Hill-Stead Museum

Visiting Hill‑Stead Museum was a memorable blend of art, history, and nature.  The Colonial Revival mansion itself is stunning and beautifully preserved, giving a real sense of early 20th‑century life.  Inside, the collection of French Impressionist works — including pieces by Monet, Degas, Manet, Cassatt, and Whistler — was unexpectedly impressive for a house museum.  Seeing these artworks displayed as they would have been lived with adds a personal, intimate feel that you don’t get in larger galleries.  The guided tour of the house was informative and helped bring the family and architectural history to life.  The Sunken Garden and surrounding grounds are picturesque, a perfect place for a peaceful walk or picnic.  I enjoyed exploring the trails that wind through fields, woodlands, and past historic stone walls.  The landscape design reflects careful planning by both the original architect and later garden designers.  The staff were friendly and passionate about the museum’s history and collection.  The ability to visit the grounds for free on non‑museum days is a lovely perk.  The museum feels like a hidden gem — not overly crowded and perfectly suited for a relaxed day trip.  I appreciated the balance of art, architecture, and outdoor space.  It’s especially lovely during spring and summer when the gardens are in bloom.  The house’s original furnishings and layout make the history feel alive and authentic.  Visitors who love art, history, or scenic walks will find something to enjoy here.  The Sunken Garden Festival and other seasonal events add an extra dimension to the visit.  The museum’s size makes it easy to explore without feeling rushed.  Parking and directions are straightforward, just off Route 4 in Farmington.  Overall, it’s a peaceful, enriching destination that’s well worth the visit.  I left feeling inspired by both the art and the beauty of the estate. 

The Hill-Stead Museum is a nice small town museum that offers a lot. The museum was the creation of Theodate Pope Riddle, one of America’s first female architects. On top of being a pioneer in the field of architecture, she also survived the sinking of the Lusitania. The house itself is a Colonial Revival style mansion. It has 19 rooms, gardens, and covers 33,000 square feet. What sets this house apart from others, is the great works of art that are displayed. The works of Impressionist artists such Claude Monet, Mary Cassatt, and Edouard Manet can be found inside. A house tour takes about an hour here. Tickets are first come first serve at the museum. There is no photography allowed inside the house. When they are open you can walk the grounds of the museum for free. There are nice nature trails that go around the grounds and you can also see the gardens on the estate. This is a great little museum, however they should have advanced ticketing and allow photography in the house. Still, the tours are very good and this is a unique museum that is worth seeing.

Very rude curator. I would avoid this place. Loved the learning experience . Some of the staff used to cry here over simple purchases not letting customers buy things. Hope programming goes well here. I liked New Britain museum better in contrast.

For such a small museum that not many people talk about, it has a lot to showcase. Monet's, Degats, Hokusai's, and everything original from the sheets to the entire library collection of books, I'm surprised there aren't more people coming to it. It's truly an interesting little place that I would highly recommend checking out. Also, the curators do a fantastic job here. They like to change the houses layout based off of who owned it at the time. Some paintings will be in different locations based off of who was the home owner.

Wow! Well worth the trip. Experiencing this stunning Museum is fascinating & awe inspiring. The gardens are amazing & meticulously maintained. A history is posted as you enter & gives one a look back & a greater appreciation of the time, effort & love that went into creating such a place of beauty. The home is awe inspiring all 33,000 square feet of it! Everything is original & maintained with such care and attention to detail. The art work is world acclaimed & the family fascinating. I'd love to go back again & there were a few in our group that had visited prior. Our guide was knowledgeable, passionate & humorous. I could have stayed all day. I will be reading "Dearest Geniuses" The life of Theodate Riddle, the first woman architect who designed the home for her parents & herself. Fascinating.........

This place is beautiful and very historical and the tour guide was very nice BUT it was more of an artwork tour than one that focuses on the home and owner. And you cannot take photos inside home. I was able to take photos at the Getty Museum which has priceless artwork! There are Monet’s, Degas and many more artist paintings but if I wanted to here about artist I would have gone to art museum. The home has so many antiques and so much history and in my opinion that should be the focus. I became very bored and left early (1 hour tour). The grounds are simply beautiful and they still have 150 of the 300 acres. There is a contemporary art gallery and gift shop. The young lady in gift shop was very polite and friendly. No gifts with museum name that I could see. If you want to see the paintings and here back stories then this is the place to visit. There are tour times so be sure to check on website so that you won’t have to wait.

