TAMPA — Susan Carter is sitting on the floor in a 1891 hotel turned museum, looking at stack of see-through plastic bins.

What You Need To Know

  • Our latest On the Town report visits Henry B Plant Museum in Tampa

  • For the past 40 years, they’ve been decorating every room of their hotel turned museum with elaborate Christmas trees and holiday trimming

  • The Victorian Christmas Stroll is open December 1 through 23

  • BELOW: More special events

“We didn’t prepare ahead of time so it’s just magic I don’t know what’s gonna pop out of here next,” said Carter.

Amidst the crinkling of acid- free tissues —history is waiting.

And the Curator and Registrar of the Henry B Plant Museum —is unwrapping it.

A gilded turtle, a parrot, a reindeer— all at least a century old.

Carter is prepping these ornaments for an 1860’s era goose feather Christmas tree.

It’s the oldest tree at the museum’s Victorian Christmas Stroll, in its 41st year.

For the past 40 years, they’ve been decorating every room of their hotel turned museum with elaborate Christmas trees and holiday trimming.

We are talking 100 trees, from two inches to 14 feet tall, with 40-thousand twinkling lights.

Hanging décor on the goose feather tree includes century-old blown glass ornaments strung at garland.

And it’s as tricky as it looks.

It joins the other glass customary pieces —oil lamps once used to light the tree.

“It’s amazing we have any of these left because you can imagine the risk of fire,” said Carter

Carter also hangs newly gilded walnuts to harken back to a Victorian-era tradition.

“They would give each other gilded walnuts and they would have a little message that would roll up on a scroll inside the scroll,” Carter explained, atop aladder, “so you get your walnut you can open it and get your little message.”

It’s a re-creation of how another generation lived.

“It was a winter time resort, so we love to show folks what the original Christmas ornaments and trees would have looked like,” said Carter. “So this is a very, very special tree for us.”

A special part of Carter’s commitment, along with everyone at the museum, to honor the yule tide traditions from another time.

The Victorian Christmas Stroll is open December 1 through 23.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Special Events:
November 26: Brandon Ballet performance, 2 pm
November 27: Museum Store Sunday
December 3: Museum Member Appreciation Day, local author signing on veranda
December 11: Children’s Day at the Stroll, 10 am – 5 pm
Sundays at 2pm Upstairs/Downstairs Live Theater