Calendar

Friday, 5:00 to 7:00 PM

Join us in The Museum Store for a Spring Sip and Shop! All Members and Friends are invited! The Museum Store is full of new items, curated by our Director of Retail Operations and Guest Services, Sarah Blair. Painter and Illustrator, Shawn Braley and Woodcrafter of decorative arts, Nick Arakawa will be present for the festive evening. Come meet Sarah, enjoy snacks and drinks, and shop for yourself or pick up something special for Mother's Day on Sunday, May 11. We can't wait to see you and your friends!

Don't miss out on this wonderful event! Questions? Please email Nan.

Choose a Day! Friday & Sunday, 9:00 - 11:00 AM

It’s time to spread your wings and learn a delightful new hobby. Join avid birders Claudia Burns and Warren Cairo for a beginner’s primer on the endlessly engaging world of birdwatching.  Participants can choose to take the workshop either Friday, May 9 or Sunday, May 11, from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. Claudia and Warren will go over the fundamentals of equipment, etiquette, and identification, and then help you put those skills into practice outdoors. 

The workshop will entail moderate walking. For ages 12 - 112! Registration required: $20 for members, $25 for non-members. Contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7960 or click to email.

Saturday, 9:00 - 10:00 AM

Join us one hour before we open to the public to see our adorable new baby goats (kids)! Check-in is required at the Welcome Center. Members are welcome to bring guests with a Hildene guest pass. After checking in, you will walk to the goat dairy. No need to RSVP.

Saturday, 7:00 - 10:00 AM, At Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home. Free 

May means WARBLERS for birders! Considering colors and field marks alone, these small insect-eating birds go from the unpretentious Yellow Warbler (top right) to the almost ostentatious male Blackburnian Warbler (bottom right)—a mostly black bird with white wing patches and a fiery orange throat. If there ever was a WOW bird, the Blackburnian qualifies. Of the 49 species of warblers commonly seen in the U.S., 29 of them can been seen in VT. Field experience is the best way to learn warbler ID. Go birding with an experienced birder. Note behavioral clues: Black and White Warblers glean insects from tree bark as they creep up and down the trunk and limbs. Palm Warblers flick their tails. Blackpolls are high altitude birds. Learn the songs, study your field guide, and prepare yourself for "warbler neck" as you search for these challenging songsters during the month of May.

Meet at the Welcome Center parking lot. Join local birders to gather long-term data on the presence of birds, their abundance, and changes in populations. Appropriate for birders of all skill levels, the walks run along uneven terrain on forest and meadow trails and around the main house. No registration required. Questions? Contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7960 or click to email. 

Saturday, 10:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Hildene Farm will be filled with new life this spring. Come meet the adorable baby goats bouncing around the goat dairy! All guests must check in at the Welcome Center to pay admission or pick up their member stickers. Then enjoy a walk to the goat dairy on the level Farm Loop trail. We will provide shuttle bus rides for those who need extra assistance.  

Meet more Babies in June!  Hildene Farm will host another Meet the Babies day at the animal barn in the dene on June 7th.  Free with admission. Happy Spring! 

For more information, contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7960 or click to email. 

Sunday, 11:00 AM

This year marks the 19th year of our 8th grade competition, open to students throughout the state. The public is warmly invited to join us in celebrating this year’s inspiring winners at the awards luncheon in Hildene’s new Lincoln Hall. Visit the Lincoln Essay Competition for more information or click to RSVP and purchase tickets.

Tuesday, 1:00 - 2:30 PM (Rain date, Wednesday, May 21)

Are you tired of seeing your beautiful peonies collapsing to the ground? Are your lovely blossoms getting pummeled into the dirt by the rain? Learn how to support them using Hildene’s unique method of peony staking. Hildene’s horticulturists will talk about the estate’s historic peony collection and current garden management practices. Participants will then go into the peony borders flanking the formal garden and learn how to effectively stake a peony plant. 

Program & materials fee: $25 for members/ $30 for non-members, (includes one Hildene staking kit to take home). Space is limited. Registration required by Monday, May 19. Contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7960 or click to email.

