Heritage Holidays & Heritage Holiday Evenings: Enchanted Toy Land
This holiday season, the Bembridge House welcomed the community for Heritage Holidays and Heritage Holiday Evenings, transforming the historic home into an Enchanted Toy land filled with imagination, warmth, and neighborhood collaboration. Designed to be fun, festive, and low cost, these seasonal tours invited visitors of all ages to experience the house as a place of wonder and shared celebration.
A defining feature of Heritage Holidays is the way each room is decorated by a different community group or neighborhood association, creating a house that reflects the creativity and spirit of Long Beach itself. This year, some of the festive displays were provided by the Bluff Heights Historic District, Craftsman Village and the Alamitos Beach Neighborhood Association, each bringing their own interpretation of the Enchanted Toyland theme while honoring the character of the historic home.
One of the most talked-about rooms was Dorothy’s bedroom, decorated by the Long Beach Junior Roller Derby. Their playful contribution featured gingerbread roller skates, delighting guests and adding a whimsical blend of holiday charm, youthfulness, and Long Beach roller culture that fit perfectly within the enchanted theme.
Heritage Holidays (Daytime Tours) welcomed families, neighbors, and first-time visitors to explore the house at an easy, unhurried pace. The Enchanted Toy land decorations encouraged guests to linger in each room, discovering imaginative details and enjoying the house as a welcoming community space rather than a traditional museum setting.
As evening fell, the experience shifted into a cozier and more intimate celebration with Heritage Holiday Evenings. These tours were led by the ever-charming house elf, Peppermint the Elf, who greeted guests with cookies and hot cocoa and guided them through softly lit rooms filled with holiday magic. Peppermint’s playful storytelling added an extra layer of enchantment, making the evenings feel especially memorable and immersive. We even had a visit from Sant and Mrs Claus.
Together, Heritage Holidays and Heritage Holiday Evenings brought Enchanted Toy Land to life while reinforcing the Bembridge House’s role as a gathering place rooted in community. By keeping the tours affordable, joyful, and collaborative, the program once again demonstrated that preservation is strongest when history is shared — through creativity, connection, and a little seasonal magic.