I first came here in elementary school for a field trip. It was my first exposure to great art and it's in such a beautiful setting. I loved it then and I loved it more upon returning recently. The grounds are picturesque and peaceful. Perfect for a relaxing walk. Entering the house for the tour is a magical experience. You are stepping back in time and the very knowledgeable guides are there to bring it to life for you.

The only thing that might possibly be considered more spectacular than the art in this house museum is its grounds.

Surprisingly great little art museum / historical home. It's on the more expensive end of tours at $18, but the previous owners were big art collectors: so you'll see Monet, Manet, Degas, Chippendale, and more. There's a great art range, and the tour guide was very informative to the Pope family and the daughter Theodate who did a lot of the architectural designing. The house has a lot of great things to look at (between the art and furniture in all the rooms) and at the visitor's center there is a small art exhibit. No photos in the house allowed though. There are trails on the property and a sunken garden. On a nice weather day, it's great for walking around the property. It was crowded when I went on a Saturday, and tours are on the hour, so don't show up at the last minute. Overall, a great site to visit!

Came here for a work catered event so cannot speak to the actual museum. Had no idea that this hidden gem was nearby to where I work. The grounds are beautifully kept and well maintained. Great photo ops for all occasions. Plenty of parking available. The event inside space can easily be opened up to the outside to make the venue space bigger for larger groups. Great event space with plenty of privacy for intimate gatherings and parties.

An awaiting to be put on their mailing list! I wish that they would respond to me in a timely manner.

This museum is an absolute treasure. It's located a few streets away from the chaos that is Farmington headed towards 84, and was originally a working farm. The employees were friendly and clearly cared about the museum, which is a female designed farm-house with original furnishings and works of art. I may never be that close to a real Degas again. The tours of the house are guided, and they have you wait while watching an introduction video with a brief overview of the history. A guide then escorts you to what is the backdoor (because that's were friends and family enter), where you can leave your coat and wait for the actual tour guide. The house is two stories, and small folding chairs are available for you to carry with if you may want to sit while listening to the tour. The house is temperature controlled and very comfortable even on a cold day. The grounds are available to walk on, and dogs are welcome to come and sniff. Clearly dogs are not allowed in the museum, so only bring your canine friend if you're spending the day outside. There are sidewalks by the road and a walking path that starts off the parking lot.

This is the best kept secret in CT! The grounds are amazing, the history and art are priceless. The sunken garden is a beautiful place for a picnic or a family portrait.

Bumped into this private home that became a museum after WW2 and stopped in for a Covid masked socially distanced tour one sunny Saturday. The Pope Riddle family made its fortune in iron after the Civil War and retired to Farmington where their daughter had attended Miss Porter's School. The family had an amazing eye for art, collected the Impressionists (Degas, Monet, Manet), Japanese ukiyo-e and befriended the likes of Henry James and Mary Cassatt. Instantly joined and look forward to checking it out in every season!

I visited this beautiful historic gem with my class a few years ago and was really impressed. Inside the carefully preserved house is a stunning collection of artwork and a staff of knowledgeable docents who lead a great art tour. I particularly loved the Impressionist paintings and was thrilled to see some lovely pieces up close and more privately than I would at the Met. Besides the house, there are lush, well-maintained gardens that I'm sure would be a spectacular wedding venue. They host poetry readings and other events from time to time in some of these gardens, and I love their commitment to bringing art and culture to Farmington. Behind the parking lot, there are some short but nice hiking trails that I walk along at times, passing by ponds and even flocks of sheep. It's a nice respite from suburbia, yet it's also right next to Route 4. Prices are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, and $8 for children older than 6. If price is an issue, there are museum passes at Farmington Library.

Took a stroll on the beautiful grounds today while we were on site for the Farmers Market, Extremely relaxing and scenic -trails and paths intertwine among the sloping grounds and vintage old buildings. We saw lots of kids playing and quite a bit of photographers doing their things. We didn't take the tour, but we saw plenty, the pretty Sunken Gardens (home of poetry readings), old barns and stables, a cozy little gift shop. It's a real sweet place to stroll around and decompress.

