Hill-Stead Museum, Farmington CT

News

Hill-Stead will be closed to the general public on October 31

SOLD OUT – Halloween on the Hill
October 31, 10:00 am – 8:00 pm

Please note, Hill-Stead will be open to Halloween on the Hill ticket holder only on October 31.

Daily Tours

  • House tours take place Thursdays through Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm More info
  • Hill-Stead Guides lead tours on the hour—the last tour begins 3 pm
  • Tours are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis
  • There may be no more than 10 people per tour
  • Tickets should be purchased upon arrival
  • Hill-Stead also offers Exclusive Private Tours with our curator by appointment
  • Hill-Stead’s gorgeous grounds and garden remain open to the public daily from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm
  • Hill-Stead is also hosting From the Porch, a performing arts series; and an afterschool workshop series—all of which are open to the public
  • Hill-Stead is now open for both in-person and online field trips.  Book yours now!
  • Please review our reopening plan

Admission

Members  | FREE
Adults | $18
AAA & Seniors (62+) | $16
Students | $12
Children 6-12 | $10
Children under 6 | FREE

Museum Members are always FREE!
Not a Member?  JOIN NOW

We recommend that all visitors make reservations in advance
RESERVE TICKETS

Special Admission Programs

As a Blue Star Museum, Hill-Stead offers active-duty military families FREE admission from Memorial Day through Labor Day.  Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and museums across America.

Hill-Stead is a part of the Museums for All program and offers FREE admission for up to four people to with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. Museums for All is a cooperative initiative between Association of Children’s Museums and Institute of Museum and Library Services to offer a signature access program that encourages families of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum habits.

Hill-Stead is a member of the Connecticut Art Trail.  Discover Connecticut’s artistic treasures with the Connecticut Art Trail Art Passport. The $25 Art Passport includes one admission to each of the 20 member museums per year. Explore diverse, quality collections rich in history and heritage, including European masterpieces, American Impressionism, ancient art and contemporary culture.

Please note: 
  •  There are no self-paced tours at this time.
  • There are no school group visits at this time.

The safety of staff and visitors is our highest priority.

To ensure a safe, inspiring experience for all, we’ve adopted new health and safety protocols. You’ll find everything you need to know about your next visit below.

Social distancing best practices are in place. All persons entering the building will be required to wear a face mask covering at all times.

  • Always wear a facemask and make sure it fits over your nose and mouth
  • Practice safe social distancing. Please keep six feet between yourself and others (outside your party)
  • Please wash/sanitize your hands at our sanitizing stations
  • A limited number of visitors will be permitted at one time
  • A one-way flow of traffic will be required in the House
  • Contactless payment is available and encouraged
  • Please let us know if you or another member of your party have traveled outside of Connecticut in the past 14 days or​ experiencing fever, chills, cough, or any other symptoms
Please note: 
  •  There are no self-paced tours at this time.
  • There are no school group visits at this time.

Construction update – October 12, 2020

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As we all know, sometimes one has to take things apart to create something new and beautiful!

We are delighted to share that we are now at that exciting stage at Hill-Stead. The exterior fencing—in our favorite shade of green—has gone up and been decorated with colorful renditions of the renovated spaces to come. And, the interior demolition has begun. In these photographs, you can see the transition that is occurring in the museum’s entryway. The paneling on the north wall has come down, revealing a first look at the ticket desk and gift shop! For the moment, the shop serves as central command for our site supervisor, Carl (pictured above in red coat here).

What has gone up across the way is a temporary floor-to-ceiling divider wall—painted with Benjamin Moore’s Sidewalk Grey. The wall partitions the current space and allows visitors to pass through safely from the museum’s parking lot. We were thrilled to welcome former Board President and Hill-Stead champion, Mary Sargent, as one of our first visitors. She is pictured above with Executive Director, Dr. Anna Swinbourne.

