KITCHENER -- A number of safety measures are in place at Castle Kilbride in order to keep their doors open for those looking for some Christmas charm.

The historic home and museum in Baden, known for its holiday displays and activities, has been fully booked for the past few weeks.

In the past, self-guided tours without schedules were allowed, but now those wishing to attend have to book ahead online for a guided half-hour tour.

“One of the main things we do have blocked off is our main staircase,” said Taylor Hayes, a Castle Kilbride Museum attendant. “Unfortunately, with historical and heritage buildings like this one here, we have to maintain the wood very carefully, and cleaning supplies are just a little bit harder on it, so we take the back staircase, which we can touch, and we clean it in between every single tour.”

Once upstairs, the only spot unavailable to guests is the belvedere due to its tiny space that doesn’t allow for physical distancing.

Hayes says that more local families are ‘stay-caytioning’ this year and are feasting their eyes on the rich history in their own backyard.

“This was a local family [who lived here] who did quite a bit for the Bade community and Wilmot as a whole,” she said. “It’s really exciting to come into the home and see where the three different generations of Livingstons actually resided.”