Youngstown Garden Club presents Ontario House holiday tours

Offering ‘intimate look’ into historic building

The Youngstown Garden Club invites community members to its Ontario House holiday tours, starting next Saturday in the village.

Built in 1842, the Ontario House, aka Stone Jug, located at Main and Lockport streets, is an iconic building rich in history and legend. Now, a new chapter of its storied past will provide attendees with an intimate look at the second and third floor hotel rooms and common areas decked out for the holidays by members and volunteers of the Youngstown Garden Club.

According to a Youngstown Garden Club release, each of the seven rooms in this tour has a unique theme driving its décor. Included will be: “The Night Before Christmas,” “Christmas Romance,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Cozy Woodland Cabin” and “Santa’s Sleeping.” Festooned with live and dried botanicals – many from members’ own gardens – adults and children alike will enjoy exploring these multisensory spaces inspiring their imaginations to transport them back to Christmases of days gone by.

Member Collen Summerville said, “The floral Christmas tree provides a focal point and will delight with its ornaments of dried flowers and handmade garden fairies. Coupled with a drink at the bar or a holiday-themed lunch or dinner at the restaurant, this unique Christmas experience is sure to be a big hit with your family, friends and colleagues.

“Two nights of ticketed exclusive previews – ‘Secrets of the Rooms’ – add another layer to this already very special event with local tattle-talers revealing stories of forbidden love and rumors of clandestine romance that may very well have occurred in these rooms at various periods in the building’s history.

“That the tickets sold out for ‘Secrets of the Rooms’ very quickly is an indication of the broad appeal of getting behind the scenes of this legendary building as a holiday outing.”

The first day of the tours for the public open in conjunction with Youngstown’s “Christmas in the Village” on Saturday, Dec. 9. Times are from noon until 4 p.m. Garden Club members will be on hand on the first floor of the Ontario House to assist children of all ages in making an evergreen Christmas ornament to hang on their own tree at home. All supplies and materials are provided, and there is no cost or registration necessary for this craft workshop.

The Ontario House public tours will continue through Dec. 17. Times are from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays, Dec. 10 and 17; and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, through Saturday, Dec. 16. Reservations are not necessary.

“The Youngstown Garden Club is grateful to our many sponsors, whose generosity has made it possible to offer this experience free of charge to our community,” Summerville said.

Located at 358 Main St., the Ontario House also includes a restaurant open from noon to 8 p.m. daily. Call 716-219-4073 for lunch or dinner reservations.

For more information, visit the Youngstown Garden Club Facebook page at www.facebook.com/younstowngardenclub/.