AUBURN - A perfect antidote to the bone-chilling dampness outside, the warm, festive atmosphere in the William H. Seward House drew more than a hundred visitors on the day after Thanksgiving by early afternoon, curator Peter Wisbey said. And they continued to come.

“It was like a madhouse in here,” Joyce Cavanaugh, director of volunteers, said, as she and her helpers, Patti Lewis and Paul McDonald continued to decorate the tree and mantels, while docent Mary Ann Haberlau operated the reception desk.

“It was crazy around here,” Wisbey confirmed. He said that the museum had passed its record high attendance in mid-October of between 12,009 and 12,013, and he expects the year's total to be about 15,000.

“This is the best attendance year ever,” he said. Two big programs left for the year are the Women's Tour Dec. 5 and the open house Dec. 13. A record 780 visitors came in December 2005, he said, while last December there were 550.

Making Victorian ornaments, Friday's special event, attracted a number of adults and children to the library, where long tables were set up for the project.

Jennifer Haines, curator of education and outreach, described the choices to the participants.

Paper ornaments in the shapes of trees and doves were cut out, then punctured with pushpins to create patterns of holes for light to shine through once hung on Christmas trees.

Cardboard bells and stars decorated with sesame, pumpkin, apple, watermelon and poppy seeds were also popular crafts.

Lauren DeBois, 8, a student at Herman Avenue Elementary School, came with her godmother, Laurie Stratton, of Auburn. Lauren made a bell with watermelon, apple and pumpkin seeds. She also made a pierced Christmas tree to give to her grandmother.

Madison Rice, 7, a student at Waterman Elementary School in Skaneateles, was with her grandmother, Shari Ross, of Auburn.

Laura and Kathryn Woodruff, ages 3 and 6 respectively, came from Fairport, accompanied by their grandfather, Larry Newman, of Ithaca. They were all visiting Newman's brother in Auburn.

Laura created a star with many seeds, a cone and a pierced Christmas tree. Kathryn was very prolific, producing a cone, Christmas tree, dove and bell. A cone, made from a doily, was her favorite.

Maureen Regis, of Beaver Falls, Pa., visiting her grandmother Carol Kennedy, of Auburn, finished her cones, decorated with cats with funny hats and angels.

Cones were popular in Victorian times. Cut from paper doilies or elegant wrapping paper, they were decorated with vintage-looking images, such as angels and Santa Claus, and attached to a ribbon to hang, filled with candy, on the tree, Haines said.

Children could take their ornaments home or donate some for the Seward House Christmas tree.

Cavanaugh said decor during Victorian times had a nature theme with pine cone and berry garlands adorning mantles in the house. Now that it's against the fire code for the museum to have a real tree, Seward House's imitation tree has real candles attached that will never be lighted, although that was the custom in Seward's day.

Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net

Holiday events

What: Women's Tour of Seward House

When: 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5

Where: Seward House, 33 South St., Auburn

What: Open house

When: 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13

Where: Seward House, 33 South St., Auburn

For details: Call 252-1283