We were looking for something to do today and decided to come here. We had never been and didn't know what to expect. It is amazing how well kept this place is. Our tour guide led us through the building, room by room and the items inside were amazing to look at. Quick note, there is a strict no touching anything policy due to the items inside being irreplaceable. Our guide was indeed a subject matter expert and pointed out the many items of great value and historical importance. Another quick note, no photography inside either for obvious reasons. If you want to see items that you might never come across again, visit this place. If you love art, it is a must to come here. The only item I will spoil is that there is a hand made chess set, that I believe was made in Japan but I have never seen one that detailed and at that size, must have been for decoration, not using. I believe they do have special arrangements to see the items in a small group setting. It was a great place to visit and we will come again. They are currently asking everyone to wear a mask inside the house. There are some short trails on the property and there is also a place where they rent it out for events. They seemed to be setting up today for a wedding. One truly great place to visit!

Easily the worst museum visit of my life, and I am 63 and have been to the world's great museums. I'll explain why below. First, there are mostly very minor paintings, most not very good; most insignificant. There are only four paintings worth viewing: two by Monet (two of his haystack paintings) and two by Degas. And these are behind ropes making it very difficult to view from closer than about 8 feet. Second, you can only view the paintings on a guided tour, and we are given very little time to view each work; most of the time is spent on talking about how rich and wonderful the family must have been living in this 33,000 sq. foot house---which I found dark and dreary, unimpressive, and an architectual mess. Third, the guides are so slavish and obsequious to the family's memory who bequeathed the estate (ours kept telling us how lucky we were to be there) that it was just plain nauseating. So, go for beautiful grounds and walk them. They're the stars here. For a truly impressive visit to a remarkable family collection, go to the Barnes Museum in Philadelphia. Stay away from the Hill Stead and save your $20.

This is one of the most beautiful homes I have visited in America, Europe, and Asia. It's artwork is superb, and the layout of the house exquisite. I loved it.

Not at all Covid friendly. They don't like frequent visitors to the place. I wonder why this museum is so private and unwelcoming to visitors when they want to learn the collection. Avoid at all costs.

Like JV said...great place to have a wedding! You can have it outside in front of the house and then get a tour... Aside of that however, IS the house itself...it's friggin' AMAZING!!! Theodate Pope, the FIRST American female architect designed Hill-Stead as a retirement home for her parents (who moved in on June 16, 1901)...it was her first project and she took great pains to make it just right. She even took into account the positioning of the structure on the land so that the view was just right from whichever window you so chose to look out... When she passed away, her will stipulated that NOTHING was to be added or taken away from the home and it was to opened to the public as a museum. So when you go for the tour...you see the home JUST as she left it and just as the Pope's lived in it. Being a well-educated and well-traveled woman, Theodate and her folks collected a HUGE amount of pretty darn cool collectibles: ORIGINAL paintings by Degas, Manet, Monet, Whistler and others adorn the walls, vases from the Ming and other dynasties along with sculptures adorn shelves and mantles. The two libraries alone were enough to make me all quivery having been a Lit major and a bibliophile...TONS of first additions!! (AND...you can call ahead to make an appointment to look at anything...they'll give you white gloves if you want to open a book, etc.). The architecture and land itself is amazing and no single tour will do it justice...a place you have to visit more than once because there's just so much history to be found within Hill-Stead's walls. Very knowledgeable Docent's make a visit to the Hill-Stead magical and informative...a definite NOT-to-be-missed stop in Farmington, CT. (Just a hop, skip and a jump from Hartford...)

This is one of Connecticut's best kept secrets. If you're a fan of Impressionism, you NEED to come here! The original owner of this house purchased genuine Degas, Monet, Cassat, and more when the artists were still alive (read: not as appreciated as they are today), requested the art & house stay in her family when she passed away, and the house was eventually turned into a museum. It's unreal. You do have to pay for the tour of the house in order to view the art, but the guide spends plenty of time in each room for you to appreciate everything in there. While you're waiting for your tour to start (or perhaps after your tour) be sure to wander the grounds. The gardens are so serene.

To think I unknowingly drove by this everyday for the last two years really amazes me. What I thought was going to be a small art gallery turned out to be a really cool guided tour chock full of rich and interesting history and rare art. The house is essentially untouched from its originally designed state and contains extremely rare pieces of art and historical pieces from the Riddle-Pope families. I might go again on another night when they're doing special events.

