News Release
NPS
News Release Date: November 4, 2026
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TOWSON, Md.—On Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, the National Park Service will host the annual Holidays at Hampton open house. Join park staff to discover how people celebrated the holiday season during the American Revolution and explore how the fight for freedom continued from Hampton’s Revolutionary origins through the Reconstruction Era.
Learn about the holiday traditions of those who lived and worked at Hampton, enjoy a variety of holiday musical performances and explore two floors of the mansion decorated for Christmases from the Early Republic to the Twentieth Century.
Decorations will be on display in the mansion from Dec. 3, 2026, through Jan. 10, 2027. Guided mansion tours will be available throughout the holiday season by reservation. Please check Recreation.gov for more information.
Dec. 5 Schedule of Events
- Mansion Open House: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Visitors can explore the mansion at their leisure during the open house. Park rangers and volunteers will share stories and ConneXions Academy choir Fort McHenry Guard musicians will perform festive songs throughout the day.
- Orangery Activities: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Holiday craft-making. Join an NPS volunteer to make your own Hampton-inspired ornament.
- Cider and cookies will be provided by park partner Historic Hampton, Inc.
- Visitor Contact Station: 9 a.m to 4 p.m.
- The gift shop at the Hampton Visitor Center will be open for holiday shopping.
Plan Your Visit
Admission and parking are free at Hampton National Historic Site. A free shuttle service is available for the event from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from the parking lot at Towson United Methodist Church (501 Hampton Lane) to Hampton National Historic Site. The shuttle will stop at the Mansion/ Orangery Upper Lot, Visitor Contact Station, and the church parking lot. Limited parking is available at Hampton National Historic Site.
Accessibility—A lift is available in the mansion to provide access to the first floor.
Event details and tour information are available on the park’s website.
About Hampton National Historic Site. Hampton NHS preserves what remains of a once 25,000-acre plantation. Established in 1948, it was the first unit in the National Park Service preserved for its architectural merit and prompted the creation of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The 63-acre park features several historic structures including a Georgian mansion, quarters once home to enslaved families, and farm outbuildings. Hampton also features a diverse landscape including formal gardens, meadows, and several exotic specimen trees. Learn more at www.nps.gov/hamp and on Facebook and Instagram.
About the National Park Service. Established in 1916, the National Park Service preserves America’s most treasured natural and cultural places for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of current and future generations. Learn more at nps.gov.
Last updated: November 4, 2026