If you like to create gingerbread houses, the Augusta Museum of History is looking for you.

The museum is sponsoring its annual Holiday Gingerbread Village competition, which it hopes will spark the magic of the holiday season, said Rebekah Henry, the marketing and membership manager.

"It doesn't matter if they are an amateur or a professional," she said. "The goal of the competition is to allow people to showcase their skills and have fun doing it."

Each gingerbread house must be of a historic building in Richmond, Columbia, Burke, Jenkins, Edgefield, Aiken or McDuffie counties, Ms. Henry said.

"We have lists of historic buildings available, and we will also help people do research to get pictures of the building and to find out more information," she said. "If the building they would like to re-create with the gingerbread house isn't on the list, we can help them do the research to find out if it is historic."

The museum will be accepting entry applications on a first-come, first-served basis through Nov. 5. There are 40 slots available.

A $25 deposit fee is due with the application, but it will be returned upon the delivery of the gingerbread house. The houses are to be delivered between 10 a.m. Nov. 18 and noon Nov. 19.

There is no age requirement for the competition.

The grand prize is $1,000; second place, $750; third place, $500; Most Artistic, $250; and People's Choice, $250.

"Most Artistic and People's Choice are our two new categories," Ms. Henry said. "The Most Artistic Award will go to the gingerbread house that is the most creative, and for the People's Choice Award we are inviting the public to come in, view the houses and pick their favorite."

The gingerbread houses will be on display Nov. 21-30.

Applications may be obtained by calling (706) 722-8454 or by stopping by the museum at 560 Reynolds St.