Friday, 9:00 AM

Meet in front of the Welcome Center for a wonderful walk to the dene to check in on our barnyard animals and see what is growing in the greenhouse. Please wear comfortable walking shoes, plan for some mud, bring water, and wear sunscreen. No need to RSVP.

Saturday, 7:00 - 10:00 AM, At Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home. Free 

Once the trees are leafed out, the quest for warblers turns from the visual to the auditory. The Black-throated Blue and Black-throated Green Warblers are two common, woodland warblers breeding in VT. The Black-throated Blue has a slate blue black and head with a black throat above a white belly. Although the female is mostly olive/yellow in color, both sexes have a white wing patch which is distinctive for this species. Contrast that with the Black-throated Green which is a yellow faced bird with an olive green “hood” and back and a black throat. Both these warblers have easily recognized songs which can be heard by searching Cornell's All About Birds web page. These birds are now singing to establish territories. Listen for them among the other songsters during a walk in the forest in late May and June.

Meet at the Welcome Center parking lot. Join local birders to gather long-term data on the presence of birds, their abundance, and changes in populations. Appropriate for birders of all skill levels, the walks run along uneven terrain on forest and meadow trails and around the main house. No registration required. Questions? Contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7960 or click to email.

Saturday, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Come witness alpaca shearing and learn how their fiber differs from sheep fleece. Thirteen Huacaya alpacas live at Hildene Farm in the dene. They are anxiously awaiting their haircuts before the summer heat: a transformation you need to see for yourself!

 
Pre-registration is not required.  Members always visit for FREE, non-members pay admission, and everyone must check in at the Welcome Center to receive their admission stickers. Trams and shuttles from the Welcome Center will be available. No need to RSVP. Questions? Contact Stephanie at 802-367-7960 or click to email. 

Looking for a fun way to nurture your child’s appreciation for the natural world?  Check out our self-guided Into the Woods exploration backpack which contains all the essential tools and activity cards for discovery. Through a series of stops along a Hildene trail, children will engage in hands-on forest activities. Suggested for ages 5 to 10, the adventure is intended to take between 1- 2 hours. This is a FREE activity. 

The pack is designed for 1 to 3 children, but more could participate if they are willing to share tools. While packs may be checked out from The Museum Store, it is recommended that you reserve one in advance by contacting Stephanie at (802) 367-7960 or click to email. 
 

Saturday, 1:00 - 3:00 PM

Join us in the museum store to meet Beth Shaw and see her assortment of work. Admission not required to attend. 

Founded in 2020, Lodestar Lights is an artisan shop owned by Beth Shaw. Based in the Green Mountains of Southern Vermont. Lodestar Lights currently specializes in hand-poured, reiki infused, 100% soy wax candles. In her work, Beth uses a variety of organic flowers and herbs in each candle and high-quality gemstones, creating unique and beautiful candles where no two are the same. All her creations are infused with Reki to clear negativity in your space, raise the vibration of your home and aid in manifesting your intentions.

 

Saturday, June 7, 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM

Come meet all the baby animals frolicking around on Hildene Farm in the dene!  All parking is at the Welcome Center where you pay admission or pick up your member stickers. Then enjoy a ½ hour walk down the Maple Trail to the animal barn in the dene or take a shuttle bus. In addition to the lambs, alpacas, cows, Peaches the pig, chickens, ducks, and rabbits, you won’t want to miss our miniature donkeys.  Lots of fun for the whole family! 

Saturday, 9:00 - 10:00 AM

Join us one hour before we open to the public to see our gorgeous peonies in the Formal Gardens. Check-in is required at the Welcome Center. Members are welcome to bring guests with a Hildene guest pass. No need to RSVP.

Saturday, 10:00 - 11:00 AM

Enjoy a morning stroll through the flower gardens of Hildene with a horticulturist. Learn a little bit about the history of the Formal Garden and beyond, along with current ecological gardening techniques. Ask your gardening questions while exploring the formal garden, pollinator gardens, and cutting & kitchen gardens.   Free with admission.  All guests must check in at the Welcome Center to pay admission or pick up their member stickers. Meet under the awning at the back of the Lincoln family’s home.  Rain or shine. 
Note: This event will be held on the 2nd Saturday of each month, June - September. 6/14, 7/12, 8/9, 9/13.

