COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster and First Lady Peggy McMaster invite South Carolinians and their families to join them for a Christmas Open House on Monday, December 5, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Governor's Mansion. Santa Claus will be present to greet guests, harpist Nina Brooks will provide entertainment, and light refreshments will be served. The event is free of charge, open to the public, and no reservations are required. 

The Columbia Garden Club, which has decorated the Governor's Mansion for Christmas every year since 1981, began decorating this week when the Governor's Mansion received Christmas trees from Penland's Christmas Tree Farm in York, S.C., and poinsettias from the Lexington Technology Center's chapter of Future Farmers of America  — all of which will be on display during the open house.

A gingerbread house prepared by Governor's Mansion Executive Chef Pete Bowes and his team will be on display. 

The wreaths and bows within the Mansion Complex are made and hung by the Horticulture Division of the South Carolina Department of Corrections. 

Regular docent-guided Christmas tours will run Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings on December 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, and 15, at 10:00, 10:30, and 11:00 AM. The tours are free of charge but are by reservation only. Anyone interested in scheduling a tour should call 803-737-1710 or book online at scgovernorsmansion.org