Buckhead Christmas Tour gives exclusive peek at posh estates

For just a few short hours Thursday, four of Buckhead's most private estates will be open to the public during the Peachtree Garden Club's Christmas Home Tour. The five-hour event gives not just a look at elaborate Christmas decor, but also a peek at timeless Southern style. Homes include an estate at 2525 Woodward Way originally designed by J. Frank Downing in the early 1930s and recently renovated by architect Yong Pak; a Neel Reid mansion at 2 Vernon Road complete with spacious gardens and secret doors; a European-inspired estate at 526 W. Wesley re-imagined by the owners of Boxwoods Gardens & Gifts; and a Spitzmiller and Norris-renovated cottage at 2316 Dellwood Drive. All proceeds from the tour benefit the Peachtree Garden Club's Community Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization that supports scholarships and historical institutions. The Peachtree Garden Club 2009 Christmas Home Tour runs Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $25 at the door and $20 in advance at area stores including Boxwoods Gardens & Gifts at 100 E. Andrews Dr.; The Mercantile at 1430 Dresden Dr., Ste. 100 in Atlanta and Montage; and 6603 Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth, among others. For more information, visit www.peachtreegardenclub.org, e-mail peachtreegardenclub@gmail.com or call 404-641-2418.