CRANBROOK HOUSE HOLIDAY SPLENDOR

We got into the holiday spirit with a visit to the historic Cranbrook House in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan to see it decorated for Christmas. Designed by noted Detroit architect Albert Kahn this English Tudor-style was built in 1908 for the family of a newspaper mogul. It is the oldest surviving manor home in Metro Detroit. The mansion is now a centerpiece of the Cranbrook Educational Community which includes an art museum, science center and college preparatory academies.

Annually in December, the Cranbrook House is opened to the public for one weekend to showcase it decorated for Christmas. Visitors to this ticketed can take self-guided tours of the historic home enjoying its ambience decked out with Christmas trees, garland, and wreaths. Plus there is a chance to get a family photograph with Santa Claus. This year's Holiday Splendor event took place December 6 - 8. Proceeds from tickets to this fundraiser support the preservation of this National Historic Landmark.



Based upon the jolly good time we had at the Cranbrook House Holiday Splendor event, I highly recommend making it part of your holiday festivities next year. Visit housegardens.cranbrook.edu or call 248-645-3149 in November to get specific Holiday Splendor dates and times to mark on your calendar. Especially, if you have young children at home because Cranbrook House provides an exceptional Santa Claus Sighting experience.

Mrs. Claus greets families as they wait to see Santa and get kids to fill out wish lists helping parents get some clues for present ideas and encouraging the children to chat about the gifts they want. If you don't have your holiday shopping all done yet this can be very helpful!

Situated in the picturesque library of the Cranbrook House, not only does this event provide a grand backdrop for photographs with Santa but he also provides a lot of interaction and personal attention to the kids that visit. A very nice opportunity to get a wonderful picture for your family's Christmas card or a memorable photo for a child's scrapbook.

During our visit Santa really chatted us up and expressed a genuine interest in each of the children that visited him. Only one family is brought into the grand room where he is located at a time so it feels like a private moment and there is no sense of rush because of a crowd surrounding you like is often the case during a visit with a Mall Santa. A bunch of digital pictures are taken and mailed to you so there is no pressure to purchase an expensive photo package to capture the occasion. Also they don't mind if you pull out your own camera to take a few shots of your own. With hat in mind, the Santa Sighting tickets during the Holiday Splendor event are a real bargain.

After taking some posed pictures and talking with children about what gifts they would like for Christmas, Santa then has the kids sign a book pledging to stay on the Nice List for another year. I thought that was a nice touch! The only regret I have from the experience is that we didn't bring my son and daughter when they were younger and probably would have been more into the moment. Don't miss out on this experience if you have young children looking forward to meeting Santa at Christmastime!

As we left Santa handed each of us some special glasses to wear. Donning these lenses transforms the lights on Christmas trees and other holiday decorations into shiny gingerbread men. Not only was it fun to explore the Cranbrook House seeing the special effects of these glasses throughout it but they also worked at home on our own Christmas decorations. We enjoyed relaxing in our family room after our Cranbrook House visit, sipping eggnog and enjoying the view of our Christmas tree twinkling with gingerbread men.

After spending some time with Santa Claus, we enjoyed walking around the Cranbrook House taking in the festive atmosphere. Entering this historic home is like stepping into a Charles Dickens novel. The holiday decorations compliment the antiques, artwork and architecture of the Cranbrook House providing a festive vibe to the place. In addition to the library, visitors can also explore a variety of rooms on the first floor of the manor house.

Visitors can wander through a Reception Hall paved in Moravian tiles that was originally used for entertaining guests and imagine being at a holiday gathering when the place was home to a vibrant family. The home office has a stately fireplace and display of artwork picked up by the Booth family during a South American expedition. The Sunset Room was laid out for a tea party. Two of our favorite rooms though were the Dining Room and Oak Room.

The Dining Room was decorated with a Chronicles of Narnia theme. A bust of Aslan guards the room's fireplace. A frosty looking Christmas Tree represents the Witch from the first book in the C.S. Lewis series of novels. Turkish delight was even placed upon the dining room table.

The Oak Room was filled with a ceramic Christmas Village circled by a model train. This isn't any ordinary toy train though. It is a classic Lionel Train from the 1930s covered in 18-karat gold plating. Toy enthusiasts and train hobbyists as well as kids of all ages will be delighted to get a close up look at this amazing locomotive. Beyond seeing Santa, watching this toy train race around the tracks laid out in the Oak Room was a highlight of our self-guided tour of the Cranbrook House.

