Vermont Attractions | Hildene

Vermont Attractions | Hildene

Robert Todd Lincoln built Hildene as a summer home at the turn of the 20th century. He was the only child of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln to survive to maturity. Robert first visited Manchester as a young man in the summers of 1863 and 1864 when he came to the Equinox Hotel with his mother and his brother Tad. He was so taken by the beauty of Vermont that some forty years later he returned to purchase 500 acres of land to build what he would call his ancestral home.

The non-profit Friends of Hildene raised the money to purchase the estate in 1978 and began the long process of restoring the home and gardens. The formal gardens, designed as a birthday gift by Jesse Lincoln for her mother Mary, include many of the original plantings from 1907 and produce thousands of peony blooms each June.

The garden promontory, overlooking the Battenkill Valley, provides spectacular views of the mountains on either side and the Meadowlands 300 feet below. The Cutting and Kitchen Garden behind the Visitor Center was restored in the spring of 2003, and the original potting shed now houses exhibits and provides space for the volunteers who maintain the garden.

Many programs and events take place on the estate each year including children's camps, craft festivals, art shows, community concerts, farm fairs, polo matches, and family days. Hildene Holiday Evenings are the highlight of the winter season when the house is dressed in traditional festive decorations with flowers, greenery and candles throughout. The formal gardens, lawns and house are also available on occasion for private functions.

Hildene's program of exhibits covers a variety of topics including "Vermont and the North Shire in the Civil War: The Common Experience of Uncommon Valor". This exhibit tells the profound story of Manchester's own Equinox Guards, their journey to battle and the resulting impact on their community.

In 2004, Hildene's permanent collection of President Abraham Lincoln artifacts was put on display in a new and insightful interpretation of our 16th president entitled: "The Personal Abraham Lincoln".

Hildene's walking trails with interpretive signs give visitors a chance to see the wooded areas of the property and provide a link to the beginnings of a working farm on the 10-acre meadow. During the winter, trails become pathways for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Twenty-one groomed and marked trails wind through woods and meadows over 14 kilometers.

Exhibits and the main house and gardens are open daily during the summer and fall and Thursday through Monday during the winter season. Larger groups are welcomed by reservation throughout the year.

Aeolian Pipe Organ
The 1,000-pipe organ, installed in the entrance hall at Hildene in 1908 as a gift from Robert Todd Lincoln to his wife, Mary, is believed to be the oldest residential pipe organ with a player attachment still in its original location and still in working order in the United States. There are 242 rolls, most of which are in good condition. It is played each day.

Observatory and Astronomy Club
Astronomy was a lifelong interest of Robert Todd Lincoln and he chose a high point of land northeast of the house to build his observatory. It is our wish that it be used and a group of residents have formed the Hildene Astronomy Club. Click the link and see what they are up to! Visitors to Hildene are welcome to enter the observatory and view the telescope.

Carriage Barn
The Carriage Barn at Hildene was once used to house the Lincoln family's carriages and livestock. It now serves as the Visitor Center and administrative offices, and contains a theater and the Museum Shop. In the winter, the Carriage Barn becomes the Warming Hut where cross- country skiing equipment and snowshoes can be rented.

Franklin Roadster
On display in the garage near the Visitor Center is the 1928 Franklin Roadster which once belonged to Robert Todd Lincoln's daughter, Jessie (Lincoln Beckwith Johnson Randolph). She and her then husband, John Randolph, drove the car over 60,000 miles, traveling from their Virginia plantation to their homes in Washington, D.C. and New York and to Hildene to visit her daughter Peggy.

In 1948, the Franklin was discovered abandoned in a field at the Randolph's plantation. Several owners and many years of restoration later, Jessie's car found its way back to Hildene where our visitors can see it. It is the signature vehicle of the annual Hildene Antique & Classic Car Show and is always the lead car in the very popular car show parade.

Rte. 7A
Manchester VT, 05254
Phone : 802-362-1788
http://www.hildene.org

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