Join us for the 68th
Annual Holiday Greens Show:
Deck the Halls with Music
Thursday, December 5th - Sunday, December 8th
12 NOON - 5 PM, Daily
Adults | $20.00
Children (16&Under) | Free
The 68th Annual Holiday Greens Show is Decking the Halls with Music!
Join us as 13 rooms of the Historic Hart-Cluett House are transformed by the Van Rensselaer Garden Club into a rare holiday display inspired by seasonal music using only fresh seasonal greens, flowers, & more.
Check out the other events happening alongside the Greens Show by using the drop menu below.
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Enjoy free admission* to the Greens Show on Community Night, Thursday, December 5th from 5-8 PM. A fun event for the whole family, Community Night will include children’s holiday books being read aloud under the tree, a scavenger hunt to entertain all ages, and Santa Claus himself!
*No advanced registration or ticket purchase required for admission on Community Night.
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For one night only, view the Hart-Cluett House and decorations of the
68th Annual Holiday Greens Show through the allure of Candlelight!
Join the Hart Cluett Museum on Friday evening for a candlelit guided tour of the Hart-Cluett House and enjoy a special performance by the Musicians of Ma'alwyck as part of this year's Annual Holiday Greens Show, Deck the Halls with Music!Guided tours will leave promptly at 5:30pm and 7:30pm with a special 3-piece ensemble performing at 6:30pm. Light refreshments and special musical performance are included with each ticket purchase for either tour time.
Tour A | 5:30 PM Guided Candlelight Tour followed by 6:30 PM Special Musical Performance
Tour B | 6:30 PM Special Musical Performance followed by 7:30 PM Guided Candlelight Tour
Limited slots available, purchase your tickets today by clicking here!
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Join us for a an evening with HBO's Gilded Age, Kelley Curran, as she discusses her role as Turner, filming in Troy, and more! Led by Hart Cluett Museum Executive Director, and City and County Historian, Kathy Sheehan, you don't want to miss this.
General Admission - $30
Admission Plus Reception - $60 - Stick around after the event to talk with Kelley and enjoy light refreshments
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For 42 years, the Troy Victorian Stroll has been a community holiday tradition that transforms the streets of historic downtown Troy into a bygone Victorian era, complete with visitors in Victorian dress strolling the City.
Put on by the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Victorian Stroll has brought residents and tourists alike together to enjoy our beautiful City of Troy - its past, present and future. The Stroll’s activities and entertainment are strategically spread throughout the streets, amidst unique shops, storefronts, restaurants, bars and parks. The events’ footprint is South to Congress Street, East to 6th Ave, West to River Street, and North to Hutton Street. There is something of interest for people of all ages at this one-day. Held each year 10 days after Thanksgiving, come shop, dine and Stroll Troy!
The Victorian Stroll runs from 11am-5pm on Sunday, December 8th. Learn more by visiting: victorianstroll.com.
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The Greens Show will also include a full Dickens Village exhibit on display in the Carriage House.
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Support the Greens Show as a volunteer! Volunteer docents cover one of the 13 historic rooms inside of the Hart-Cluett House where they share information about the home’s history and the Greens Show decorations with visitors.
Training sessions for volunteers are offered at the Hart Cluett Museum on Tuesday, December 3rd at 2pm and 7pm. Volunteers are asked to commit to at least one 2 ½ hour shift during the Greens Show, which runs Thursday, December 5th through Sunday December 8th, from 12pm to 8pm daily.
Volunteer docents get free admission to the Greens Show!
Become a volunteer! Email Anna Doren at adoren@hartcluett.org or call 518-272-7232 ×111 by Friday, November 22nd.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11/4/24
Kathryn T. Sheehan, Executive Director
518-272-7232 x114
Hart Cluett Museum
57 Second Street
Troy, NY 12180
Hart Cluett Museum and Van Rensselaer Garden Club
Announce the 68th Annual Holiday Greens Show
TROY, NY – The Hart Cluett Museum (HCM) and the Van Rensselaer Garden Club welcome you to the 68th Annual Holiday Greens Show, December 5 – December 8, 2024, open 12-5pm daily. This year’s theme is "Deck the Halls with Music", with holiday music showcased in each room.
The Annual Holiday Greens Show is a Troy holiday tradition that transforms 13 rooms of the 1827 Federal-Style Hart-Cluett House into a unique showcase. Members of the Van Rensselaer Garden Club incorporate fresh seasonal greens, trees, flowers, and other natural material to create expressive history-inspired displays related to the musical theme.
