Dunbar Christmas

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park and the University of Dayton Department of Music are hosting two weekends of “A Dunbar Christmas” event at the Paul Laurence Dunbar House and Visitor Center to celebrate the winter holidays.  

Paul Laurence Dunbar was one of the first African American poets to achieve international acclaim after the Civil War. Born in Dayton, Ohio, Dunbar is best known for his dialect poetry, although he wrote in a variety of styles and genres. He returned to Dayton in 1904 and purchased the house to live in with his mother, Matilda, as he lived through the final stages of tuberculosis. Matilda lived in the house until her death in 1935, and after Paul's death she treated the house as a memorial to her son. The State of Ohio purchased the house after her death, making it one of the first house museums to honor an African American.    

Take a ranger led tour of the Dunbar house brought to life with holiday merriment. Visitors will be welcomed into the house by singers performing period songs. There will be historical reenactors present in the house, as Matilda Dunbar, Paul's mother, and even Paul Laurence Dunbar himself. 

In the visitor center, there will be ranger talks to learn about how Christmas holidays were celebrated during Paul Dunbar's life. Learn about how our modern-day traditions were started around this time into celebrations we recognize. Children big and small will be able to craft a turn-of-the-century holiday ornaments that are inspired by Paul Laurence Dunbar's winter poems. 

Any groups larger than 10 please R.S.V.P. in advance as the house has a limited capacity. 

Fees

This event is free to attend.

Location

The Paul Laurence Dunbar House Historic Site is located at 219 N. Paul Laurence Dunbar St. You may enter the visitor center from Edison St. In the Visitor Center there are exhibits focused on Dunbar’s life and work as well as an 18-minute movie. Groups are limited to 8 participants each in order to protect the historic site. Any larger groups will be split into smaller groups of 8 or fewer people. The Dunbar House is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Latitude and Longitude 39.757666, -84.219099

Schedule

Contact Information

Ryan Qualls
937-225-7705
Contact Us

Event Type

• Living History
• Performance