Visiting Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, Manchester, VT, USA

We took a step back in time visiting Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home in Manchester, Vermont. Nestled on 412 acres with views of Mount Equinox and the Green Mountains, Hildene was the Summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln and his wife Mary Harlan Lincoln, however, there is much more to experience than the gorgeous Georgian Revival mansion and its formal gardens. The property is a living history Museum with its working Dene Farm, Apiary, Goat Dairy and Cheesemaking facility, Pullman Railcar, education facilities, Lincoln Hall event space, walking trails, and more. Open year-round, Hildene is perfect for visitors of all ages.

Welcome Center Horse Stall

We visited Hildene on Saturday, August 3, 2024, where history and our exploration began in the Welcome Center & The Museum Store when we picked up our tickets. Located in the former carriage barn, there are interesting reminders of its previous use with its horse stall (now used as an administrative office), the horse saddle racks on the wall, and the water trough below a display shelf. The elevated train track around the barn is a reference to Robert’s position as President of the Pullman Company, and there is a photograph of Mary “Peggy” Beckwith (1898-1975), Robert’s granddaughter (and Abraham Lincoln’s great-granddaughter) in an aviator suit with her airplane and her white silk parachute sits atop a display case.

Maple Trail – Hildene

There is much to experience at Hildene, including its 14 historic buildings, and 12-miles of hiking trails. We loved experiencing the 1-mile Maple Trail where the trail was covered by a canopy of trees with dappled light shining through the leaves onto the trail. Interesting to note is that the trees have blue piping running from tree-to-tree used to capture the maple sap which will be made into syrup when the sap starts running in late February or early March, depending on the weather. The syrup is available for purchase in their shop, along with honey from the property’s Apiary, to bring home a delicious taste of Hildene.

Boardwalk Bench

Another wonderful trail that we experienced was the 600-ft floating wood Boardwalk that meandered over the Battenkill Wetland providing an interesting up-close look at the diversity of plants including Cattails, Water Lilies, and grasses, with gorgeous views of the mountains, and the sound of different bird calls in the distance. Wood benches positioned along the walkway provided the perfect spot to rest and reflect for a moment and take in the incredible beauty.

Peaches The Yorkshire/Duroc Cross Pig

We especially loved visiting the Dene Farm and interacting with the goats, chickens, and Peaches, an adorable female Yorkshire/Duroc cross pig born in the Spring of 2021. Also interesting was visiting the Goat Dairy, and seeing, and petting their Nubian goats and learning about the fascinating cheesemaking process. Goat products including goat milk, cheese, soap, and more, are available for purchase at Hildene.

Fresh Eggs Anyone?

Interesting to note about the barn is that it has 109 solar panels on the roof that provide energy credits that they can use on days with limited sun. They also heat their barn with an efficient gasification wood furnace, which is also used in the main house and Welcome Center.

Nubian Goats

Train enthusiasts as well as children will be enthralled by visiting the 1903 Pullman Car, Sunbeam, which cost $20,000 at the time it was built. Sumptuous appointments include Tiffany-designed stained-glass windows, and a capacity of 18 passengers and 2 porters, this Executive Car had 7 rooms, Observation, 2 staterooms, salon/dining area, public toilet, crew quarters/pantry and galley.

Pullman Car

The Hollow School circa 1832, a one-room schoolhouse, was also fun to visit, with its wooden desks with individual slate chalkboards and a woodstove, and of course (Edward) had to ring the bell. Hildene has Day Camps, and many educational programs throughout the year in their state-of-the-art classrooms, in the Hollow School, and its teaching greenhouse.

Hollow School – Hildene

We saved visiting the mansion and its stunning formal gardens for last to leave a lasting memory of an afternoon well-spent. The name Hildene comes from two old English words, hil, meaning hill, and dene, which means valley with stream. Appropriately named, the 8,000 square foot Georgian Revival mansion, built in 1905 for Robert and Mary as their Summer home, the mansion is positioned at the top of the hill, along with Robert’s Observatory, with spectacular views of Mount Equinox, the Green Mountains, and the valley below. Although built when he was 62 years old, he was able to enjoy his beautiful Manchester home until the time of this death in 1926.