The first time that I visited this beautiful museum was on a 7th grade field trip and I've loved it ever since! The grounds are gorgeous, the tours are great, and the staff is very informative. I'm a photographer, and for me, this is the perfect place for a photo shoot close to home! Pros- Beautiful garden/home, tours last 1hour, inexpensive, friendly/informative staff, great for photo shoots/weddings

Awesome...awesome!! Seeing paintings on the stark walls of crowded museums is nothing compared to seeing them hanging in the home of someone who in many cases, bought the painting directly from the artist. Turning the corner of one beautiful room after another and being met with Monet's haystacks and Whistlers' adorning fireplaces, with just a guide and a few others, is a really refreshing, intimate experience to have with such works. Our guide was so knowledgeable and nice, and really made the trip that much better. $9 for adults, $7 for students. The tour is about 50 minutes. If you are in the area and have a love for art/architecture history I highly recommend it!!

Beautiful art, but the management has utterly failed to maintain the ground and forests. They are allowing lands in their stewardship to be deforested, the trails which were once so pleasant to walk have been ignored, and the pond has been growing ever more scum-ridden. Finally, the famous Sunken Garden has had its trees removed and is much worse for it. All-in-all, the Hill-Stead is a drastically lesser place than it was ten years ago. I would wait until the Board of Governors and Trustees get their act together before visiting. EDIT: More than just ignore the trails, they've actually clear-cut through the nearby forest, utterly destroying the trails that were there. It is a shame to see something that was so beautiful be ruined like this.

A beautiful home with artwork that can only be seen here. None of the artwork will ever leave this house, as it does not travel and is never loaned out to other museums. Cassatt, Whistler, Monet, and Manet, just to name a few. Beautifully decorated rooms left just the way they were in 1946. I wish our tour guide had known more about the furnishings, as he was really into just the artwork. There is so much more to this home than just the paintings. Knowing more about the people and the rest of the house would have made the tour come alive. Most of our questions were ignored. I would go back in the hope that we would have a different tour guide. Beautiful grounds too.

Hust discovered this gem and it was a wonderful way to spend a Wednesday. If you're an impressionist, furniture, architecture or decorative arts enthusiast, this is the place for you! Suzanne our tour guide told us such wonderful factoids about the place and people who visited the museum, it made the learning experience that much better. What was supposed to be a one hour tour turned into a two hour event, totally fine by me! I laughed at the shade Suzanne threw at the MFA when they said they had all of Monet's Haystacks because two of them are in this house. Nothing in this house leaves it, so it's absolutely a one-of-a-kind experience. similar to the Musee D'Orsay, you can get up close to see the detail of the work or stand as far back as you like. I can't wait to go back when it's warm out to see the functioning farm or explore the walking trails.

Hill-Crest "Museum", Farmington, CT. This so-called "museum" is a must skip. The house itself was not impressive, even if compared to other manors, mansions, or estates, or homes built in that era. Interior did have some few items of interest; a couple of paintings and some vase which was 2500 years old held my interest for a few seconds. Mostly, the paintings and photos were of some family members or some unknown and long forgotten persons; oh and paintings of some hay, and sailing boats. Someone rightfuly pointed out as to why random paintings were hung together with portraits of family members. Ooh, I know, to fill up empty space! The walls were covered with etchings completely unrelated to anything at all. Seemed like the house's walls were intentionally covered with all sorts of knick-knacks or chatchkas or some meaningless bric-a-brac for tourists to gawk at. Oh, and those Oriental chess pieces were most likely picked up at a Chinese flea market for $20. The sunken garden(ahem) is nothing more than cheap wooden benches and a gazibo of some sorts, surrounded by trees and shrubbery, with a few flowers. There is a lovely little brick wall with a hole leading god knows where. Oh, and I just love the fake wooden cows in the background. The tour guide gave us the history and daily minutae of the family; if just to inflate the importance of these forgotten folks. Ok, so Theodate Pope was an architect; how does that justify forcing people to spend their time getting all the way out there? I could go to NYC, Philly, LA, D.C. and get my fill of museums and mansions as well. As Einstein said, everything is relative; thus, comparing this museum to others, I have to vote thumbs down(RIP Ebert). Some antique furnishings and a few paintings do not make for a worthwhile visit nor the price of admission. If the few (very few) worthy items were taken out of the house, and placed in a real museum, then one would walk by the entire collection in less than 2 minutes and not give any of it another thought. PS: Does anyone really think this house will still exist in 100 years? PSS: The guide really annoyed everyone by constantly asking the kids in the group how old they were. Why doesnt anyone ever ask 90 year old people how old they are?

