Victorian vibes: 1857 Tanner House Museum in Aurora offers free holiday tours

Holiday open houses at the 1857 Tanner House Museum in Aurora feature eight specially decorated rooms, including an elaborate parlor.

The house will be open 4-7 p.m. the remaining Fridays in December - Dec. 9, 16, 23 and 30 - as well as from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11 and 18.

It is a tradition for the historical society to host guest decorators from the community. According to society President Mary Clark Ormond, this has produced a wide variety of themes and styles over the years.

One of the rooms this year will have a new twist.

"Mr. Tanner's library will have the flavor of a museum display since it is devoted to items from the personal collection of Aurora surveyor Shawn Van Kampen," Ormond said.

Van Kampen has been collecting antique surveying equipment and memorabilia for nearly half a century. William Tanner was a surveyor and surveyed several early subdivisions of land in Aurora.

"This is so interesting because Shawn feels a kinship with pioneer Illinois surveyors like Mr. Tanner and Abraham Lincoln," Ormond added. A notable piece that will be on display, according to Ormond, is a compass thought to be by the hand of Elias Howe, the inventor of the sewing machine, and probably dating to around 1830.

Other themes in the house this year range from a formal Victorian dinner to a 1960s Christmas with the Rat Pack and friends.

Admission to the house is free, although donations are accepted. It is at 304 Oak Ave., at the corner of Oak Avenue and Cedar Street.

After the holiday events the house will be closed until summer, opening on Memorial Day weekend. For videos of the house in various seasons, visit www.aurorahistory.org/videos.