300 – 1700 blocks of Main Street.

Admission: $5 HC members; $10 adult; FREE youth 17 and under

Free Sunday at the Mann-Simons Site

Sunday, December 21 | 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Mann-Simons Site | 1403 Richland Street

Tour the Mann-Simons Site to learn about Black history in Columbia. Free tours of one of Historic Columbia’s house museums are offered on the third Sunday of every month thanks to Richland County, with support from Councilman Jason Branham.

Admission: FREE; space is limited and admission is first come, first served.

SAVE THE DATE 

50 Forward Preservation Awards | Thursday, May 14 | The Laundry at Bull Street

Historic Columbia will celebrate fifty years of Preservation Awards in 2026 with a ceremony and gala honoring preservation excellence in Columbia and Richland County.

VISIT US

HISTORIC HOUSE TOURS

Historic Columbia’s historic house museum tours are free for HC members, $15 for adults, and $10 for youth ages 6–12 (Historic Holiday Tours are $20 for adults and $16 for youth). Discounts are available to active military, seniors, AAA members, and students, and must be requested at the time of purchase. Visitors may purchase tickets online or at the Welcome Center at Robert Mills, located at 1616 Blanding Street. All tours begin at the Welcome Center at Robert Mills. Please visit our website for holiday closures.

• Hampton-Preston Mansion & Gardens | 1615 Blanding Street | Regular tours of the Hampton-Preston Mansion are suspended due to Historic Holiday Tours. Historic Holiday Tours are offered:
  • Wednesday – Saturday | 10:30 a.m. & 12:00 p.m.
  • Sunday |1:30 & 3:00 p.m.
• Journey to Freedom: Mann-Simons Site and Modjeska Monteith Simkins House | 1403 Richland Street & 2025 Marion Street
  • Wednesday – Sunday | 3:00 p.m.
• The Museum of Reconstruction Era at the Woodrow Wilson Family Home | 1705 Hampton Street
  • Wednesday – Saturday | 1:30 p.m.
• Robert Mills House & Gardens | 1616 Blanding Street | Regular tours of the Robert Mills House are suspended due to Historic Holiday Tours. Historic Holiday Tours are offered:
  • Wednesday – Saturday | 10:30 a.m. & 12:00 p.m.
  • Sunday |1:30 & 3:00 p.m. 
    

PUBLIC GARDENS

Historic Columbia’s 14 acres of landscapes in the heart of Robert Mills Historic District feature heirloom plantings popular with gardeners over the past two centuries. Entry to the gardens is free and includes interpretive signage to help bring history to life. Please visit our website for holiday closures.

• Hampton-Preston Mansion & Gardens | 1615 Blanding Street

o    Monday – Saturday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 

o    Sunday | 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.  

• Robert Mills House & Gardens | 1616 Blanding Street

o    Monday – Saturday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.  

o    Sunday | 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

• Seibels House & Gardens | 1601 Richland Street
  • Monday – Friday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 
• Woodrow Wilson Family Home | 1405 Hampton Street

o    Monday – Saturday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 

o    Sunday | 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.  

BECOME A MEMBER

Membership helps Historic Columbia create educational and entertaining historical programming that pulls people together and builds strong bonds within our community. Learn more about the perks of membership at historiccolumbia.org/membership.

 

ABOUT HISTORIC COLUMBIA

In November 1961, a small group of individuals intent on saving the Ainsley Hall House (now known as the Robert Mills House) from demolition officially incorporated as Historic Columbia. Over the next five decades, the organization, which was founded on the premise of preservation and education, would take on the stewardship of six historic properties in Richland County. Today, the organization serves as a model for local preservation efforts and interpretation of local history. Visit historiccolumbia.org or find us on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube for more details.