What isn’t visible in photographs or on a walk-through is our continued and careful collaboration with the architects at Centerbrook, PAC Group construction management, and the State’s DECD (Department of Economic Development). A concerted effort is needed to complete the submittal process – all part and parcel of a smooth and thorough laying the “foundation” for our successful endeavor.

Please read our Case Statement validating the importance of this renovation to the future of Hill-Stead for generations to come!

To learn more, please visit Bringing Art to Life – Hill-Stead’s 75th Anniversary Capital and Endowment Campaign.

Support our Capital and Endowment Campaign today by completing this pledge form, or making an online donation.
PLEDGE TO GIVE    DONATE NOW

Day 1

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The big day is finally here!

From left to right: Dave Perbeck, Operations Director at Hill-Stead; Lavell Thompson, President of Hill-Stead’s Board of Governor’s; Frank Giordano and Chuck Mueller of Centerbrook Architects.

After a decade in the making, Hill-Stead launched our highly anticipated strategic endeavor to enhance our sustainability. As you can see from the photos, the construction phase of our Carriage Barn renovation kicked off this past Friday, September 18 with work on the Entry Hall, Gift Shop, and Media Space now underway.

Please stop by Hill-Stead to check on progress or visit these pages every two weeks as we continue to post project updates.

In the meantime, please read our Case Statement validating the importance of this renovation to the future of Hill-Stead for generations to come!

To learn more, please visit Bringing Art to Life – Hill-Stead’s 75th Anniversary Capital and Endowment Campaign.

Support our Capital and Endowment Campaign today by completing this pledge form, or making an online donation.
PLEDGE TO GIVE    DONATE NOW

What Matters Most Photo Contest Winners

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And the winners are…

Everyone has a story to tell and this contest provided a forum to capture unexpected outcomes, epiphanies of personal discovery, and moments of pure joy and connection. We invited photographers to submit their best work. The public voted on the submissions based on their ability to capture four themes:  Art In All Its Forms, Creature Comforts, Summertime Fun, and Victory Gardens. Because there were so many wonderful photos, we are also highlighting a staff pick for each category.

Winners receive $50, promotion of their photography via Hill-Stead’s website & social channels, a certificate for a personalized VIP Tour of Hill-Stead Museum, and bragging rights!

Art in All Its Forms

Loving Summer, Lauren Krupnikoff

WINNER: Loving Summer, Lauren Krupnikoff

“My friend and I were by the water not too long ago, and we saw that the sun was starting to set. So we decided to try this cool idea of doing a heart with our hands surrounding the sun as it sets.“

She Dances Anyway, Nora H.

STAFF PICK: She Dances Anyway, Nora H.

“This is Kiersten. Her beloved dance studio was shut down and the recital she was starring in cancelled because of COVID. But she keeps dancing. She records dances in her backyard to songs like “Six Feet Apart.” She and I dance in the rain together and throw rocks into the river because we’re so angry at the way our lives have been put on pause. She dances in public parks with a mask. Because this is her art. And it is what matters most to her.”

Creature Comforts

Bobcat NeighborRobert Trafford

WINNER: Bobcat Neighbor, Robert Trafford

“This fellow sat outside my just slider and just stared.“

Serinity, Sofia A.

STAFF PICK:  Serinity, Sofia A.

“Bird on the dock at Cozumel Island“

Summertime Fun

Summer Croquet at Hill-Stead, David Ciriello

WINNER: Summer Croquet at Hill-Stead, David Ciriello

“Our son and a friendly pup played and danced the night away under the sun as we played croquet and caught the sunset.”

Bronx Sprinkler, Barbara O.

STAFF PICK:  Bronx Sprinkler, Barbara O.

“Summer in the city..near Yankee Stadium“

Victory Gardens

Tulips in the Sunken Garden, Rachael Ann

WINNER: Tulips in the Sunken Garden, Rachael Ann

“Hill-Stead Museum and Sunken Garden, July 2019. Shot in the infrared range of light.”

