FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Savannah Teague
DEVENEY
504.949.3999 x 225
steague@deveney.com

NEW ORLEANS - The Hermann-Grima + Gallier Historic House Museums invites locals and tourists alike to savor the season with special tours and events between Thanksgiving and the Twelfth Night.

Decorations and Holiday Cooking
The Gallier Historic House will feature holiday decorations from Dec. 5, 2016 through Jan. 9, 2017. Using period-inspired decorations, the museum will interpret the importance of the holiday season and trace its development throughout the 19th century.

The Hermann-Grima House will interpret holiday traditions through guided tours with an emphasis on the courtyard and outbuildings. Cooking demonstrations in New Orleans' only working 19th-century open-hearth kitchen will be held on Dec. 8 and 22. Visitors can learn about The Reveillon celebratory dinner, a culinary tradition observed by Creole families on Christmas Eve in the 1800's.
Guests may book tours online by visiting hgghh.org/book-online/.

Guest Lecture on the History of Christmas
Historian John Magill, co-author of the book Christmas in New Orleans (with Peggy Scott-Laborde) and a frequent guest speaker at our house museums, will deliver an illustrated lecture on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m. about the history of Christmas and how the holiday has evolved in New Orleans over the course of 300 years. This highly anticipated event will be held at the Gallier House Visitor Center located at 1126 Royal Street. The lecture is free for members and $7 for nonmembers. The lecture is open to the public but will require online reserved tickets that will be available on Thursday, December 1, at noon by visiting hgghh.org or emailing rsvp@hgghh.org.

Creole Christmas Holiday Home Tour
Step back in time and join the Friends of the Cabildo for three days of tours at five historic house museums in the French Quarter. The Gallier House will join with the Louisiana State Museum's 1850 House, Beauregard-Keyes House, Spring Fiesta House and The Historic New Orleans Collection's Williams Residence to offer single-ticket access to these cherished properties from December 27-29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Each property will be adorned in traditional Christmas finery befitting the time and style of the former residence and scrumptious seasonal refreshments will be served.

Tickets are $25 general admission and $20 for members of the Friends of Cabildo and Louisiana Museum Foundation.

The self-guided tour begins at the 1850 House Museum Shop located at 523 St. Ann Street in Jackson Square. Tickets may be purchased on the day of the tour at the 1850 House shop or by calling the shop at (504) 524-9118. For more information visit friendsofthecabildo.org.

Holiday Shopping
Visit the Hermann-Grima House Exchange Shop to support local artisans as you complete your holiday shopping. The shop carries an array of handcrafted items including an assortment of original art, jewelry, books and pottery. Pick up stocking stuffers with great deals on local books such as Creole Cookery, Women Who Cared and Along the Banquette. The Hermann-Grima House Exchange Shop at 818 St. Louis Street is open during normal business hours.

Memberships to the Hermann-Grima + Gallier House make a great holiday gift. Memberships include free admission to both museums, a subscription to our lecture series and discounts on children's programming. Visit hgghh.org/support for membership levels and to purchase.

Children's Camp
"Pancakes and Pajamas" is the theme of the annual holiday children's camp to be held at the Hermann-Grima House on Thursday, December 22, from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Children aged 6-12 are invited to spend the day with us to enjoy holiday traditions of the past while dressed in their coziest PJs. Festive goodies such as pancakes and latkes will be prepared in our open-hearth kitchen. Activities will include making 19th-century holiday arts and crafts, playing holiday games in the courtyard, storytelling from tales of Christmas past and special guest visits. The enrollment fee is $55/child for members and $65/child for nonmembers. For more information, contact Jenny Dyer at education@hgghh.org or 504-274-0751.

Luxury, Inequity & Yellow Fever
For a great holiday gift for history and photography buffs alike, consider Luxury, Inequity & Yellow Fever by acclaimed photographer and author Kerri McCaffety. Pairing majestic photographs of the Hermann-Grima and Gallier museum properties with captivating historic accounts, the book offers a direct connection to the turbulent times of antebellum New Orleans. It is available for sale for $45 at bookstores throughout New Orleans, at the Hermann-Grima Exchange Shop and online at hgghh.org.

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Hermann-Grima + Gallier Historic Houses
Built in 1831 by Samuel Hermann, a German-Jewish immigrant who quickly amassed (and lost) his fortune in the commodities market, the Hermann-Grima House, located at 820 Saint Louis Street, is one of the most significant residences in New Orleans. Generations of New Orleans' notable Grima family resided on the property from the 1840s until the 1920s. The Gallier House at 1132 Royal Street was designed and built in 1857 by James Gallier, Jr., one of the most prominent architects of 19th century New Orleans.

The Woman's Exchange purchased the Hermann-Grima House in 1924 and acquired the Gallier House in 1996. Their mission is to continue the legacy of the Christian Woman's Exchange, established in 1881, by restoring and maintaining the houses, and interpreting their contribution to and place in New Orleans. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Hermann-Grima + Gallier Historic Houses are a leading authority on historic preservation, offering educational, entertaining and interactive programming in the world-renowned French Quarter.

For more information visit www.hgghh.com