Step inside history at the upcoming Gant House Holiday Open House
ZANESVILLE, OH- The Nelson T. Gant Foundation is opening the doors of the historic Gant House for a holiday open house that highlights both the season and the legacy of Nelson T. Gant. The free event runs from noon to 3 p.m. at 1845 West Main Street in Zanesville.
Visitors can tour rooms of the Gant House that’s decorated for the holidays, while learning about the mission of the nonprofit foundation. Santa will be on site for photos, and families can enjoy complimentary hot chocolate and cookies. Guests may also bring a toy for the foundation’s toy drive, which will be donated to a local church.
“We store a lot of history, not only of Nelson T. Gant, we store a lot of history of African American churches here, African American community, and we have different displays set up throughout the museum talking about what Mr. Gant accomplished in his lifetime, and what he brought about, and it just brings a sense of pride in this county that we have such a thing, cause you’ve got to remember, we’re the only African American museum on Route 40 in the whole nation,” said Nelson T. Gant Foundation President Todd Ware.
The open house is not only a chance to celebrate the season, but also an opportunity to showcase ongoing renovations. This work supports the foundation’s mission to keep Gant’s story alive. Gant, once enslaved, rose to become a community leader whose home now stands as a symbol of resilience and opportunity.
“I just want to make sure that everyone knows with Santa they can bring their own phones and cameras and take photos with Santa for free, I know that would be a nice option for a lot of families right now, we want to make sure it doesn’t cause any pressure on the families when they come out, that people spend some time with Santa, let him know what they want for , and the also get a chance to look around of all the renovations that we’ve done here, we’re excited about that, sharing with everyone the open house, they get a chance to look around and see how we put in new floors and some of the other things we’ve done here that we’re excited about to share with the community,” said Nelson T. Gant Foundation Board Member Adam Caldwell.
’s open house invites families to enjoy the holiday atmosphere while learning about the legacy behind the foundation. To learn more about the Nelson T. Gant Foundation and their mission you can visit their website.
