Hildene

Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home, is the former vacation home of Robert Todd Lincoln and his wife Mary Harlan Lincoln in Manchester Center, Vermont, located at 1005 Hildene Road. Hildene is derived from the old English words for "hill" and "valley with stream." Approximately half of the 412-acre estate is on the valley floor and contains meadows and marshes. In 1907, a formal garden in the shape of a cathedral stained glass window was planted. The window design is outlined by a privet hedge and filled with a variety of annual and perennial flowering plants that provide the rainbow "stained glass." The garden is famous for its herbaceous peony collection, which numbers over 1,000 plants.

Hildene, Abraham Lincoln's son's former summer house, is a lovely Georgian Revival palace surrounded by lush gardens. The home is the property's main attraction, but there's also a sustainable goat dairy farm, a restored Pullman car, and a network of walking trails. Guided tours of the house and grounds are given seasonally, however personnel are always available to answer inquiries even when tours are not taking place. Visitors who wish to learn more about the site can schedule a unique behind-the-scenes tour that includes visits to some of the archive rooms as well as the Exhibit Prep Room.

Address: 1005 Hildene Rd, Manchester, VT 05255, United States
Best time to visit: between September and November
Entrance fee: $20.00 for adults, $5.00 Children
Website: https://hildene.org/