There’s something about seeing a historic house at night that makes it feel less like a museum and more like someone’s home.
This month, Carrick Hill is giving visitors the chance to experience exactly that, opening its doors after dark for a limited series of guided candlelight tours through the Haywards’ historic estate.
Returning after selling out during South Australia’s History Festival, Carrick Hill by Night begins on Friday, 14 August, inviting guests to wander through rooms lit by flickering candlelight while discovering the stories behind one of Adelaide’s most remarkable homes.
The experience recreates the atmosphere of an evening at Carrick Hill, where Sir Edward and Lady Ursula Hayward once entertained artists, politicians, and distinguished guests surrounded by an internationally significant collection of art.
Carrick Hill is Australia’s most intact 1930s period mansion, and will be open to a limited series of visitors after dark this August to October. Source: Carrick Hill House Museum & Garden.
Built between 1937 and 1939 around historic panelling, staircases, doors and windows salvaged from a Tudor mansion in England, Carrick Hill is home to a collection spanning almost 500 years. Works by William Dobell, Russell Drysdale, Nora Heysen, Jacob Epstein, and Adrian Feint sit alongside the furniture, decorative arts and family treasures collected by the Haywards throughout their lives.
“Carrick Hill was created as a home, and experiencing it at night gives visitors a remarkable sense of that domestic intimacy,” curator Dr Ellen Whitton says.
“By candlelight, you can imagine the Haywards living amongst the art, objects and stories that make this place so extraordinary. Carrick Hill by Night offers a rare chance to step inside that world after dark.”
“The specially trained and certified guides bring an extraordinary depth of knowledge to these tours,” Heather Croall, Director of Carrick Hill, adds.
The evening doesn’t have to end when the tour does. Visitors can book dinner at Rozelle’s Restaurant, which now opens on Friday evenings, making the experience an easy choice for anyone looking for a night out that swaps the usual dinner-and-drinks routine for something a little more memorable.
“We want people to see Carrick Hill not simply as a heritage house, but as somewhere they can come and have a memorable night out,” Croall says.
Carrick Hill by Night runs every second Friday from August to October, with visitor numbers intentionally kept small to preserve the intimate atmosphere. After the previous season sold out, organisers are encouraging people to book early if they want the chance to experience one of Adelaide’s most beautiful homes in a completely different light.
Carrick Hill by Night
When: August 14, and then every second Friday until October
Where: 46 Carrick Hill Dr, Springfield
For tickets and to find out more, click here.
