PEACH WEEKENDER

Sleigh bells ring, Toledo — Are you listening?

The climbing Santa has been added to the Toy Shop exhibit at the Children's Wonderland at the Lucas County Rec Center in Maumee, OH.

The Blade/Lori King
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Children ride the train through a Christmas display during the annual Children's Wonderland at Tam-o-Shanter.

Full immersion into the holiday spirit and all things Christmas is on the calendar this weekend as a number of venerable northwest Ohio institutions rev up for the season.

The 50th anniversary of Children’s Wonderland, the granddaddy of Toledo-area holiday traditions, kicks off at Tam-O-Shanter in Sylvania Township. 

The exhibit that remains an enduring childhood memory for many area residents has been given a serious revamping and modernizing facelift thanks to a volunteer effort.

Their work represents a bit of an odyssey for the exhibit, which for years was associated with the Lucas County Recreation Center. After it fell into disrepair and the county could no longer afford to keep it up, the Sylvania Area Joint Recreation District acquired the various pieces and renovated them.

More than 30 displays will be featured starting Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Dec. 28. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 24 and closed on Christmas day. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children, and $2 for seniors. Information: 419-885-1167, extension 3.

Tours continue at the historic Wolcott House in Maumee, running this weekend through Dec. 29. All of the rooms in the historic 1035 River Rd. home have been decorated and the featured exhibit is a take-off on Twas The Night Before Christmas. Also on display are gowns from the 19th century and a selection of Thomas Nast prints.

Tours are Tuesdays through Sundays at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. and admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, and $1.50 for students. Information: 419-893-9602 or wolcotthouse.org.

Holidays in the Manor House features 28 areas of the spacious mansion at Wildwood Preserve Metropark, all of which have been decorated elaborately. The event hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Manor House is at 5100 W. Central Ave. Information: 419-407-9700 or www.metroparkstoledo.com.

Sauder Village returns Christmas to the turn of the 20th century with its candle-lit tours this weekend. A costumed guide will take visitors to meet historical characters in various buildings at the Archbold site.

The climbing Santa has been added to the Toy Shop exhibit at the Children's Wonderland at the Lucas County Rec Center in Maumee, OH.

Visitors can go to the church to sing hymns and receive a gift that is appropriate to the late 1800s. Pre-registration and pre-payment is required for the event that is Friday and Saturday from 4 to 8:30 p.m.

Admission is $12 for adults and $7 for children. Tours last roughly 90 minutes and will be repeated every half hour. Sauder Village is at 22611 state Rt. 2, Archbold.

The 13th Annual Vistula Victorian Christmas Tea and Open House will be Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the Matthew Brown House, 1107 N. Superior St.

Tea and food treats will be served on fine china and linens in the home, which was built in 1865 and has 13 rooms decorated for the holidays.

Hours are 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. Saturday, and 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. Sunday. 

Tickets are $30 and reservations are required by calling 419-389-3452.