Maxey House Christmas Tours: a Victorian holiday in Paris
Step into a Texas Christmas from the 1870s. The Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site in Paris dresses its Victorian rooms for the season each December and walks visitors through 19th-century holiday traditions.
Event Details
Dates
Throughout December 2026
Hours
Guided tours during regular site hours, roughly 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Venue
Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site
812 S Church St, Paris, TX
Admission
Admission per site; check the Texas Historical Commission event page
The Maxey House is one of Paris's finest pieces of history. Built in the late 1860s for Sam Bell Maxey, a Confederate general, US senator, and Paris resident, the house is now a Texas State Historic Site run by the Texas Historical Commission. For the holiday season, the period rooms are decorated for a Victorian Christmas, and guided tours connect the decorations to the real traditions of the time: the first Christmas cards, how gifts were wrapped and exchanged, and the December dinners the Maxeys would have served in the house that anchors South Church Street.
Tours throughout December
Christmas tours run throughout the month during the site's regular hours, so there are plenty of ways to fit one in around work, shopping, or a trip to see the downtown lights. Confirm the current hours and admission on the Texas Historical Commission event page before you go, and check the calendar for special dates like the annual birthday celebration, which usually lands mid-December with crafts, sweets, and hot chocolate.
A holiday stop close to home
The Maxey House sits about 20 minutes from 3870 County Road 45080, an easy drive that pairs naturally with the Christmas Tree Lighting, Christmas in Fair Park, and the Parade of Lights that fill the Paris calendar in December. For buyers exploring the area, it is also a reminder of what small-town Texas protects: its stories.
Questions
Exploring Northeast Texas living?
There is more live music, land, and community around Paris than most outsiders expect. If you are exploring homes or acreage here, we would love to give you the real picture.
Contact Shannon Miles Group