Marvel in the architectural details of this magnificent estate, enjoy cheerful holiday decorations and have yourself a Merry Christmas by partaking in the Holiday Splendor of the historic Cranbrook House. This holiday fundraiser to help maintain and preserve this splendid place absolutely gets a Geek Daddy nod of approval. To learn more about this places or other events taking place here throughout the year, go to housegardens.cranbrook.edu

MEADOW BROOK HALL HOLIDAY TOUR

I've always wanted to visit historic Meadow Brook Hall so when my daughter's Girl Scout troop was looking for some chaperones to go with them on a trip there this dad blogger raised his hand to volunteer. To be honest I probably was more geeked about this expedition to explore this magnificent estate than the girls were. Built in the roaring '20s of the 20th Century, Meadow Brook Hall exemplifies the lavish lifestyles of the industrial barons of that time. Visiting the place is like walking through a castle! Except instead of being in Europe, it is located in Rochester, Michigan right here in the good ole USA.

Situated on the grounds of Oakland University, it is the former residence of the school's founders Matilda Dodge Wilson and Alfred G. Wilson. The college know maintains this magnificent manor on its campus as a historical site used for educational and entertainment purposes. This 100 room, 88,000 square foot mansion, which is often referred to as an American castle, was inspired by the English country homes of the Tudor and Elizabethan periods. Approaching Meadow Brook Hall has the air of walking into a fairy tale.

As you walk through the house, the craftsmanship of its interior is a marvel to behold. Elaborate details are throughout including intricately carved wood and stone, handmade tile, molded plaster ceilings, ornate crown molding, crystal chandeliers, stained glass windows and gold plated bathroom fixtures. Plus the Girl Scouts picked a perfect time to go as during this time of year the whole place is decked out in festive holiday decorations. If the place didn't look majestic enough during the rest of the year being decorated for Christmas makes Meadow Brook Hall even more fantastic!

The girls really enjoyed seeing how each room's decorations had their own themes and schemes to them. They really liked how each of the children's rooms were decorated. You could tell they were imagining these were there own rooms.

My daughter was especially thrilled by one of the bedrooms that had an eclectic pink flair to it. On the way home she was rather chatty about wanting to redecorate her own bedroom with obvious references to that spot.

There was a lot to see as you look around. When exploring someplace though in addition to checking out your surroundings make sure to always look above you as well. Wow! Meadow Brook Hall is filled with wonderful crown moldings, plaster ceiling designs, and chandeliers.

So what stood out about our tour from a guy's perspective. There are a number of things that I wish were a part of my own home. Here are a few of the favorite things at Meadow Brook Hall:

LIBRARY

As a kid, I dreamed of one day owning a home that had its own library. Stepping into this room full of wood paneling and book shelves, I imagined myself sitting by its fireplace in a comfy chair reading Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. Meadow Brook Hall has an exceptional library!

HOME OFFICE

I spend a lot of time in my own home office, so have to admit taking a liking to this room where Alfred G. Wilson handled his business affairs. It has a scenic view of the meadows to the side of the home through windows behind his desk which provide plenty of natural light and an attached butlers pantry makes for getting an easy snack. A fireplace keeps the room warm in the winter and provides some nice charm. Plus there is a secret passage that leads to a basement … 

GAME ROOM

Wow! I've always wanted a special place to hang out with my buddies to play poker and pool. This is a perfect space for lighting up some cigars and drinking a few beers while hanging out with friends. What a great man cave Alfred G. Wilson had for himself at Meadow Brook Hall!

BALL ROOM

Readers of ageekdaddy.com know I love family movie nights.  Not only did this ball room host dances and private performances by the likes of Frank Sinatra, but it also could be transformed into a movie theater. A film projector was hidden in a wall and a giant movie screen could be pulled down from the ceiling. What an incredible home theater experience!

GIFT SHOP

Meadow Brook Hall has its own branded beers available in the gift shop based upon recipes once brewed on site when the Dodge brothers had a farm there. Pick yourself up a six pack on the way out. I'm never one to turn down tasting a new style of pale ale.

We really had a good time touring Meadow Brook Hall. It was a nice father daughter outing and we both enjoyed seeing the grand old house in all its holiday splendor. If you would like to see the place for yourself during the holiday season there are a number of events going on between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Candlelight Tours, Holiday Walks and Santa Visits provide some merriment during the holidays at Meadow Brook Hall. Head over to meadowbrookhall.org for more details.