Wearing their Christmas best

Adamson House, Malibu

The landmark house’s special holiday night tours (see above) will start at 7, 7:30 and 8 p.m. Dec. 10, 11, 17 and 18. These tours cost $15 and include refreshment and a small souvenir. Reservations and prepayment are required. The regular Adamson House tours are offered 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, last tour at 2 p.m. These tickets are $2 to $5, cash only; children 5 and younger are free, and no reservations are needed. (310) 456-8432, https://www.adamsonhouse.org

Christmas in Altadena

One garden and four homes representing different period architectural styles will be decorated for the holidays and open for touring as part of St. Mark’s School’s Christmas in Altadena celebration Saturday. “All were homes or estates in ruins at one point, and all have been restored to period,” said Dhari Thein, one of the organizers. Another draw: All have been decorated for evening viewing, with lights and luminarias to brighten the spirits. Homes will be open from 3 to 8 p.m. Tickets: $30. (626) 791-5610, https://www.christmasinaltadena.com

Heritage House, Fullerton

The 1894 home of early Fullerton doctor George Crook Clark will be the starting point for the annual Victorian Candlelight Christmas this weekend organized by the Fullerton Arboretum. The cottage has been decorated in period décor that includes some of Clark’s original furnishings. Groups then walk to another building for entertainment by dozens of costumed characters. Tours depart every 30 minutes from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $15, and reservations are required. (657) 278-4010, https://www.fullertonarboretum.org

Castle Green, Pasadena

The 1898 landmark blending Moroccan and Victorian architecture will open its gates Sunday for annual holiday tours. Visitors can walk through the original public rooms as well as more than 20 apartments staged for the season. From there, you can walk to Old Town for shopping. 1 to 5 p.m. Admission: $20; children younger than 12 are free. (626) 385-7774; https://www.castlegreen.com

Historic West Adams

The West Adams Heritage Assn.’s annual Holiday Historic Homes Tour this weekend will highlight seven 100-year-old homes in the Harvard Heights neighborhood. A docent-led progressive dinner is scheduled for Saturday; it’s $70, by reservation only, and it departs at 3 p.m. The self-guided walking tour is Sunday; it requires check-in between noon and 2 p.m., and the cost is $30. (323) 732-4223, https://www.westadamsheritage.org

Rancho Los Cerritos, Long Beach

Mexican traditions meet American customs at this Long Beach landmark, a 166-year-old adobe that is re-creating the holiday spirit of 1850s California. Christmas Candlelight Tours include costumed docents, refreshments and live music. Tours start between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. and last about an hour. $10. Reservations are required; as of the Home section’s deadline, space was filling fast and many early tours had already sold out. (562) 570-1755, https://www.rancholoscerritos.org

Queen Anne in Arcadia

In the mood for a little “Victorian frivolity”? Perhaps more important, what does Victorian frivolity actually look like? The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden attempts to answer that question with an old-fashioned Christmas open house in its Queen Anne Cottage. The festivities run 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Arcadia park, where admission is $3 to $8. (626) 821-3222, https://www.arboretum.org