The ancestral home of Mary and Robert Lincoln, who was the son of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln, 412- acre Hildene is a working farm, museum and gallery nestled between the flanks of New York鈥檚 Taconic and Vermont鈥檚 Green Mountains.听
Visit the sprawling, bucolic estate to stroll the halls of Lincoln鈥檚 Georgian Revival mansion, to explore the estate鈥檚 14 historic outbuildings, and to wander the extensive gardens and walking paths.听
What does Hildene mean?聽
Literally, Hildene is a marriage of two old English words 鈥渉il鈥 meaning hill and 鈥渄ene,鈥 meaning valley with stream. Practically, it鈥檚 a place driven to encourage Abraham Lincoln鈥檚 core values: integrity, perseverance, civic responsibility.听
Hildene does this through active involvement in land conservation, historic preservation, sustainability, and civil civic discourse, and striving to inspire and impact every visitor.
Hildene鈥檚 history
Robert Lincoln built Hildene as a summer home at the turn of the 20th century. Lincoln鈥檚 descendants owned and farmed Hildene until 1975 when the last Lincoln family member passed away and the property was purchased by a non-profit that saved the estate from developers.
Tour Hildene聽
Start your tour in the welcome center followed by a self-guided tour of Robert and Mary Lincoln's home. Keep your ears peeled for melodies from the 1,000-pipe Aeolian organ, then wander through the Formal Garden with its famous peonies, stroll the Cutting and Kitchen Gardens, which burst with brilliant blossoms and fragrant herbs all spring, summer and fall.
Peek into the Pullman car Sunbeam, and wonder at Robert's Observatory. If you鈥檙e still feeling fresh, and like it鈥檚 time to get lost in nature, follow the 12 miles of walking trails, then make a visit to Hildene鈥檚 Farm goat dairy and cheese making facility.听
Hildene鈥檚 exhibits聽
The estate鈥檚 exhibits, which include The American Ideal, Abraham Lincoln and the Second Inaugural and Many Voices and new this year, are also included with the price of admission.
Throughout the year, Hildene offers guided tours of the property and educational opportunities in their gardens and farm facilities on everything from peonies to pond critters. The estate鈥檚 goal is that every guest leaves 鈥渇eeling a profound sense of possibility.鈥
When should I visit Hildene?聽
Hildene is open year-round. In summer, after touring the estate鈥檚 buildings, explore the 12 miles of walking trails. In winter, the Pavilion adjacent to the Welcome Center rents cross-country skis and snowshoes and the natural and ungroomed trails are open for winter adventure.
Things to do around Hildene聽
When you鈥檝e concluded your Hildene tour, stop in Manchester, Vermont, a classic New England town tucked into the mountains and teeming with small shops, a tasty caf茅 and restaurants.听
In Manchester, displays rods, flies and angling-related art. The hosts exhibits, performances and a sculpture garden.听
The active and adventurous can hike Mount Equinox on a trail that starts from town or spend an afternoon at nearby s new lift-serve bike park, or, in winter, carving turns on the resort鈥檚 snowy slopes.听
Grab lunch or dinner at one of Manchester鈥檚 exceptional restaurants like on Depot Street, which has a neighborhood market vibe and cases filled with authentic, made from scratch Italian foods, or (SoHo), a Mediterranean restaurant with sharing and family-style options run by two restaurateurs reloaded from New York City's French-Seafood restaurant .听