The ghosts of Christmas past are coming to haunt Living History Farms this year, and everyone is invited to visit them. Living History Farms in Des Moines is having an expanded Victorian Christmas Celebration Dec. 2, 3, 9 and 10 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Living History Farms is giving a guided tour of an 1875 Victorian mansion to watch the Martin Flynn family set up for Christmas. Also included will be several hands-on activities for all ages, said Steve Davis, publicity director of Living History Farms.

Some activities to be included are dipping pine cones at the schoolhouse and recreating Christmas cards of the time in a print shop for personal use. Another interesting craft will be branding a Christmas tree shape into a block of wood.

Davis said this year will be different from years past because there will be more of a historical angle. Davis also said that the celebration would be in “first person interpretation”: rather than just speaking about the activities of the time, they will be “acting the roles.”

The tour of the Victorian mansion will include guided tours from room to room with a different Christmas scene happening in each. Some Christmas scenes will include Mrs. Flynn decorating the tree, maids wrapping the presents, maids setting the table and Mr. Flynn reading Christmas stories to the children.

One of the points of the celebration is to show how different things are today compared to 1875. There was not nearly as much gift-giving and far fewer decorations, Davis said. He also said that response to the press releases has been excellent, but that “in the past a really good turnout is due to the weather.”

In preparation for weather conditions, the open hours of the exhibit would be changed so that the experience would be warmer and sunnier. Thanks to wood-burning stoves, “each of the sites will be toasty warm,” Davis said.

The General Store and Gallery Gift shop will offer seasonal gifts for sale. There will be food and beverages available, and the cost for admission is $3.50 for adults. Living History Farms members enter free of charge.