Mission
Hill-Stead Museum, a National Historic Landmark, serves diverse audiences in Connecticut and beyond as a welcoming place for learning, reflection and enjoyment. The museum develops, preserves, documents, displays and interprets its exceptional Impressionist paintings, 1901 historic house, collections and 152-acre landscape for the benefit of present and future generations.

History
Hill-Stead Museum was established in 1946 by the will of Theodate Pope Riddle (1867-1946). It encompasses a 152-acre country estate, which Theodate, Connecticut’s sixth registered female architect and early proponent of historic preservation, designed in the New England farmstead idiom. She designed the Colonial Revival house for her parents, Ada and Alfred Atmore Pope, using drawings prepared by the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White. She completed the 33,000-square-foot house in 1901. The estate comprises a Cotswald-like grouping and a Warren Manning-inspired landscape. A one-acre, c. 1920 Beatrix Farrand-designed Sunken Garden is the centerpiece of the property.

Values and Vision
We affirm the “founding idea” to make Hill-Stead’s resources available to the public, to maintain these resources in the best possible physical condition, to preserve their original historic character and integrity, and to insure their security and safety. We are guided by the professional standards of our accrediting body, the American Association of Museums (AAM). We affirm our responsibility as stewards of a National Historic Landmark to maintain historic authenticity and visual integrity. Our vision is to preserve these resources and to fully realize their interpretive potential for present and future generations.

Welcoming Place
Since opening to the public in 1947, over 670,000 visitors have toured the house and participated in programs, including guided house and garden tours, student curriculum-related studies, field trips, teacher workshops, inter-generational nature and art activities, monthly gallery talks, lectures, year-round poetry programs and an annual two-day garden fair. Visitors also use the property for plein air painting, garden tours, hiking and photography. Hill-Stead is featured on the Connecticut Art Trail, a Millennium Legacy Trail, and the Women’s Heritage Trail.