Experience the magic of the holiday season from our
century-old (and older) homes.
Annual Old Southwest Parlor Tour of Historic Homes
Celebrate the magic of the holidays and the historic beauty of our neighborhood at the annual Old Southwest Parlor Tour of Historic Homes. Showcasing the historic Old Southwest neighborhood, this event has been inviting the community into our private parlors since 1979. It’s a unique trip back in time thanks to the hospitality of the home owners who lovingly call these old places “home.”
Advance-sale tickets: Still only $20 online ($25 day-of-event)
IMPORTANT CHANGE since 2025: Guests no longer need to pick up tickets/tour brochures at the entrance to Highland Park.
Brochures will become available electronically prior to the tour, via email. Addresses for the homes on the self-guided tour are listed in the brochure.
Cash ticket purchases on the day of the event, December 5th, may be made at the Alexander-Gish House from 2:00 - 7:00PM (tour ends at 8:30).
Printed copies of the brochure will be available at each home on the tour or at the Alexander-Gish house (641 Walnut Avenue SW, Roanoke, VA 24016).
Easy as eating a Christmas cookie!
Purchase tickets online. You’ll receive an email on the tour day with a link to the digital brochure with location addresses. You may start the tour at any home, beginning at 2:00PM. PLEASE, no early birds!
Parlor Tour is a holiday tradition. And it’s Old Southwest Inc.’s (our volunteer neighborhood alliance) largest annual fundraiser. Funds raised directly support crucial maintenance of the Historic Alexander-Gish House in Highland Park, as well as community events and projects that benefit our neighborhood and the city of Roanoke.
Please join us "Always the First Weekend of December" and enjoy a self-guided tour of an array of historic Old Southwest private homes, festive decorations, refreshments at the Alexander-Gish house, music, and merriment. Reduced-price, advance-sale tickets are offered online. Day-of-event tickets are available at the Alexander-Gish House, 641 Walnut Avenue SW, Roanoke, VA 24016.
Additional donations to the Old Southwest Parlor Tour fundraiser can be made through the Give Butter ticket purchase page at the time of ticket purchase and are deeply appreciated.
SAVE THE DATE: 45th OSW Parlor Tour of Historic Homes Saturday, December 5, 2026
Snowfall in a beautiful historic neighborhood.
Enjoy a glimpse of Historic Old Southwest on Dec 19, 2009, blanketed by the largest snowfall in over a decade (a December record) with music by the Roanoke Valley Children’s Choir (www.childrenschoir.com).
Relive Parlor Tour 2023 in the News
Old Southwest Christmas Parlor Tour Highlights Fine Roanoke Architecture
The RoanokeStar.com, December 20, 2023
MORE DETAILS
Children under the age of 2 do not require tickets.
Children must be closely supervised at all times.
Strollers are not permitted in the homes.
No smoking or vaping on tour property or inside the homes.
Photography only permitted with permission of the property owner.
Please refrain from wearing high-heeled shoes that may damage wood floors.
Public restrooms are available at the Alexander-Gish House and other designated neighborhood locations, but not in private homes.
Parking is available at the Alexander-Gish House or on-street (please do not block driveways).
Old Southwest’s Parlor Tour of Historic Homes was born out of need.
The founding members of what was called “The Old Southwest Neighborhood Alliance” (later incorporated as our Old Southwest, Inc. non-profit) needed a way to raise funds to restore the Alexander-Gish house located in Highland Park. The house had been shuttered by the City of Roanoke and was slated for demolition. Historic-preservation pioneers of the neighborhood came up with the idea of a home tour after the Roanoke Valley Council of Garden clubs featured some homes in the neighborhood.
Parlor Tour remains the biggest annual fundraiser for the OSW neighborhood. Proceeds are used to continue the preservation and maintenance of the Alexander-Gish House; provide funding for neighborhood events and improvement projects; and to support educational initiatives, environmental preservation, and other initiatives and charities important to the neighborhood and the Roanoke valley.
Parlor Tour has become an OSW annual holiday tradition enjoyed by hundreds of visitors, the participants who open their homes, and the many volunteers who make this event possible. We welcome you into our neighborhood and enjoy knowing that you are sure to have a fantastic time!