Brighter Days,  Emi Z.

STAFF PICK:  Brighter Days, Emi Z.

“As I wandered the sunflower maze with my friend after the hurricane, we noticed many of the sunflowers had been pushed over. This one however, stood tall and upright. It’s a great reminder of staying strong, positive and bright even when things in the world are dark and difficult. There are always brighter days ahead.”

Judy Dworin Performance Project Filmed at Hill-Stead

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Judy Dworin Performance Project’s latest production, ColorFields shot on location at Hill-Stead Museum as part of the performing arts series, From the Porch

The restrictions brought by COVID closed some doors but also opened new avenues of creativity. With funding from the Edward T. and Ann C. Roberts Foundation, Judy Dworin Performance Project, Inc. (JDPP) has utilized the power of Zoom and other technology to develop ColorFields, a new dance-theater piece inspired by the work of American abstract expressionist painter Helen Frankenthaler, in partnership with the New Britain Museum of American Art, which is hosting an exhibit of Helen Frankenthaler’s late work as part of their 20/2020 focus on American women artists, and in cooperation with the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation. “It is this process that I find so informative,” says museum director Min Jung Kim. “Learning about [Helen Frankenthaler’s] work, her artistic practice, and seeing how visual art forms can be interpreted into and with movement art forms is so inspirational.”

On July 16, 2020, JDPP held an outdoor in-process exploration of the grounds of the Hill-Stead Museum, the National Historic Landmark and 1901 Farmington, CT home of Theodate Pope Riddle, one of America’s first female architects. With the Colonial Revival house and grounds designed by Riddle herself as the landscape, the JDPP Ensemble dancers experimented with movement, shape, line, and color in the spectacular Sunken Garden and Parterre among other locations. The JDPP Ensemble dancers explored how Helen Frankenthaler’s interest in nature and the improvisational moment inspire and interact to become works of art, making the beautiful grounds of Hill-Stead an active, living element of the performance.

This outdoor dance theater exploration was video recorded by Mindspin LLC in 4K HD and edited to a 22-minute short feature, ColorFields, and premiered by JDPP on August 27, 2020, simultaneously on YouTube, Facebook Live, and the JDPP web site, www.judydworin.org. Says founder and artistic director, Judy Dworin, “I would not have imagined JDPP making a foray into broadcast performance a year ago. While nothing will replace the live theater event, this process has opened rich avenues for JDPP’s artistic development and spirit of innovation as we discover new ways to engage audiences during this challenging time.”

Currently a work-in-progress, ColorFields embodies Judy Dworin Performance Project’s signature artistry, interpreting visual image and spoken word through the vocabulary of dance and movement. ColorFields is a deep exploration into Helen Frankenthaler’s work and process to bring her inspirations and creative choices to life for audiences to ponder. Helen Frankenthaler’s pioneering use of color, the centrality of the improvisational moment in her work, and her inspiration in nature are key touchstones for JDPP’s founder and artistic director, Judy Dworin.

JDPP and New Britain Museum of American Art, in cooperation with the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, are inviting their members and supporters to witness and engage in the creative development of ColorFields through a yearlong series of open rehearsals, project updates, and in-progress showings, both live and online. These developmental milestones will lead to a final performance hosted by NBMAA in May 2021.

Since 1989, Judy Dworin Performance Project, Inc. has used the arts to address social justice issues. JDPP’s mission is to innovate, inspire, educate, and build community to overcome the barriers of race, economic opportunity, culture, and other divisions. JDPP harnesses the arts as a powerful catalyst for positive change and collaboration. JDPP’s award-winning performance work premieres in Hartford and has toured throughout Connecticut, the Northeast, and internationally. Over 4,000 largely underserved adults and children participate in fourteen JDPP residencies and professional performances

Autumn on the Hill – A Nature Series for Kids

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Meet new friends, make art, and enjoy the outdoors!