Saturday, 7:00 - 8:30 am, At Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home. Free 

For birds, June and July are all about pairing, mating, nest building, incubating and raising young. For humans, it’s time to be tuned into observing bird behaviors. Most birds rebuild a nest each season, although site fidelity is very high. That phoebe who built her nest over your back door will do so year after year. “Nests” could be simple scrapes or compressed grass areas on the ground (Killdeer); cup shapes of sticks, grasses, spider webbing, plastics, paper, etc. (most common); evacuated holes or cavities (woodpeckers, chickadees); elaborate weavings (Baltimore Oriole) or large platforms (Eagles, Osprey).  Killdeer will lay their speckled eggs on the ground where they are completely camouflaged. The location might only be known by the aggressive, noisy behavior of the adults if danger exists. Killdeer families can be found down at Hildene Farm in the dene.    

For more details about the Killdeer’s nesting cycle, visit Robert Groos’ Photography blog 

Meet at the Welcome Center parking lot. Join local birders to gather long-term data on the presence of birds, their abundance, and changes in populations. Appropriate for birders of all skill levels, the walks run along uneven terrain on forest and meadow trails and around the main house. No registration required. Questions? Contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7960 or  click to email.

Sundays, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM 

Put on your overalls and boots, then step through the magical book barn door to join the farmers in the dene for a different interactive story time each week featuring one of our many farm animal friends. This delightful program is free for members and free with admission for nonmembers. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please arrive at Hildene’s Welcome Center at least 30 minutes before story time to pick up your admission or member stickers and to ensure that you have enough time to reach the animal barn. Enjoy a walk down the Maple Trail or use Hildene transportation to reach the dene.  

FREE with admission. Questions? Contact Stephanie: (802) 367-7960 or click to email.

Fridays and Saturdays, 9:30 - 11:00 AM, pre-registration is required.

Farm Chores will be offered on Fridays at the goat dairy on the property’s upper level and Saturdays at the animal barn on the lower level known as the dene. Children ages 3 to 12 will have fun assisting farm staff in the morning chores routine which includes feeding and grooming the animals, pitching their pens and cleaning their feeders. 

Registration required at least 48 hours in advance. Family of 4: $25 (members)/$30 (non-members); $5 each additional person aged 3 and up. Groups limited to no more than 5 children, all of whom must be accompanied by an adult. To register, contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7960 or click to email.

Saturday, 11:00 AM -  3:00 PM

Join us in the museum store to meet Kerstin Rao while she does live illustrations. Admission not required to attend. 

Kerstin Rao’s hand-illustrated florals are precise, optimistic, and timeless. She studied Fine Art at Vassar College followed by graduate work at the School of Visual Art in NYC and summer study in Florence, Italy. After a 34-year career as a classroom teacher, Kerstin founded Vivid Cottage in 2021 to offer her art to a wider audience through greeting cards, calendars, and gifts for the home. She is a member of the Artists Collective of Westport and the Greeting Card Association. Her 'Breezy Bouquet' card is a Finalist for the 2025 Louie Awards which recognize the most outstanding greeting cards, invitations, and announcements marketed in the U.S. during the previous

Saturday, 1:00 - 2:30 PM (rain date - June 23)

Love butterflies? Join butterfly enthusiast Terri Armata on a walkabout at Hildene to look for Canadian Tiger Swallowtails, Hobomoks and Peck’s Skippers.  Learn how to use eButterfly to identify butterflies and to enter observations and checklists. Terri has watched, photographed and surveyed areas for butterflies for 22 years. A contributor to the first Vermont Butterfly Atlas, she is on the steering committee for the ongoing Second Vermont Butterfly Atlas.  

Space is limited and registration is required.  $15 for members/$20 for non-members. Contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7960 or click to email.

Sunday, 1:00 - 2:00 PM

Join Manchester Historical Society Curator Shawn Harrington for a look back at life in Manchester-in-the-Mountains around 1905 when Robert Todd and Mary Harlan Lincoln moved into Hildene. Shawn will also explore Mary Todd Lincoln’s visits to Manchester during the Civil War when she stayed at The Equinox House as the guest of proprietor Franklin Orvis.  

