Each year hundreds of people visit the Murfreesboro Historic District to enjoy the Candlelight Christmas Tour and welcome the holiday season.

Hundreds of candles guide you on your way through the historic streets that feature 18^th– and 19^th-century homes and museums trimmed in natural, seasonal decorations.

This year, 14 sites in the Murfreesboro Historic District will be on tour, including a working blacksmith shop, a country store, a tinsmith, the historic William Rea Museum, the Agriculture/Transportation Museum and houses with period furnishings.

Holiday fare will be served at selected sites, and live music will play, including the traditional sounds of the Potecasi Creek String Band.

The tour will also include two historically significant private homes this year, the Pipkin-Harrell-Chitty House and the Camp-Hill-Gary House, both located on North Wynn Street.

For the first time, the Dr. Walter Reed House on Main Street will also be open. The Reed House is undergoing a complete restoration and is one of the only two museum houses focusing on the childhood of Dr. Reed, who was instrumental in the eradication of Yellow Fever.

In the 19^th century, the house was the Methodist parsonage, and Reed’s father, the Rev. Lemuel Reed, twice lived there with his family. Walter Reed married Emilie Blackwell Lawrence, who lived in the house across the street.

At the end of the tour, guest can take a horse-drawn carriage or wagon ride or jump on the MHA Tram to a complete holiday meal (included in your admission) featuring smoked turkey and ham with all the fixings. The tour ends with homemade desserts served in the historic Hertford Academy where you can enjoy music of the season.

Tours will be held from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 9 and 10. Visitors should plan to begin the tour no later than 6 p.m. to have sufficient time to see all sites.

Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for children under 12; advance purchase required. There is no charge for children under 6. Tour groups are always welcome.

All proceeds support the Murfreesboro Historical Association, a nonprofit organization working to preserve the historic architectural gems of Murfreesboro. For more information, visit www.murfreesboronc.org.