Balance your child’s screentime with some outdoor fun at Hill-Stead’s fall afterschool program. Young artists can explore Hill-Stead’s natural property, blaze the trails, learn to identify local plants and animals, create natural artworks, and much more! Each session introduces a new theme and is filled with new adventures, games, and challenges.

Register for one day (Tuesday OR Thursday), an entire session (Tuesday AND Thursday), or multiple sessions

The program runs Tuesdays and/or Thursdays through October 22 with bonus weeks added, as long as the warm fall weather holds. 

See all available sessions

Cost

One day (Tuesday OR Thursday)  |  $50
Entire session (Tuesday AND Thursday)  |  $100
Siblings or learning pod |  10% discount
Artists-in-training*  |  $35/day or $70/week
*For artists ages 15+. Please apply (space limited)
REGISTER NOW

Program details

  • For students ages 9 to 14
  • 14 students maximum
  • Campers must dress appropriately for outdoor activities and bring snacks. Hill-Stead will provide water bottles and art supplies. All campers must wear masks, keep at least six-feet apart from other campers and staff, and wash hands regularly.
  • Questions?  Contact ebnerk@hillstead.org.

Available Sessions

There are no upcoming events at this time

 

 

Guided tours are back at Hill-Stead Museum!

We are thrilled to open our doors once again for the public!

  • House tours take place Thursdays through Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm More info
  • Hill-Stead Guides lead tours on the hour—the last tour begins 3 pm
  • Tours are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis
  • There may be no more than 10 people per tour
  • Tickets should be purchased upon arrival
  • Hill-Stead also offers Exclusive Private Tours with our curator by appointment
  • Hill-Stead’s gorgeous grounds and garden remain open to the public daily from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm
  • Hill-Stead is also hosting From the Porch, a performing arts series; and an afterschool workshop series—all of which are open to the public
  • Hill-Stead is now open for both in-person and online field trips.  Book yours now!

Admission

Members  | FREE
Adults | $18
AAA & Seniors (62+) | $16
Students | $12
Children 6-12 | $10
Children under 6 | FREE

Museum Members are always FREE!
Not a Member?  JOIN NOW

We recommend that all visitors make reservations in advance
RESERVE TICKETS

Special Admission Programs

As a Blue Star Museum, Hill-Stead offers active-duty military families FREE admission from Memorial Day through Labor Day.  Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and museums across America.

Hill-Stead is a part of the Museums for All program and offers FREE admission for up to four people to with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. Museums for All is a cooperative initiative between Association of Children’s Museums and Institute of Museum and Library Services to offer a signature access program that encourages families of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum habits.

Hill-Stead is a member of the Connecticut Art Trail.  Discover Connecticut’s artistic treasures with the Connecticut Art Trail Art Passport. The $25 Art Passport includes one admission to each of the 20 member museums per year. Explore diverse, quality collections rich in history and heritage, including European masterpieces, American Impressionism, ancient art and contemporary culture.

Please note: 
  •  There are no self-paced tours at this time.
  • There are no school group visits at this time.

The safety of staff and visitors is our highest priority.

To ensure a safe, inspiring experience for all, we’ve adopted new health and safety protocols. You’ll find everything you need to know about your next visit below.

Social distancing best practices are in place. All persons entering the building will be required to wear a face mask covering at all times.

  • Always wear a facemask and make sure it fits over your nose and mouth
  • Practice safe social distancing. Please keep six feet between yourself and others (outside your party)
  • Please wash/sanitize your hands at our sanitizing stations
  • A limited number of visitors will be permitted at one time
  • A one-way flow of traffic will be required in the House
  • Contactless payment is available and encouraged
  • Please let us know if you or another member of your party have traveled outside of Connecticut in the past 14 days or​ experiencing fever, chills, cough, or any other symptoms
Please note: 
  •  There are no self-paced tours at this time.
  • There are no school group visits at this time.

