Special Holiday Tours in Fairmount Park

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Six historic houses in Fairmount Park open today for special holiday tours.

Each of the six mansions has its own holiday theme and its own style of decoration. Here at Cedar Grove mansion, decorations are a little muted perhaps because it was run by a Quaker household but visitors still might be able to pick up some of its 18th century decorating ideas.

Justina Barrett is Museum Educator of American Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and she says each house will tell a story:

"We also have the story of Lydia Pullney Thompson who got married at this time.  So a lot of people got married at the holiday times because they had vacation, they were not farming.  They had time to celebrate.  So you will see, George Washington got married at this time, Thomas Jefferson got married over the holidays."

You can tour on your own or take a trolley. Go to www.fairmountpark.org.

Reported by Karin Phillips, KYW Newsradio