America: Made in Virginia
The Executive Mansion celebrates the 2025 holiday season in keeping with the theme of our upcoming semi quincentennial, America; Made in Virginia. Decorations throughout the house reflect warm colonial tones of red, gold and blue woven through with greens and florals native to the Commonwealth, much of it gathered from our own Capitol Square. Featuring Christmas trees with over 20,000 lights and highlighted with treasured ornaments from past years, the Executive Mansion will welcome thousands of visitors during the holiday season.
Holiday Events and Tours
Plan your visit to the Executive Mansion this holiday season to take in “A Heavenly Holiday.” Tours will be offered on the following days from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with live music featured on the starred days (*).
Monday, December 4, 2025 | Tuesday, December 9, 2025* | Thursday, December 11, 2025 | Tuesday, December 16, 2025* | Friday, December 19, 2025
Please note: the Executive Mansion will be closed for tours from Friday, December 20th to Friday, January 3rd.
“Winter’s Glow” by Bradley Stevens
“Winter’s Glow” by Bradley Stevens—an oil on linen measuring 24" x 30" and depicting a tranquil sunrise over a pond in Great Falls, Virginia—is our featured artwork for the winter holidays. Originally from Virginia, Stevens currently resides in Gainesville, Florida. Stevens, who painted the official portrait of Governor Mark Warner and the portrait of Chef Patrick O’Connell of The Inn at Little Washington, has built a distinguished 35-year career as one of America’s leading realist painters. Working in the tradition of contemporary realism, he blends classical training with a modern sensibility, excelling across portraiture, landscapes, and figurative cityscapes. His accomplishments include a 2002 commission from the Smithsonian Institution to reproduce Gilbert Stuart’s famed Lansdowne portrait of George Washington; a work now displayed at Mount Vernon.
Outreach Tree
This holiday season, Governor Youngkin and the First Lady have chosen to honor those doing important work throughout the Commonwealth through a decorated Christmas tree in the Dining Room.
Tuckahoe YMCA
The YMCA of Greater Richmond’s mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. Guided by this mission, we work every day to strengthen our communities through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.
Across the region, the Y provides opportunities for all people—regardless of background or income—to learn, grow, and thrive. From afterschool and enrichment programs to wellness initiatives and community outreach, we are committed to creating a stronger, more connected community for every neighbor.
These beautiful ornaments were created by afterschool students at the Tuckahoe Family YMCA—a small but meaningful reflection of the creativity, joy, and community spirit the Y nurtures.
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St. John’s Church – A Confectionary Holiday Creation
(A sugar cookie house)
St. John's is the oldest church in the city of Richmond. It was built in 1741, and the Church Hill district was named for it. St. John's Church holds an especially meaningful place in Virginia and US history as it was the site of two important conventions in the period leading to the American Revolutionary War, and is most famous as the location where American Founding Father Patrick Henry gave his memorable speech at the Second Virginia Convention, closing with the demand, "Give me liberty or give me death!"
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Virginia's Home for the Holidays
Then & Now
It’s the most wonderful time of year at the Executive Mansion, and it has been for over two centuries! In 1849, Virginia became the fifth state to recognize Christmas as a legal holiday, beginning the tradition of decking the interior halls and exterior walls of Virginia’s home. Click through the galleries below to see how the Mansion’s holiday scene has changed over the years.