Theodate and Tyler: For the Love of Hill-Stead Benefit Dinner Auction Series

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This year, Hill-Stead will host five separate benefit dinner auctions!

Affectionately coined, Theodate and Tyler: For the Love of Hill-Stead, these exceptional farm-to-table experiences—created by celebrity chef Tyler Anderson—will take place on the gorgeous grounds of Hill-Stead.

Held on select dates through September 10, these stunning affairs will include sumptuous multi-course dinners with wine pairings and post-reception house tours led by a special guest.

Silent Auction

In addition to the live events, there will be a silent auction open to all with new items added throughout the summer.

Schedule

5 pm           Reception
6 pm           Dinner & Dessert
7:30 pm     Monet’s Circle Reception

View all events

Tickets

To purchase tickets, follow links below.

Supporter  |   $400 per couple (2 tickets); $200 single ticket

      Tickets Include:
  • Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails
  • Sumptuous dinner and fine wine
  • $140 is tax-deductible for single ticket, $280 for couple ticket)

Monet’s Circle  |  $1000 per couple (2 tickets); $500 single ticket

      Tickets Include
  • Post-event house tour with special guest
  • Early access to silent auction
  • Sumptuous dinner and fine wine
  • $375 is tax-deductible for single ticket, $750 for couple ticket

Upcoming Events

There are no upcoming events at this time

Our grateful thanks to the following sponsors

LEAD SPONSOR

BRONZE SPONSORS

FRIEND SPONSORS

People’s United Bank

V.F. McNeil Insurance

Chubb Corporation

A New Multicultural Performing Arts Summer Series

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Building on the success of Hill-Stead’s indoor events and nationally acclaimed Sunken Garden Poetry Festival, From the Porch summer programming will take place on our 152-acre campus. The experiential events will happen several nights per week and be open to audiences of all ages.

Hill-Stead will kick off the inaugural series with a venerable celebration of the “Year of the Woman,” to coincide with the centennial of women’s suffrage. Our signature events will amplify women’s crucial role in history.

Bring a blanket and picnic or order beverages online through The Wise Old Dog (check back soon for beverage ordering link).

See all upcoming From the Porch events

Prelude Event – Kristen Renehan and Jim Mastrianni

June 20, 2020
6:30 to 8 pm

Tickets | $25 per person
PURCHASE TICKETS

Vocal-guitar duo Kristen Renehan and Jim Mastrianni bring their time and talent to Hill-Stead. Classically trained, musically appealing and daringly eclectic, the two musicians combine beautiful vocals with tasteful guitar to create an elegant, interesting musical experience for all ages. Next Saturday’s family-friendly performance will include jazz, pop, soul, rock and folk music with a twist.

Opening Night – Tammy Denease & Elizabeth Lyra Ross

June 26, 2020
6:30 to 8 pm

To coincide with the centennial of women’s suffrage, Hill-Stead will kick off its inaugural series with a venerable celebration of the Year of the Woman. The evening filled with storytelling and song will amplify women’s crucial role in history.

Tickets | $20 per person
PURCHASE TICKETS

Tammy Denease, an accomplished storyteller, actor, historian, and playwright will be performing as Sarah Margu, a captive on the slave ship, Amistad. Margu went on to become the first African to graduate from college in America (Oberlin College, Ohio). Tammy proudly brings the lives of significant, yet “hidden” women in history to life. Tammy received the gift of storytelling from her great-grandmother, a former enslaved person who lived to be 125, and grandmother, who lived to 100.

We are equally delighted to bring songstress Elizabeth Lyra Ross to the stage for our opening night. Elizabeth is the first African American female member of The U.S. Army Band and Chorus. Since completing her enlistment, her international career has included performances in Aida, Tosca, Madame Butterfly, Santuzza, and as both Bess and Serena in Porgy and Bess. Elizabeth has performed with the Metropolitan Opera and she was nominated for an Emmy Award on the Live from Lincoln Center Series.