For five weeks this winter, the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum at 295 West Avenue has two exhibitions open at once, and both are included in the same guided tours. That window opens on Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving, and closes on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027. Before Nov. 27, the house has the portrait show without the holiday exhibit. After Jan. 3, the portraits come down and the holiday tours run alone until Jan. 24.
The price of a ticket stays the same whichever week you go. What changes is how much of the mansion's season you see. The tour length matters about as much as the date.
Five weeks when two shows share the house
The portrait exhibition "Evolving Icon" opened to the public on Oct. 7 and runs through Jan. 3, 2027, according to the Norwalk Current. The holiday exhibit, "Unwrapping Christmas Past: From Puritans to Pop Culture," opens at noon on Nov. 27, as Voice of CT reported on Oct. 12. The museum's holiday tour listings on Eventbrite run from Nov. 27, 2026, to Jan. 24, 2027.
Here is the season laid out by date:
| Dates | What's in the house | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Now through Nov. 26 | "Evolving Icon" portraits | A quieter visit focused on the art |
| Nov. 27 to Jan. 3 | Portraits plus "Unwrapping Christmas Past" | Seeing both exhibitions on one tour |
| Jan. 4 to Jan. 24 | Holiday exhibit only | A late look at the holiday décor after the rush |
The middle row is the one to plan around, especially if you're hosting guests over Thanksgiving weekend or between Christmas and New Year's.
What the portraits are doing in a Gilded Age house
"Evolving Icon" was organized with The Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists. It brings together 17 artists whose work spans traditional realism, classical approaches, contemporary interpretation and experimental, conceptual pieces. The subjects include Sophia Loren, Carmen Miranda and Martin Luther King Jr. Two of the paintings previewed before the opening were "Iconic Sophia" by Jeanine Jackson and "Celebrating Carmen" by Ana Paula Martins.
The Norwalk Current reported that Gail Ingis, a museum trustee and its Art Committee chair, said in a press release that the portraits reinterpret "historical figures through a contemporary lens." That idea links the two winter exhibitions. Both look at familiar American images and show how they changed over time.
The museum's visitor page says "Evolving Icon" is included in all 45-minute and 90-minute guided tours. You don't need a separate ticket.
Christmas, starting from when it was banned
"Unwrapping Christmas Past" follows the American Christmas from the 1760s to the 1960s. It begins with the fact that early New England Puritans banned the holiday. From there it traces the change from quiet family traditions in the mid-to-late 18th century to the grand seasonal display of the Gilded Age and on into the 21st century.
The mansion is a Gilded Age building, which suits this subject well. The middle of the exhibit's story is set in the same era as the house itself.
The museum's exhibit page says the holiday exhibit is part of both the 45-minute and 90-minute guided house tours. Tickets are sold through the museum's Eventbrite page.
Choosing between 45 and 90 minutes
The mansion is open by guided tour only, Wednesday through Sunday. The two tours cover different parts of the house:
- 45-minute tour, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Covers the first-floor period rooms and the servants' quarters.
- 90-minute tour, at noon and 2 p.m. Covers the first-floor period rooms, the second-floor bedrooms and the servants' quarters.
The holiday tour schedule on Eventbrite uses the same four start times.
There's a third exhibition to factor in. The museum's visitor page lists "Revolutionary Roots" as a current exhibition and says it is included only in the 90-minute tours. If it's still on view when you go, the longer tour is the only way to see it alongside the portraits and the holiday décor. Ask when you book.
The museum's visitor page lists these standard prices:
| Ticket | 45-minute tour | 90-minute tour |
|---|---|---|
| Adults | $20 | $35 |
| Seniors, 62+ | $10 | $25 |
| Children, 6 to 18 | $5 | $10 |
| Under 6 | Free | Free |
| Students and educators with ID | $5 | $10 |
| Veterans and active-duty military | $10 | $10 |
| Members | Free | $15 for individual and family members, free for Circle members |
Holiday tour tickets are booked through the Eventbrite collection. Check your total there before you check out. For some groups, the 90-minute tour costs only a little more. A veteran pays $10 for either length, and a member pays $15 for 90 minutes when the 45-minute tour is free.
The 250th thread running through November
In November, the mansion shifts from Christmas history to the founding era, because two of its events are tied to America's 250th anniversary.
On Sunday, Nov. 8, from 2 to 4 p.m., Connecticut State Historian Emeritus Walter W. Woodward gives a talk called "Painting Patriots, Healing Wounds: The Art of Colonel John Trumbull." Light refreshments follow. Trumbull's painting of the Declaration of Independence is the image on the event listing.
On Saturday, Nov. 14, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., A Musical Melting Pot takes over the Rotunda. The concert marks America's 250th anniversary and features Broadway performers Raissa Katona Bennett and Arbender Robinson.
The Center for Contemporary Printmaking, also in Mathews Park, has its own 250th-themed show. Its exhibitions page lists "A Founder's Feast" and "Perspectives: America at 250" running through Nov. 8. That's the same Sunday as the Trumbull talk, so Nov. 8 is the one afternoon you can see the printmakers' show and then hear the Trumbull talk a short walk away. CCP's events calendar also lists a director's preview talk on Nov. 5 at 10 a.m. and its 2026 MONOTHON Auction & Party on Nov. 7 at 5 p.m.
Two December Sundays
December is built around the holiday exhibit, and the first two Sundays offer different ways to see it.
The 2026 Holiday Open House is Sunday, Dec. 6, from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is $5. The afternoon includes the museum's seasonal décor, decorated trees and a tour of "Unwrapping Christmas Past." Santa and his elf are there from noon to 2 p.m. to greet children. A pop-up café offers complimentary refreshments, and proceeds support the museum's educational and cultural programs. If you're bringing young children to see Santa, arrive in the first two hours.
A week later, on Sunday, Dec. 13, from 2 to 4 p.m., the Rotunda hosts The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook: Cookies and Treats from America's Golden Era. Tickets are $15 for members and $20 for non-members. This program covers the Gilded Age part of the holiday exhibit's story, focusing on the era's cookies and treats.
CCP has a December date as well. Its calendar lists a Verso University visit on Dec. 7 at 1 p.m., and advance tickets are required.
The repairs the city already funded
All of this programming takes place in a building the City of Norwalk is still maintaining. In April, the Norwalk Current reported that the City Council adopted a $67,850,999 capital budget. It included $1.25 million for coded repairs at the mansion, down from the $1.5 million first proposed. The paper reported that the reduction came from updated cost information. Historic Commission leaders had said the original amount was more than their current needs, so the lower figure doesn't put the work at risk.
The same report noted that funding for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance projects had been accidentally left out of the proposed capital budget. Mayor Barbara Smyth said the city would fund that work through a special appropriation. The city's communications director put the revised request at about $336,000. If accessibility matters to anyone in your group this winter, call the museum before you book. That way you'll know which parts of each tour route work for your visit.
If guests are coming for Thanksgiving or the holidays and you'd like ideas for an afternoon near West Avenue, along with a coffee conversation about what's happening in Norwalk this season, Linda Dunsmore would be happy to help. Schedule a personalized consultation.
