Compass Inn Museum by Candlelight: Celebrating Yuletide

Delicate snowflakes fall as a horse-drawn stagecoach with bells comes down the mountain on the Philadelphia to Pittsburgh Turnpike. You step off the stagecoach and pull your wool coat and scarf a little tighter to your body. You’re greeted at the front door of Compass Inn by Mr. Robert Armor, the owner of the inn.

Next, you’re warmed with a mug of piping hot coffee or tea and a serving of chicken and waffles prepared by Mrs. Rachel Armor. You only have about 30 minutes to eat and drink before continuing to your final destination of Pittsburgh for some business meetings. … This is a snapshot of a stagecoach traveler’s journey in the early 19th century in November or December.

Allow yourself to be transported back in time as part of Compass Inn Museum by Candlelight: Celebrating Yuletide on select Saturdays and Sundays after Thanksgiving. Watch the snowflakes softly land on the rooftops while smoke lazily moves up through the brick chimneys of the inn. Let the glow of candlelight and warm, flickering fireplaces transport you back in time to when Robert and Rachel Armor operated the inn. Learn about the grueling lives of the Armors when they owned Compass Inn and how they would have celebrated Christmastime in their time period. 

End your tour of the Inn by gathering around the warmth of the Rumsford fireplace at Compass Inn Museum’s 1862 room as a storyteller recounts “Twas the Night Before Christmas” while slowly savoring a delicious Christmas cookie and sipping a cup of warm mulled cider. Then, smell the coal burning and hear hammers pounding in the blacksmith forge.

Candlelight Tours will be held from 4-8 p.m. on Nov. 25, Dec. 9, 10, and 16.

Admission: Adult – $14, Seniors (62+) – $12, Youth (Ages 6-16) – $10. Free for children under 5 and active military members.Tickets may be purchased on-site, by calling 724-238-4983 to reserve your tickets, or buying tickets in advance through Eventbrite – https://yuletidecandlelighttours.eventbrite.com

If you have questions about the Compass Inn Museum by Candlelight Tours or our other holiday event, Festival of Lights, you can call us at 724-238-6818 or email us at [email protected].