Slideshow

First Sunday in December
You’ll feel like an invited guest when you leisurely tour the country house, decorated for the holidays with simple wreaths, evergreen swags, holly sprigs and handmade ornaments. After being greeted at the door by a butler and maid, linger in the dining room where the table has been elegantly set for 10. Signs of the holidays abound—crystal stemware and silver tea sets in the dining room, the Popes’ original punch bowl in the drawing room, opened gifts on bedside tables, evening frocks laid out on canopied beds, and games and gifts displayed under evergreen trees. Converse with museum interpreters portraying members of the Hill-Stead family, their household staff and such illustrious visitors as artist Mary Cassatt, novelist Grace Flandreau and collector Louisine Havemeyer. Eavesdrop on true stories gleaned from family diaries and archival correspondence. Meet Theodate, herself, and Hill-Stead’s butler, Earnest, who offers an insider’s perspective on life at Hill-Stead.