Back by popular demand, the show will include the Dickins Village exhibit on display in the adjacent Carriage House as well as the Museum Holiday Gift Shop in the Carr Building.
December 5– December 8, 2024 open 12-5pm daily
57 - 59 Second Street, Troy, NY
COST: Adults $20, Children (16 & under) Free
Advance tickets can be purchased at: www.hartcluett.org/2024-greens-show
Highlights of the 2024 Greens Show include:
FREE FAMILY NIGHT on Thursday, December 5th from 5-8 PM.
A fun event for the whole family, Family Night is free admission and includes children’s holiday books being read aloud under the tree, a scavenger hunt to entertain all ages, and Santa himself!
CONCERT & CANDLE LIT TOUR on Friday, December 6th from 5:30 – 8:30 PM.
Enjoy a holiday performance by the Musicians of Ma’alwyck and a guided tour of the Greens Show in the Hart-Cluett House, with light refreshments. COST: $50, advance ticket purchase required.
WREATHS FOR PURCHASE
Fresh wreaths and small holiday arrangements made by the Van Rensselaer Garden Club will be available for purchase.
The Greens Show is one of the signature events of the 42nd Annual Victorian Stroll which will take place on Sunday, December 8th.
Private guided tours of the Greens Show are available. To inquire and schedule, contact Anna at adoren@hartcluett.org or 518-272-7232 x 111.
About the Hart Cluett Museum
Operated by the Rensselaer County Historical Society, HCM is a dynamic not-for-profit educational organization established in 1927 to connect local history and heritage with contemporary life. We enrich the present and advocate for the future by bringing the region's past to life, “recognizing every face and every story.” In pursuit of this mission, we collect, preserve, study, interpret, and make accessible a broad variety of objects and documents. We also conduct educational programs that inspire public enthusiasm for our roots and bolster the entrepreneurial appetites of our community. HCM owns two 19th century townhouse buildings in downtown Troy: National Register listed 1827 Hart-Cluett House and corresponding Carriage House, servicing as a historic house museum, and the adjacent 1838 Carr Building housing a research library, galleries, and meeting spaces.
About the Van Rensselaer Garden Club
The Van Rensselaer Garden Club (VRGC) was formed in 1953 for the purpose of educating members
and the community about all aspects of gardening. It serves the community by planting and maintaining several gardens around Rensselaer County, providing horticulture contributions to local group residences, offering educational scholarships to Rensselaer County residents, and presenting its Holiday Greens Show every year since 1956 in conjunction with the Hart Cluett Museum. VRGC is incorporated as a tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) organization. For further information, email them at VRGC2024@gmail.com or follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
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History of the Van Rensselaer Garden Club
The possibility of forming a garden club in Troy was initially discussed at a gathering of “garden-minded gals" in October 1952. Several of these women continued to meet and were joined by additional women through the spring and summer of 1953. On September 17, 1953 they adopted a constitution and officially became known as the Van Rensselaer Garden Club.
Meeting minutes began in November 18, 1954. It was reported that at this time the club joined the Federated Garden Clubs of New York, and then after research and discussion several years later, a vote was held to become unaffiliated. Archival records show much information and details on joining in 1962/3, but no decisions were seemingly made.
The best known project then, as it is today, is the Greens Show.
Initially it was held in cooperation with the Junior Museum and Birchkill. We have held one every year since 1956 with the exception of year 2000 when our "Holiday in Washington Park" was held at 200 Washington Park. In 2020, due to the Covid pandemic, only the façade at the Hart Cluett Museum was decorated.
Over the years the Van Rensselaer Garden Club has regularly reached out into the Troy community. Past projects included restoration of grounds of the old Marshall Sanitarium, a Litter Bag Campaign, maintaining gardens at the Troy Public Library and RCHS, and support of a 4-H group with Rensselaer County Extension Service.
More recently we have supported Rensselaer County ARC with prep-ping, planting, and cleaning up their gardens and the 112th Street
Memorial Garden. Additionally, flower shows, House and Garden Tours and a summer garden Open House have been held.
In the early years meetings were held in member's homes. Other meeting places have been Tamarac Plaza, Pruyn House, RCCA, Emma Willard School, Troy Masonic Community Center, RPI Neuman Chapel, and then, in 1991, our more permanent home became RCHS.
In 2020, with Covid restrictions in effect, we began meeting at the Shriner's Facility and expanded our outreach through ZOOM.
In 2022, we became incorporated and our new name is the Van Rensselaer Garden Club Inc. We are now a tax-exempt organization as well.
Information for this brief history was collected from the VRGC records stored at HCM.