Hildene Parlor

Piano music greeted us as we approached the house, setting the ambience for which to take a self-guided tour. Sumptuously decorated, each room was a delight to the eyes and provided a historic look at the past and into the interesting lives of the Robert Lincoln family.

Hildene Mansion Doll

Interesting to note is that Rpbert and Mary’s daughter, Jessie Harlan Lincoln, designed the formal gardens for her mother in 1908, and feature over 1,000 heirloom peonies. Color, fragrance, and style captivated our eyes as we walked around the immaculate gardens bordered with carefully sculptured boxwood hedges.

Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home

About The Lincoln Family

Although President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) and his wife Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-1882) had four sons, Robert Todd (1843-1926), Edward “Eddie” Baker, (1846-1850), Wiliam “Willie” Wallace (1850-1862), and Thomas “Tad” (1853-1871), only Robert lived to maturity.

Robert Todd Lincoln (1843-1926) and his wife Mary Harlan Lincoln (1846-1937) had three children, Mary “Mamie” Lincoln Isham (1869-1938), Abraham Lincoln II (1873-1890), and Jessie Harlan Lincoln (1875-1948).

Jessie Harlan Lincoln married Warren Wallace Beckwith (1874-1955) in 1897, and they had two children, Mary “Peggy” Lincoln Beckwith (1898-1975) and Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith (1904-1985. When her grandmother died, Peggy Beckwith inherited Hildene and she lived in the house until her death in 1975. As she had never married, and her brother Robert, although married three times, did not have any children, Robert was the last of the Lincoln descendants. In 1978, the non-profit Friends of Hildene purchased the estate and started the lengthy process of lovingly restoring it.

Lincoln Hall

Hildene is always evolving, and their latest addition, Lincoln Hall, is their non-profit’s space for mission-event programming that opened in June 2024. Described by their Board Chair during the ribbon cutting as “Lincoln Hall, where, in the fullness of time, Hildene will also become a renowned center for the study of enduring Lincoln virtues and their application to contemporary issues, conflicts, and civic engagements.” 

Hollow School Classroom

You will want to plan to spend several hours at Hildene to fully experience all that it has to offer. We spent almost three hours there and could easily have spent more time, as there is so much to see and do. There are areas set aside with picnic tables if you would like to bring your own food, and food is also available for purchase in The Museum Store. As an added incentive for visitors who want to spend another day at Hildene, discounted tickets are available for second day visitors (with receipt) for $7. See their website for more information.

Gardens

When we first arrived at Hildene, we thought we were there to see the mansion, we soon learned that there was much more to experience. It was a perfect afternoon of learning about the Lincoln family and discovering a hidden treasure in the Green Mountains.

Battenkill Wetlands

Until next time, keep enjoying and supporting the arts!

Hildene Hours: Open year-round from Thursday through Monday from 10:00 am until 4:30 pm. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Closed Thanksgiving, December 24, 25, 26, and for Easter. Winter visitors may like to hike or use your own Nordic equipment on their trails.

Experience Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home

General Admission: All Guests must check in and pay admission at the Welcome Center year-round. Adults: $23, Youths (6-16 years): $6, Children: 5 years and younger & Members: Free. Second Day Admission (with Receipt): Adults and Youths: $7.

Welcome Center Hildene

Admission Includes: Self-Guided tours of Robert and Mary’s home, gardens, Hildene Farm, Pullman railcar “Sunbeam,” and approximately 12 miles of walking trails. They are a pet-free, idle free, and smoke free campus.

Group Tours: Groups are welcome year-round for groups of 20 or more. Advance reservations are required for groups. Please call +1-800-587-1788 or send an email to tours@hildene.org regarding pricing.

Personal Tours: Can be arranged for the visually impaired by appointment. Please contact them in advance to schedule.

Beauty in the Gardens at Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home

For more information on visiting Hildene, please visit the website: https://hildene.org/

To see their upcoming events, please visit the calendar: https://hildene.org/about/calendar

Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home
1005 Hildene Road
PO Box 377
Manchester, Vermont 05254
United States
Telephone: +1-802-362-1788
Fax: +1-802-362-1564
Email: info@Hildene.org
Website: https://hildene.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hildenethelincolnfamilyhome/

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