NATCHEZ – Visitors to Melrose Saturday night got a glimpse of how Christmas was celebrated at the antebellum house in the 1800s.

By just after 7 p.m., more than 160 people had already signed up to tour Melrose, said Chief Ranger Bill Justice.

Melrose, a part of the Natchez National Historical Park, was part of this year’s Victorian Christmas Tour of Homes along with Rosalie. The Castle Restaurant and Pub at Dunleith was also open for refreshments and entertainment. The tour will be held again Dec. 15.

Following carriage rides to the front of the house, visitors to Melrose found the house transformed with soft light and holiday decorations in every room of the house’s lower level.

&uot;It was just wonderful,&uot; said Celeste Proulx of Bay St. Louis, who first toured Melrose last year with her granddaughter. &uot;It has such ambiance.&uot;

&uot;It was very nice, especially the downstairs,&uot; said Elizabeth Schelgel of Baton Rouge, La. She was touring Natchez’s antebellum houses for the first time with her husband, Robert, and her parents.

Some of the decorations were familiar to visitors, such as the mistletoe that hanged from a light fixture in the front hall. Holly and evergreen branches decorated mantels, tabletops and even portraits.

But the life-size Christmas trees of the present day were noticeably absent. The reason is that most in the 1800s were tabletop trees.

Melrose’s tabletop tree, including some red, white and blue decorations, was placed on a table just inside the house’s drawing room.

Also absent were the gifts that usually surround the base of a modern tree. That is because, in the 19th century, gifts were only given to children and slaves, according to Melrose tour guides.

Decorations were absent from the house’s second story because in the 1800s that level was reserved for family and close friends and was not decorated for the holidays.

But through the open doors leading to the second-floor balcony, visitors could hear another holiday touch – the voice of Stella Council, administrative assistant at the park, singing Christmas carols.

Although Melrose has had Christmas tours since 1992, this is the first year the house has partnered with another antebellum house for joint tours, said Kathleen Jenkins, museum specialist for the National Park Service.

The Dec. 15 tour will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets, including tours of both mansions and a trolley ride stopping at Melrose, Rosalie and Dunleith, are $10 for adults and free for children 17 and under. Advance tickets can be purchased at Melrose or Rosalie.