Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home

Very, very nice. The grounds are meticulously kept and the views from the terrace and garden area are insane. Was at a wedding reception here over the weekend and had an amazing time.
The museum itself is so cool, man. Everything is kept in great shape and the staff are super nice. There’s lots of cool things to see if you look around and take it in. My favorite exhibits were Lincoln’s stove pipe hat and the 1876 Steinway original in the Sitting Room. My wife really liked the original typewriter in one of the rooms on the first floor I forget which room it was.
We didn’t have to pay for admission since we were there for the wedding, but I believe regular admission is somewhere in the $ 20 range. Definitely worth it.

Get there early. Take it in. And enjoy. Lovely gift shop as the first stop. Then head over to the home. Feel proud of the «middle class higher middle class» of the era. Take in the history, and what we have learned. OR not learned. Walk over to the farm. And indulge in how LOVING the staff is, and how LOVED these animals are. Then start crying because its not cheese season… Goats this loved have to yield milk that makes a loved cheese. And as I heard from Hildene to the MA border — their chevre is without comparison… DANG IT! But we say 2 – 8 day born kids, and two on the way while we were there. Bring the right shoes, sunscreen, bug spray and water. And take it all in.

Really nice site. The home is left for the most part as it waswhenfamily were living there. The Pullman car is a unique exhibit of what is was like to travel first class on trains in the early 20^th century. The gardens are very pretty and the view from the back yard are great.

What a cool place to visit! Just outside the main area of Manchester, down a straight dirt driveway lies the visitor’s center. It’s a newer building stocked with items to purchase and where you purchase tickets. The staff was very friendly. They have two videos looping in a small area off to the side. I found the one on the Pullman car really interesting. To see what it looked like before restoration really gives you an idea of how much work went into bringing it back to it’s former glory. More on that later.
It’s a short walk to the house from the visitor’s center. Despite being a self guided tour, there were a number of volunteers in the house and around the house to assist with questions or just offer some facts. We were fortunate the day we attended; they started up the player organ in the house for everyone to listen to. After looking at the house, take a look at the gardens behind, really nice.
We took a quick walk down to the vegetable gardens behind the visitor’s area. The tool shed had a lot of neat old tools and some history about the dairy farm. I didn’t realize they used to provide milk to Wilcox Creamery. Which, IMHO, makes some of the best ice-​cream around.
The last stop on our tour was the Pullman car. This is located a short walk from the visitor’s center. They do have a small tram that will take people to and from the train car and to other areas on the property. The train car was very cool. They had a number of individuals there to answer questions. The restoration job was incredible. The detail work they put into the car is amazing. They certainly don’t make them like they used to.
This is a really great place to visit. There’s plenty to see, it’s well staffed and there’s a lot of history.

What a neat place.
I’ve gotta admit, the pedantic and kinda boring intro video had me a little worried, but luckily I was able to forget about all that once I got to the main family house on top of the hill.
The whole place is the estate of Abraham Lincoln’s son who built it in the early 1900s after making his fortune as a lawyer and the president of the Pullman Train Car Company.
The main house was pretty great, filled with period appropriate decorations and household items, which really made everything come alive. I especially enjoyed reading the titles of all the long-​forgotten novels lining the shelves of Lincoln’s recreated dark-​wood office, trying to figure out how that dang organ in the entrance hallway actually worked, and speculating on the personal life of Lincoln’s grand-​daughter (the final executor of the estate).
We then wandered around the well-​maintained gardens just outside and got some sweet views of the misty mountains surrounding the estate. Afterwards, we picked up some goat cheese made on-​site and walked to the completely restored Pullman luxury car near the entrance.
It was a wonderful object to examine closely with all its lustrous wood appointments and ingenious construction, yet the irony was not lost on either of us that in the end Abraham Lincoln’s son made the fortune that enabled the construction of his estate running one of the most exploitative companies of the Gilded Age. To their credit, the curators have not glossed over this history, with the workers on site and the surrounding displays both highlighting the backstory of racism and repression that enabled the generation of all that sweet, sweet cash.
So anyhoo Hildene was a great way to spend a morning. A little pricey at 18 bucks, but whenever you can combine a little historical learnin’ with some fresh goat cheese, I’m not gonna complain.

This is a nice place to visit. The property is beautiful. Go early and enjoy it without any crowds. Keep in mind bug spray if you are coming in the summer. The mosquitoes are wicked. Interesting history here. You start by watching a video and then can tour the house, a working cheese farm, an old fashioned Pullman Rail car, and the two different gardens.

What struck me when I visited this beautiful, well-​appointed country estate was that it represented unfortunately the last vestiges of the Lincoln legacy. The price of admission is worth the visit. We were there for a brief afternoon when we took in the beautiful grounds (peonies and irises were in full bloom), framed by mountains in the distance. The gardens are very well maintained and the building itself restored to its former glory. We enjoyed reading about the Lincolns, visiting the Pullman car on display and listening to the informative guides. A definite must if you are visiting the area.

A beautiful look into one of Manchester’s historic homes. There is a but if walking involved, so be prepared for that. There is also a restored Pullman car on the property. A nice stop for a sunny or drizzly day in Vermont. During my last visit I was able to see one of Abraham Lincoln’s famous stove pipe hats! Quite a treat!

Attended a private event here in the Fall. INCREDIBLE! A must if your organization can afford it. Drinks in the back yard with a breathtaking view. The chance to mozy around was also wonderful (although I was scared to death carrying my drink around). We had a tour by the author of Lincolns son’s bio who also spoke after dinner.
Worth stopping in if you are just driving by or staying the night.

Great home decorated with period pieces and much history on the infamous fam. They have a fully restored Pullman car to tour as well. Grounds r vast. Ask for aaa discount.

$ 16.
That’s the price of admission to the estate of our nations’ slavery ending president’s brother, Robert Todd Lincoln.
Nestled on 500 acres of Berkshire’s, this mansion and garden estate is phantasmagorical. Lush green lawns, perfectly manicured gardens, spectacular vistas.
A guided tour and a contextual film, trails and a fully restored Pullman car make this a necessary stop while in the area.

i loved touring hildene. it’s a beautiful home with beautiful gardens and so much land to explore. i don’t understand the observatory — the scope is behind bars and the roof is closed.

The house and the landscaping are exquisite! The view from the back of the house is gorgeous. I go every year in August and the gardens are in full bloom. The bookstore/​gift shop is very nicely done and a pleasure to visit. The merchandising is beautiful. Every designers dream. Classic and Well done!

A great view into the history of a president’s progeny. The house has great architecture, and most of the original furniture, including a pipe organ. The Lincoln legacy is well preserved in the somewhat peculiar
stories of his family, their adventures, and their artifacts. A little pricey, but the grounds are great, and it’s Lincoln.

As a native of Illinois, it’s pretty much required to visit the Lincoln sites when you travel. We were at Hildene in June when the peonies were blooming, and the grounds are absolutely beautiful. Well worth the $ to stroll around this historic site. (Much more worth the $ than the skyline drive up Mount Equinox!). Check it out.