Visitors traveled through the decades by candlelight as they toured the Missouri Governor's Mansion and all its holiday glory.
Candlelight tours of the Missouri Governor's Mansion began Friday and finished with final tours taking place Monday.
Lit by stationary candles, visitors were free to roam the first floor of the mansion and take in the festive views. Most took about 10 minutes to absorb it all.
While Friday's kickoff included a ceremony to light the mansion's 30-foot Christmas tree, Friday and Monday tours included visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
It's the mansion's 150th birthday this year, which set the stage for some special decorations and a momentous theme -- the mansion through the years.
Each room on the first floor had a different decorative theme corresponding with various time periods.
Upon entering, visitors might've noticed the Christmas tree decorated with Missouri's state symbols -- such as the Eastern bluebird (state bird) or flowering dogwood (state tree).
As they navigated through hallways and into different rooms, however, visitors were transported to different eras with the help of colored lighting and decor.
One room brings visitors to the 1960s, while another celebrates classic Christmas characters from the 1940s, like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman. The 1940s tree also has a working train running around its base.
Additional trees are adorned in turn-of-the-century decorations, such as oranges, Christmas nuts, dried fruit, cranberries and popcorn.
Some outdoor decorations, like the replicas of Conrath's Bakery and Griffin Bro's Livery Co., also hearken back to the mansion's 150th birthday and an early Jefferson City.
Tricia Workman, a board member for the Friends of the Missouri Governor's Mansion and part of its executive committee, said the 150th anniversary of the mansion has been a significant milestone, so it was fitting to make it a central part of what visitors would see on tours this year.
Mansion and state government staff are primarily responsible for decorating during the holidays, Mansion Director Shari Childs said. This year, they had help from River City Florist and Silver Dollar City.
Mansion staff has received decorating assistance from Branson's Silver Dollar City employees for the past two years, said Kelli Jones, a spokesperson for the governor.
Following a Bicentennial focused on the state's governors, Childs said this year's focus was on the state's first ladies, who often serve as hosts at the mansion.
Near the staircase leading up to the governor's living area, the mansion's live Christmas tree features photos of Missouri's former first ladies in chronological order from top to bottom.
Turnout and feedback were great this year, Childs said, with an estimated 2,000 people touring the mansion Friday night.