ABILENE -- Abilene mansions will be open for holiday tours in November and December.

"Splendors of the Victorian Era" Christmas tours will begin today at the Lebold Mansion. Visitors will see decorated trees representing various periods of the Victorian era, including the first artificial Christmas tree, made of feathers. Visitors to the multilevel limestone home, built in 1880, also will learn about holiday customs of that time period, such as the use of sugared fruit.

About 700 nutcrackers and hundreds of poinsettias will decorate the Seelye Mansion, which opens its doors for holiday tours Nov. 28.

Several private homes will be featured in the annual Heritage Homes Holiday Tour, set for Dec. 6 to 7. Also open to the public will be a historic home decorated for the event by area merchants as an "idea" house.

A Victorian Holiday Tea will be served Dec. 6 at the Kirby House Restaurant, located in an 1885 restored home.

Pioneer re-enactors will celebrate Christmas in the log cabin at the Heritage Center on Dec. 7, where participants will bake cookies in a wood-burning stove and string popcorn.

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