The Taft Museum of Art has a full slate of holiday programming for locals and visitors

The Taft Museum of Art in downtown Cincinnati is known as a unique destination, situated in a 200-year-old wooden structure that was home to museum co-founders Anna Sinton Taft and Charles Phelps Taft from 1873 until their deaths in 1931 and 1929, respectively. Charles was the half-brother of President William Howard Taft, who famously accepted his presidential nomination on the home’s portico in 1908.

Now, the Taft Museum of Art is working to preserve some of that famous history by capturing what life would have been like at the time Anna and Charles lived there. Through a series of holiday events, locals and visitors can go back in time while in downtown Cincinnati.

Holiday Traditions Old & New

To capture some of that magic, the Taft Museum will have the “Holiday Traditions Old & New” exhibit from Nov. 13 to Jan. 5 in the Collection Galleries, based on an event that Anna and Charles Taft held every year.

When they lived in the home, the couple hosted a New Year’s Day tea annually, so now, the museum sets up the dining room to look like it might have looked when they were having that event. “It’s a very ornate table setting, which I think people enjoy,” Ellen Roberts, director of Curatorial Affairs, says. “It gives them an idea of what it might have been like to be at that event.”

Roberts shares that these events are meant to bring people back in time.

She adds that since the Taft is a museum in an historic house and not a traditional museum setting, people may forget throughout the year that it was a home that people once lived in. “The holidays are the time when we really lean into the fact that it is a house,” she says. “I think honestly that’s why we always get such a great response to the holiday programming because…many members of the community associate the Taft with their holidays. It’s just part of their holiday tradition.”

For years, the Taft has been helping visitors to understand what life would have been like in the house throughout the decades. “The guy who built the house in 1820 is very different from the Tafts who lived there a century later,” Roberts says. “The house had changed quite a bit by then, too. I think [the installations and events] help people understand our history and think about how people’s livelihoods changed over time.”

Holiday Family Fundays

Elise Solomon, director of Learning and Outreach at the museum, organizes events such as the Holiday Family Fundays. “The free Holiday Family Fundays are an excellent way to spend a day having fun together enjoying artmaking, music, food and more,” she says. “The Taft is a special place during the holidays—the festive decorations in the historic house galleries and throughout the museum celebrate our community and traditions.”

Solomon adds that while the Taft has long been known as a space for celebrating the holidays, it also celebrates the community through festive decorations and programming that highlight partners like Indigo Hippo, a local pay-what-you-can art supply thrift store and creative reuse center that is dedicated to sustainability, and Frederick Douglass Elementary School. Indigo Hippo will be assisting with supplies and craft ideas for Family Fundays.

“There’s something for everyone at the Taft whether you enjoy seeing decorations, want to indulge in Holiday teas, are looking for unique gifts from our shops or enjoy spending time with your loved ones at programs like Family Funday,” Solomon says.

After leaving these holiday events, she hopes people “come away from the events feeling the warmth and cheer that this time of year beckons.

“I hope they enjoy making memories together and can connect with the community partners who have created decorations, performed at the events or led activities during the programs,” she adds.

The Holiday Family Fundays will be held Sundays through December with different themes; Dec. 1 will have a German Christmas theme, Dec. 8 will have a Festive Folk theme and Dec. 15 will be focused on Hanukkah. Each event is free, requires no prior registration and runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Holiday Teas

Scott Johnson, director of Visitor Experience, coordinates dining events like the Taft Holiday Teas. He thinks that the Taft is a “magical” place to spend the holidays. “The museum celebrates this seasonal spirit by thoughtfully curating entertainment and enjoyment including a plethora of delectable holiday treats in our cafe, a place to shop for the most unique present to put under the tree and so much more,” he says.

The Holiday Tea events have a menu and experiences crafted in-house by Taft’s culinary team. The menu features an assortment of house-made sweets and scones, savory bites and petit fours paired with selections from Churchill’s Teas. Musicians perform while guests are enjoying their food and tea. “It’s an immersive cultural experience unlike any other in the city,” Johnson says.

This year, the Holiday Teas fall on Nov. 29 and 30 and Dec. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21. Seatings are at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

“The Taft Museum of Art is a year-round hub for spaces to learn, create and connect but the holidays offer an extra special opportunity to create memories that will last a lifetime with your loved ones,” Johnson adds.