Candlelight Tour FAQ (frequently asked questions)

How long does the tour take? We suggest allowing at least 3+ hours for the tour. Time to complete the tour can vary greatly from year to year and depends on the distance between houses, number of tour properties, tour home layouts, time of day, weather, and your walking speed. Many tour goers report starting “in the middle” of the tour houses or the furthest from The Tucker House helps avoid long lines early in the day at the properties closest to check-in.

Are tickets refundable? No. This is a fund raising event for the nonprofit SPHO. All ticket sales are final. Unused tickets may be considered a donation.

How do I know which homes are on tour? Tour homes are not announced in advance. After purchasing a ticket voucher online, you will check in on your event date and receive an entry ticket brochure with a list of the homes, brief description, a photo of each home, and a map of the neighborhood marking their locations.

How much are tickets? Please see the tour page using the button on this page for current prices.

Do you have group discounts? Yes! We offer groups of 10 or more a small discount. Please see tour web page.

Are ticket vouchers just valid for one day only? Yes. You must select Saturday or Sunday to attend at the time of purchase. Vouchers and entry to tour properties is only permitted for the day you purchased for. Re-entry into the tour properties is not permitted.

How many people go on tour? Ticket sales are limited to try to keep wait times at tour properties to a minimum. The number of tickets sold has not increased over the past 10 years. Total capacity for the entire weekend is limited to just under 4000.

How many properties are on tour? Each year differs slightly. Our goal is to offer a lineup of at least 10 properties. Some years may have one or two more. Occasionally emergencies arise and we lose a participating property as these are private property.

Can you resend my ticket vouchers? Please use the resend button on this page to have Ticketspice resend your ticket vouchers.

Where do I check in? The Tucker House, 418 N. Person Street, Raleigh. (owned and managed by The City of Raleigh)

Does every person in my group need to check in? No. One person may redeem all vouchers for your group and distribute your entry tickets to your group. Each person in a group requires an entry ticket.

What order should I see the properties in? Any you like. See note above in the “How long” for tips.

Are we led from house to house? No. Tourgoers traverse on your own through the neighborhood. Your ticket will have a map of the neighborhood and some directional signs will be placed in the neighborhood for tour weekend.

Do we just walk through people’s houses? No. You will be greeted at each property by our porch hosts who will check off your ticket and tell you a bit about the property. Once inside there will be docents scattered about providing direction through the property and to tell you a bit about the rooms and answer questions you may have.

Will I meet the owners? Maybe. Often property owners act as docents in their homes and sometimes they go on the tour themselves. Also, not all homes on tour are owner-occupied. We often have tenants that open their homes for the tour.

Is this just a way to sell houses? No. This is a fund raising event for the nonprofit organization the Society for the Preservation of Historic Oakwood. The tour committee actively avoids having homes for sale to limit the commercialization of the tour.

Can my group all enter at the same time? Depending on the size of the property, attendees will enter the homes in small groups, typically 8-12 people at a time. Large groups will be broken up so you can see the rooms more easily and to manage traffic flow.

Are restrooms available? Portable toilets and luxury restroom trailer(s) will be located at The Tucker House and a portable toilet will be located on the tour “route,” typically next to Side Street Restaurant. Use of tour property restrooms is not permitted.

What if the weather is bad? Please dress accordingly. The tour is held “rain or shine” and even in the snow!

Is there a rain date? Sorry, no. There is no possible way of rescheduling the tour’s 10+ homes or 500+ volunteers for another date. The tour is held “rain or shine” and even in the snow!

Do children need a ticket? Children UNDER 6 years of age are admitted without a ticket when accompanied by a paying adult (maximum two children per adult). You are reminded that strollers are NOT permitted in the tour properties and we ask that children be strictly supervised inside the tour properties. Children 6 years of age and older require a ticket.

Where do I park? Parking is available at the State Government parking lots #14 and #35 bounded by Blount, Polk, and North Streets. Overflow parking may also be available in the North Carolina Medical Society parking lot located behind Side Street Restaurant on Bloodworth Street. Tour parking is also available along most streets of Historic Oakwood; however, please be aware on-street parking is limited and occupied by Oakwood residents, as most homes do not have off-street parking. Driving from property to property is not recommended.

Accessibility & Comfort

In an effort to make the tour an enjoyable experience for all, we want to remind you that many of these historic properties have very limited access for disabled persons. For your comfort and the protection of the homes, we suggest you refrain from wearing shoes with hard soles. High heel shoes, strollers, umbrellas, photography, and smoking are not permitted inside properties.

HOW TO CHECK IN

You will need to check in with your TicketSpice voucher(s) with QR code (square bar code) at The Tucker House, 418 North Person Street, to begin the tour. EACH ticket/person will have their own unique QR code. You can bring your voucher(s) in one of four ways:

• APPLE WALLET - Add your tickets to Apple Wallet by clicking the "add to Apple Wallet" button for each ticket. Your QR code(s) will be available for scanning at the venue in Apple Wallet. You must be on a compatible iOS device.

• PRINT your TicketSpice vouchers and bring them with you.

• VIA TEXT - Have your ticket QR code(s) sent to your mobile phone via text message for scanning using the "text me all tickets" link from your order confirmation page.

• EMAIL - TicketSpice will send you an email confirmation for viewing your PDF vouchers online for printing or saving.

When you check in, you will receive a printed Tour Ticket which includes a map of the neighborhood and the location of each property on tour. You may check in any time after 12:30 PM, however, TOUR HOMES OPEN AT 1:00 PM.