Our tour of Hill-Stead, the once-private home of one of America's first female architects, was excellent. The size of the property and its incredible art collection set it apart from other historic homes, and our extremely knowledgeable guide was the icing on the cake. The tour lasted about an hour, and we saw the majority of the house (I think the servants' quarters and perhaps some other areas are inaccessible to the public). I loved that nearly everything in the home was original-- no reproductions or "this is similar to what the family would have used" here. The grounds are expansive and lovely as well. Tours are more expensive than most other historic homes in the area at $15 (which I think is on par with admission at the Mark Twain house), but well worth the price. Always looking for a bargain, we held off on visiting until CT Open House Day (held in June each year) when admission was buy-one-get-one.

Lovely. Lovely. Lovely. This is a home which was once owned by Theodate Pope-Riddle. Somehow, they are able to strike the balance between art museum and cozy home. The home is spacoius and airy. I've been here twice and the guides are walking encylopedias of art as well as the life of Ms. Pope-Riddle. The grounds are amazing by themselves. The property boasts several hiking trails, including a trail that connects to the Metacomet. The sunken garden is meticulously maintained. I visited once with a group of high school students, who all enjoyed their visit. The guide seemed a bit inxperienced with this age group; they were a bit chatty and didn't walk as quickly as she would have liked, but they were clearly engaged and asked lots of questions. The gift shop is small, but has the essentials (books, candies, jewelry, coffee). Every staff member I met was very friendly and helpful. I indicated that I was "not sure" if this place was good for kids, because it really depends on the age of the child in question. If your child is interested in art and can handle being quiet through an hour-long house tour, that's fine, but young children will probably be bored. However, they do have a lot of events. Check their website; I know that in May there will be a weekend with events geared toward young children, such as face-painting and animals.

First, you must be able to stand for an hour. The tour's main focus is on the building & it is worth seeing, but the tour itself borders on annoying. One is to spend more of their time staring at a docent than at objects of interest. We spent a chunk of time in the butler's pantry where the docent had us pass around a cutout (!) of the butler (as well as a xerox of a photo he was in (enclosed in plastic -a theme repeated elsewhere on the tour.) Bring your hand sanitizer. There ARE some wonderful paintings but if you think you will be viewing Japanese prints, the closest you will come is reproductions in the master bedroom (which you aren't allowed to enter anyway.) Also, the docent encouraged us to ask if we had questions but almost always dismissed any with "That's not important." Suggestion - if something is asked during most tours (twice during ours) you should try to find out the answer. The knowledge of our docent seemed absolutely limited to the hour's script. One is herded from place to place with no straying from the destination. I have real trouble standing still, so walked around slowly during the monologues looking at the many fascinating objects in each room that would never be discussed (hands behind my back so as not to cause alarm.)

Beautiful grounds to walk through. The indoor tour was informative and lasted just over an hour. ( No place to sit during the tour though). Much recommended!!

It is $10 for an hour guided tour of this beautiful turn of the century mansion. The website touts impressionist paintings by Monet, Whistler, Cassatt, and Degas. They are certainly there but they are minor works. The real draw, in my opinion, is to walk through a Gilded Age mansion right here in Farmington. There are so many beautiful drawings, sculptures, and pieces of furniture. There are even wardrobes of the Popes laid out in their bedrooms. Our tour guide was very informative. Though we went in winter, I bet that when it gets warmer it would be nice to have a picnic on the grounds too. There is also an outdoor garden which I bet will be beautiful come summer.

We've been to Hill-Stead a couple of times but decided to take the Gold Tour and go "behind the ropes." It was terrific. One of the few places where you can get so close to the art and artifacts. And the staff could not be nicer. We also enjoyed the Tea Room. Limited choices but all very good.

Don't miss the spectacular views, especially in the fall. The colors are spectacular and if you're a photographer, you'll stay there all day. It's beautiful in every season.

My sister got married here, and it was pretty spectacular. So if you're looking for a spot for an outdoor wedding, Hill-stead is a great place to drink too much champagne, remove your shoes and do some inappropriate booty dance with your uncle to the tune of Celebration.