Lights Up! Ben Avon's Holiday House Tour

This year’s tour features six homes, including a more than century-old late Victorian Queen Anne-style home.

photo courtesy of the avon club
 

Here’s your chance to take a peek inside some of Ben Avon’s most charming homes.

The Ben Avon Holiday House Tour takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2.

The tour features six homes showcasing a variety of architectural styles, plus the stately stone Community Presbyterian Church of Ben Avon.

Located on Ridge Avenue, this year’s feature home is a late Victorian Queen Anne style home built around the turn of the 20th century.

Christen Cieslak, publicity chairwoman for the Avon Club, the social and community service organization sponsoring the tour, says the distinctive house — characterized by an asymmetrical front facade, palladian dormer windows and large bay windows — serves as a landmark for travelers heading northwest along Ohio River Boulevard.

The Wagner family has been working to improve the home since 2013, according to Cieslak. The striking enclosed wraparound porch on the recently painted blue home’s second level is a favorite reading spot for the Wagner’s daughter, she says.

The entertainment-ready home, where the Wagners live with their four children, two dogs and a cat, also includes a third-floor family room, an outdoor clubhouse and a patio in the backyard. Other interesting features include stained glass windows, a glass-paned pocket door, a butler’s pantry and a back staircase.

Participants in the self-guided tours will receive a detailed history of each home. Tickets are $25 when purchased in advance and $30 on the day of the tour.

Check in is at The Anchor & Anvil Coffee Bar in Ben Avon, where tickets also are available for purchase. For more information, or to buy a ticket, visit here.