Victorian Christmas at The Octagon House in New York
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Step back in time this holiday season with a visit to the Victorian Christmas at The Octagon House in New York. This annual event transforms the historic landmark into a festive 19th-century wonder complete with period decor, twinkling lights, and timeless holiday charm. Experience the magic of Christmas past in one of the most unique homes in the world.
About The House
The Armour-Steiner Octagon House is located in Irvington, New York. It is the only known, fully domed octagonal residence and the only house which replicates the Donato Bramante’s 1502 Tempietto in Rome. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places and is recognized for its unique architectural design and historical significance.
The house was built between 1859-1860 based on architectural ideas from the book “The Octagon House: A Home For All.” In 1872, the second owner Joseph Steiner added the dome and the veranda. The grounds and house have been restored to their 1872 appearance.
Due to the octagonal shape of the house, there are some triangular rooms in the house, which I thought was pretty interesting during my tour of the house. This house is one of the most unique homes in the world.
Today, the house is privately owned by preservation architect Joseph Pell Lombardi. Due to this, you must have a ticketed reservation to access the grounds and the house. It’s not a park that you can just show up at to enjoy on your own, especially because it is down a driveway and not visible from the street.
Over the past five decades, Lombardi, his family, and a team of expert consultants have lovingly taken the time to transform The Octagon House from a dilapidated relic on the verge of collapse into the colorful icon of American Victorian architecture it is today.
You can read a more detailed history of the house on their website.
About The Event
All of the rooms in the house will be decorated for the holidays with wreaths, garlands, and three grand Christmas trees decorated with beautiful ornaments. The event runs from November 13 to December 22, 2025. Tickets can be purchased on their website.
Getting There
The Octagon House is located in Irvington, New York, about 25 miles north of Manhattan. Visitors coming from New York City can take the Metro-North Hudson Line from Grand Central Terminal to Irvington Station. From there, it’s a short walk or quick taxi ride to the house. It’s close location to the city makes it a great spot for a day trip.
Of course, you can always drive as well. However, due to its close proximity to the city, you can expect there to be some traffic as you get close to the area. I drove from southeastern Connecticut and we experienced traffic on I-95 on the way there and traffic on the Merritt Parkway on our way back. If you’re looking to avoid sitting in traffic, taking the train is definitely the way to go.
If you’re driving, there will be a worker waiting for you when you pull in. They’ll check to make sure that you have a ticketed reservation. Then, they will direct you to where to park. Since this is a private residence, there is no true parking area.
You’ll meet at the front of the house where the tour will begin. We got there a bit early so we spent time admiring the details on outside of the house before the tour of the house started.
The Tour
The actual event is a 1-hour guided tour of the house. During the tour, you’ll learn about the history of the house, the architecture, and more. The guide we had was extremely knowledgeable and we thoroughly enjoyed both the tour itself and the decorations.
Instead of giving you a step-by-step walkthrough of the house with words, I’ll let the photos I took during the tour speak for themselves.
Once you’re done with touring the house, you’ll end up in the basement where the gift shop is. The gift shop is also beautifully decorated just like the rest of the house. There are plenty of cool gifts to find in the gift shop.
Is The Armour-Steiner Octagon House Worth Visiting During The Holidays?
Absolutely! In fact, I’d argue that this house is worth visiting any time. This house is truly one of the most unique homes in the world and it has been beautifully preserved with care. Visiting during the holidays is a great way to get into the holiday spirit.
If I lived closer, I’d probably drag my boyfriend every year. We absolutely enjoyed our visit. As a carpenter by trade, he especially loved learning about the architecture of this unique house during our visit. I’m sure we will definitely be back again in the future.
I can understand that you would want to go each year. The house looks beautiful and especially with all the decorations and the snow outside.
Such a charming place for the holidays! A Victorian Christmas in an octagon house sounds so cozy and unique. Thanks for sharing this!
It’s definitely a unique experience!!
This looks absolutely magical — definitely adding it to my holiday bucket list. The Octagon House seems like such a unique place to explore, and seeing it transformed for a Victorian Christmas must feel like stepping into another era. I’d love to experience this tour one day.
It really did feel like stepping back in time! I loved it.
What an interesting house! I love that even the dinner plates are octagonal. And I can’t even imagine trying to figure out furniture in a triangular room. Thanks for the info!
The plates are definitely on-brand for the house!! Also, totally agree about the triangular rooms! Not only were they triangular, but they were also quite small lol. I think one of them was a tea room.
I’ve never heard of the Octagon House, it’s definitely a place I’d like to visit one day, and the Christmas events sounds truly wonderful.
This unique house is definitely worth a visit! It’s one of my favorite historic homes that I’ve visited to date.