Chelsea, the 40-room mansion located on the Muttontown Preserve and built by Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Moore, is decorated for the holidays and open for tours, now through Dec. 31. The house is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the last tour is at 4 p.m.

Chelsea was decorated for the holidays as is fitting for the home of the great-great grandson of Clement C. Moore, the author of T'was the Night Before Christmas - Benjamin Moore, the first mayor of Muttontown. There are two exhibits, one on antique toys and the other on Clement C. Moore.

Jose Lopez, Nassau County Commissioner of Parks and Museums, attended the opening gala at Chelsea on Wednesday, Dec. 6. He said Chelsea Mansion has been undergoing a renovation and restoration process and key to the work is having Michael Butkewitz, site manager, living on the estate. "Things happen on a daily basis that need taking care. With Mike living on the property he can really see what is happening. Also it will give us a perspective on what needs to be done on a regular basis. Outside things may look all right but you have to see if anything is happening inside the walls."

Mr. Lopez was talking to Marcus DelGado, who owns an Aldrich & Delano house in Muttontown that he has been restoring. Mr. DelGado said, "They built houses well in those days (speaking of the era of the country houses on the Gold Coast). Still problems creep up but those houses can withstand a lot."

Mr. DelGado asked Mr. Lopez how many houses the county owns. Mr. Lopez said over 50. "Sean Rainey [deputy director, Nassau County Department of Real Estate] is going through every property owned by the county, evaluating and assessing them to see what has to be done."

Mr. Lopez said that the county owns a great deal of property. He said, "Many people are not aware that Eisenhower Park is 63 acres - larger than the acreage of Central Park. That is because of the golf course that takes up so much of the area. We are looking at all the acreage to see how we can use it best. We are preparing a master plan so that we can look for grants."

The party at Chelsea was a great opening to the holiday season. While visiting Chelsea, you can add to your holiday fun by taking advantage of the Nassau County Family Holiday Passport, your ticket to explore Nassau County and spend time in its many museums. The cost of the pass is $25 for a family of five (two adults and three children 17 and under). For information about Chelsea, please call 571-8550.