Peonies at Hildene: The Lincoln Family Home

Warning: there are lots of photos in this post! Last weekend, we visited Manchester, Vermont. Not only was the entire weekend beyond beautiful, but the peonies were also in full bloom – dinner plate peonies nonetheless, as we heard someone refer to them. I couldn’t stop snapping photos, and I couldn’t choose just a few for this post either! Now that the summer is here, I’ve made it a goal of mine to do as many weekend getaways as my schedule will allow throughout the season. Every time I think about planning a trip, I look at destinations that usually aren’t local, but I shouldn’t be overlooking all of the amazing places we have within just a few hours’ drive right here in New England.

Peony season in Vermont – oh my goodness! I had heard good things, but boy was it beyond beautiful. I knew I had come to the right place when there were fresh peony bouquets all around our hotel, which was brand new, and completely amazing (more on that later…)!

Hildene, the home of Robert Todd Lincoln (Abraham Lincoln’s only son to survive into adulthood), had been on my list of places to visit for quite some time. One of the most interesting things about the estate is the tiny plot of land that represents the square footage of the log cabin in which Abraham Lincoln was born. That, in stark contrast to the beautiful mansion on these sprawling grounds that his son developed, is quite mind boggling and a true testament to an American dream come true in just one generation.

When you first pull in the mile long driveway, you start to get a feel for just how expansive the grounds are. There is even a visitor center where two videos explaining the history of the estate play on a loop. These are definitely a must-watch because they provide a lot of context for when you actually enter the house. Now the house…this may sound silly, but I could actually live there. It is furnished just the way the Lincolns would have had it, not only was it so my style – light and bright, but it also had a nice modern vibe. The marble that Vermont is so known for furnished the bathroom counters – I think these 1800s bathrooms were much nice than some of my tiny Boston apartment bathrooms!

Can you believe how idyllic these rolling green hills are?! It seems like something from a postcard! There was quite a bit of prep going on for a wedding later in the evening of the day we visited, and we had to really promise ourselves we wouldn’t crash it later. It certainly looked like a picturesque event.

If you do decide to visit Manchester, VT (and I’ll be talking about some of the best places to stay and eat soon), make sure to spend at least a few hours at Hildene. Here are some tips to get the most of the day:

Read up beforehand! Take a look at this article to get a gist of who Robert Todd Lincoln was. As a clue, it seems like he had a very different life from his father!

Bring your camera: photos are allowed indoors and outdoors, and you won’t want to miss a moment!

Visitor center: Be sure to watch the two videos offered. These play on a loop in the entry area and provide a lot of context to the whole estate.

Main House: The staff will play the organ for you before you wander around for a self-guided tour. There are so many interesting things to see and to read about inside. Make sure you get a good look out the second floor window of the formal garden – that is the best view, and where the photo directly above was take.

Formal Garden: Just outside the main house, there are beautifully manicured grounds and flowers. I would have loved to sit out on the back porch and enjoy a good book. There are also plenty of shady trees that would provide the perfect refuge for a picnic.

Kitchen and Cutting Gardens: Here’s where to find plenty more of those dinner plate peonies.

1903 Pullman Car Exhibit: This is one of the coolest parts of the entire estate. You can actually board the luxurious train that was build to transport the upper class all over the country.

Goat Farm: Last weekend, the baby goats (called kids) were just three weeks old! They were too cute and it was adorable to watch them with their moms. We also learned how the farm produces goat cheese right there on site and how it is done in a sustainable fashion. As another plus, this is one of the cleanest farms I have ever seen – quite impressive!

You can be sure that I will be visiting Hildene once again sometime in the future!

Have you ever visited Hildene? What are some of your favorite road trip destinations? Let me know in the comments below!
xo -L