Wornall House offers candlelight tours

A former Civil War era home, once the site of heavy fighting and a field hospital for Confederate and Union soldiers, will be illuminated by candles and storytellers.

The John Wornall House Museum, 6115 Wornall Road, will host two tours: Christmas Candlelight Tours from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5, and A Visit with Father Christmas from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 12.

“Expect a really fun time,” said Sarah Wacker, 16, Overland Park, youth docent at the museum. “It’s really neat to experience Christmas from a different time period. It gets you in the Christmas spirit.”

Wacker, along with other re-enactors, will portray historical figures in each of the four Wornall House Museum rooms with scenes from the era.

Wacker will wear a ball gown and appear in the children’s room discussing fan flirting, among other topics. Her 1860s-style gown is dark purple with accents such as black lace.

“It’s my mom’s bridesmaid dress that we’ve revamped,” Wacker said.

She said groups of 20 guests will move from room to room watching skits prepared by re-enactors. The four museum rooms will feature Victorian-style Christmas decorations such as garland, candles and fruit, and table top evergreen trees laced with strung popcorn, berries and tiny candles.

Wacker, who is home-schooled, has been a volunteer for three years, assisting at Camp Wornall, and providing administrative and docent duties. She also produces the museum’s quarterly newsletter.

During last year’s candlelight tour, Wacker wore an everyday 1860s dress with a hoop skirt while she portrayed Mittie Pigg, a war orphan who was part of the Wornall family. She also played period music on her harp.

“Dressing up, that’s always fun,” Wacker said. “It’s really fun to wear (the dress) and re-enact.”

Kandice Walker, John Wornall House Museum executive director, said the re-enactors will remain in character during their skits but will engage visitors with their questions. Walker said the scenes will reflect the Wornall family celebrating Christmas during a difficult time.

“You’re going to see situations you didn’t know,” she said.

Walker said among the re-enactors will be a fictitious son of the Wornall family, who is fighting in the Civil War. In each room a guide will pass a care package around, filling it with needs for the soldier such as mittens and personal care items.

“The family is trying to celebrate Christmas,” Walker said. “There’s a worry.”

Walker said families with relatives who are soldiers serving in Iraq will be able to relate to the Civil War Christmas at the Wornall House Museum.

“Different war, different era,” she said. “But the same human feelings.”

Walker said a second tour, A Visit with Father Christmas, will feature a historical Santa Claus, and in each room children can participate in Victorian holiday traditions such as quilling and “marching in.”

Walker said the museum is fortunate that some Wornall family decedents live in the Kansas City area, including one who serves on the museum’s board.

“We have a lot of verbal family history,” she said. “It humanizes it. It puts a face on it.”

Walker said between the youth docent program – which allows children to participate by setting up and conducting tours, helping with programs and learning to clean artifacts – and Wornall relatives relating family stories, the museum can effectively humanize the history.

“We are extremely hands-on,” she said. “I feel like we are cutting edge.”

FAST FACTS

Christmas Candlelight Tours at the John Wornall House Museum, 6115 Wornall Road, are from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5. Tours leave every 15 minutes. Cost is $6 for adults, $3 for children, and free for children under 5.

The museum’s A Visit with Father Christmas event is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dec. 12. Cost is $7 per child; adults are free. For more information, visit www.wornallhouse.org or call 444-1858.

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