Curated event
Christmas by Candlelight 2026 at Old Sturbridge Village: dates, hours and tickets
Old Sturbridge Village opens its 1830s village for Christmas by Candlelight on Friday to Sunday evenings from November 27 to December 27, 2026, from 2 to 8 p.m. It is Central Massachusetts's signature holiday outing, and the date-specific tickets sell out on December weekends.
- Dates: November 27 – December 27, 2026
- Venue: Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge
- Organised by: Old Sturbridge Village
- Admission: Ticketed
- Checked: September 11, 2026
Pick a date, buy the timed ticket the day it goes on sale, and arrive as the light fades: the village is the point, and the last two hours are the atmospheric ones. Base in Worcester or Sturbridge if you want dinner nearby; a Boston day trip works but the drive back is dark and cold.
Schedule
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Friday, November 27, 2026 | Opening weekend begins, Friday to Sunday evenings 14:00–20:00 |
| Sunday, December 27, 2026 | Final evening 14:00–20:00 |
Dates and hours come from the organisers' announcements and can change. Check them once more before setting out.
Official tickets and registration · Date-specific tickets go on sale in the fall; a Candlelight Club pass covers repeat visits. Closed Friday, December 25.
The event
Old Sturbridge Village is a living-history museum of a New England town in the 1830s. For Christmas by Candlelight the village runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from November 27 to December 27, 2026, from 2 to 8 p.m., with the houses lit, the fires going and seasonal demonstrations in the shops and the meetinghouse. The village is closed on Christmas Day.
Tickets are date-specific and go on sale in the fall through the museum; a Candlelight Club pass is sold for visitors who want more than one evening.
Planning the evening
The village is large and outdoors; the walk between the common, the mill and the farm is longer than it looks and the ground is cold. Arrive by mid-afternoon to see the buildings in daylight and stay for the candlelit hours after dark.
Sturbridge sits at the junction of the Mass Pike and I-84, about an hour from Boston and twenty minutes from Worcester, which makes Worcester the practical base for dinner and a bed nearby.
Good to know
- December Saturday dates sell out first; weekday-adjacent Fridays and Sundays are easier to book.
- Dress for hours outdoors in December; the museum's indoor stops are spread across the site.
- Confirm dates, hours and ticket release on the museum's event page before you plan the drive.
Where to stay for a candlelight evening
Worcester is the base with the most rooms and restaurants within a short drive of Sturbridge. These guides compare the Worcester stay and the wider region.
- A Worcester college-city weekend The Worcester choice of where to stay, with live stays for your dates.
- Discover Central Massachusetts visitor center The regional visitor office for the area around Sturbridge.
Make a day of it
Sources and transparency: Old Sturbridge Village: Christmas by Candlelight 2026 (dates, hours, tickets, address) (checked 2026-09-11) Not a paid listing. Editorial policy Full agenda