Holly & Ivy is a holiday design contest. Competitors each claim a different room of the historic estate to decorate, and Holly & Ivy attendees vote for the best decorated room. Awards (not just bragging rights!) are given to first, second, and third place. Winners are announced on the Salisbury House social media pages and via email to attendees/decorators the week after the event.
Holly & Ivy is Salisbury House Foundation's annual holiday fundraiser. Proceeds benefit the 501(c)3 nonprofit and its general operations as a house museum and unique community gathering place.
Guided tours will not be available during the event. We will have volunteers located throughout the estate to answer any questions you may have. You will also be able to download a tour book to your phone for more information about the house, or purchase a print copy at check in for $3.
Listen to a Piano Performance: Salisbury's one-of-a-kind Steinway D will be played by our volunteer piano players during the event. Players will rotate every hour, each with their own set list of holiday songs.
Take a Professional Holiday Photo: On the second floor in Charles' Bedroom you and your loved ones can pay to have a professional holiday photo taken. Photos will be emailed the next week for your use.
Sit Back at Santa's Sweet Shoppe: Take a break from the hustle and bustle and stop at Santa's Sweet Shoppe in the Historic Garage. A limited selection of treats (donuts, brownies, frosted sugar cookies) and beverages (drip coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, beer, wine) will be available for purchase. Cash and card are accepted; there is no ATM on site.
Pay a Visit to Saint Nick: Santa will be exploring the estate, spreading Christmas joy and saying "Ho-ho-hello!" to the kiddos. Exact times to be announced.
Sign Up for an Interactive Workshops: Learn knew skills such as charcuterie board building, floral arranging, and cookie decorating during an interactive workshop. Learn more by clicking the Workshops tab.
Yes! There will be seating available in the Common Room (where the piano is located) which is accessible by three steps with a railing. There will also be seating in our Holiday Sweet Shoppe located in the Historic Garage.
Due to the high volume of foot traffic and tight spaces around the museum, strollers cannot go through the house. If you bring a stroller it can be left in the Great Hall where you will enter. Front child-carriers are welcome.
Non-professional photography is allowed, but flash must be turned off. Videography is not permitted.
Outside food or beverages or chewing gum are not allowed inside the museum.
Backpacks must be worn on the front of the body or left in the Great Hall where you will enter.
Smoking and vaping are strictly forbidden in or near the museum and are allowed only in designated smoking areas near the parking lot.
No weapons are allowed on the premises.
Salisbury House staff reserve the right to prohibit items inside the museum at our discretion.
Reach out to rentals@salisburyhouse.org about openings for the next year.
Please include photos of holiday decorating you have done in the past, and if there are any specific rooms you are interested in. Previous decorators have right of first refusal, so there is no guarantee that the rooms you are interested in will be available.
Yes! Holly & Ivy tickets will be available for purchase at check-in during the event.
Your ticket can be used for one visit on either day; it cannot be used for both days. If you purchased workshop ticket(s) please let us know which day you will be using your Holly & Ivy ticket when you check in upon arrival.
You will receive an emailed receipt for your ticket upon purchase, and a separate email with your digital ticket and a QR code for each ticket holder. Please print your ticket(s) or have a digital version of your receipt to present at check-in upon arrival (check your junk and spam folders if you don’t see your ticket in your inbox). We will also have a list of all ticket holders at the event check-in.
Due to the receipt of goods and services, your ticket purchase is not tax-deductible. However, you may elect to add an additional tax-deductible donation along with your ticket purchase to go toward this fundraising event. All net proceeds from the event will support Salisbury House Foundation.
Tickets are final sale and non-refundable and non-transferable to other events, tours, or programs. Please feel free to gift your ticket to a friend if you are unable to attend. We will check them in under your name.
No, workshop tickets must be purchased in advance. Ticket sales close November 30th.
Yes! Each workshop ticket includes one ticket to Holly & Ivy. Your Holly & Ivy ticket does not have to be used the same day as your workshop.
No; due to limited availability workshop tickets cannot be switched to a different day.
Tickets are final sale and non-refundable and non-transferable to other events, tours, or programs. Please feel free to gift your ticket to a friend if you are unable to attend. We will check them in under your name.
From I-235, take the 42nd Street exit. Proceed south on 42nd Street for about ½ mile. Turn left onto Tonawanda Drive. Salisbury House is located at 4025 Tonawanda Drive. It is the 4th property on the North side of the street.
Please Note: during the event Tonawanda Drive will be temporarily turned into a one-way, eastbound only street. Do not enter Tonawanda from Grand Ave. or from the east side of Salisbury House. Enter Tonawanda Drive from 42nd Street only.
There is limited parking in the Salisbury House parking lot. On-street parking is available along the south side of Tonawanda facing east. We strongly suggest carpooling.
Follow the stairs and signage from the main parking lot up the sidewalk, past the gardens to the south entrance. A sign will be outside the door, making it easy to spot. You will check in directly inside in the Great Hall. Doors open at 10:00 am.
Accessible parking is available on the north side of Salisbury House on and around the circle drive. To reach the north circle drive, go through the main parking lot and follow the drive around the building.
This is also the drop-off location. Guests who park here or are dropped-off here can enter through the north door under the porch.
Partially. Due to the historic nature of the house, it is accessible to a degree. There is a small elevator that allows access to the second floor, but there are a couple steps that lead to some of the bedrooms and three steps with a railing that lead from the Great Hall (where you will enter) to the Common Room where the Steinway is located. The public restrooms are accessible.
Updates about delays or cancellations will be emailed to ticket holders whose email is provided at ticket purchase. Updates will also be posted on the Salisbury House Instagram and Facebook, and the Holly & Ivy page of the website.
If both days or the Sunday of Holly & Ivy is cancelled due to inclement weather unused tickets will be converted into a donation toward Salisbury House Foundation unless the ticket holder requests a refund. Requests must be made via email to contactus@salisburyhouse.org no later than Friday, December 12th at 5 PM.
All who have their purchase converted into a donation will receive a donation letter stating the tax-deductible amount in the mail after the event. Holly & Ivy is Salisbury House Foundation's annual holiday fundraiser; we are grateful to those who choose to convert their purchase into a donation to support of our non-profit.