Thirty years later, in the 1890s, Robert and his wife, Mary, returned to Manchester to visit his friend, Chicago law partner and local resident Edward S. Isham. Their visits endeared the area to them which led to their decision to build HIldene which they referred to as their ancestral home. Robert soon joined the Ekwanok Country Club and is still known as its longest serving president.  The program will include rare photos from family albums as well as some personal recollections to bring to life the Lincoln family who called this mountain valley home for nearly 70 years.

Even though the program is free with admission, reservations are kindly requested so that we can be prepared to accommodate the number of people attending. Click to register

Friday, 9:00 AM

Meet in front of the Welcome Center for a wonderful walk on our trails as we make our way to our Formal Gardens to enjoy them full of blooms. Please wear comfortable walking shoes, plan for some mud, bring water, and wear sunscreen. No need to RSVP. 

Saturday, 10:00 - 11:00 AM

Enjoy a morning stroll through the flower gardens of Hildene with a horticulturist. Learn a little bit about the history of the Formal Garden and beyond, along with current ecological gardening techniques. Ask your gardening questions while exploring the formal garden, pollinator gardens, and cutting & kitchen gardens.   Free with admission.  All guests must check in at the Welcome Center to pay admission or pick up their member stickers. Meet under the awning at the back of the Lincoln family’s home.  Rain or shine. 
Note: Note: This event will be held on the 2nd Saturday of each month, through September. 7/12, 8/9, 9/13.

Saturday, 7:00 - 10:00 AM. At Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home. Free

Nests can be located anywhere from the ground to the bushes, to the trees and the cliffs. The easiest way to locate a nest is to see a bird collecting or carrying nest material and follow it. Barn Swallows will collect mud and grass for their cup shaped nests which they plaster on ledges, beams or walls of buildings. Look for these nests around any of the buildings at Hildene Farm.

These fast-flying swallows catch insects (aka mosquitoes) on the wing. Their blue back, wings and tail contrast with the rufus underparts and rusty chin. Of the five swallow species we see in Vermont, it is the only one with a long, forked tail.

In contrast, the Tree Swallows are greenish blue above with white chin and belly and squared-off tails. Since they nest in cavities in open areas—nest boxes, tree holes—they can easily be seen carrying not only nesting material but also food to their young. The boxes in the Apple Tree Allée behind Hildene’s Lincoln Hall often host Tree Swallows (who compete for them with the Bluebirds)

Meet at the Welcome Center parking lot. Join local birders to gather long-term data on the presence of birds, their abundance, and changes in populations. Appropriate for birders of all skill levels, the walks run along uneven terrain on forest and meadow trails and around the main house. No registration required. Questions? Contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7960 or  click to email.

Saturday, 11:00 AM 0 12:30 PM (rain date: July 20)

We’re going on a safari! Join Leslie Spencer for a Pollinator Safari at Hildene. Inspired by her urban pollinator conservation work with the Tufts Pollinator Initiative in Boston, Leslie will guide participants through Hildene's gardens, introducing you to the secret lives of pollinators. Get up close to these gentle insects, learn to ID them and how to support native plants and insects at home. 

Registration is required, as space is limited.  $20 for members/$25 for nonmembers. Please register by July 18, by contacting Stephanie at (802) 267-7960 or click to email.

Friday, 9:00 AM

Meet in front of the Welcome Center for a relaxing walk down to the dene. We will enjoy a walk across the floating boardwalk and visit the animal barn before we head back. Please wear comfortable walking shoes, plan for some mud, bring water, and wear sunscreen. No need to RSVP. 

Saturday, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Join artist Corry Buckwalter for a nature journaling workshop along Hildene’s beautiful, wooded trails to learn how to study and draw plants, small animals, birds, fungi and more. Students will use graphite pencils and watercolors. Beginners welcome. Suggested for ages 16 and up.  

Space limited; registration required by Wednesday, July 30: $25 for members, $30 for non-members. Contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7960 or click to email.

Saturday, 10:00 - 11:00 AM

Enjoy a morning stroll through the flower gardens of Hildene with a horticulturist. Learn a little bit about the history of the Formal Garden and beyond, along with current ecological gardening techniques. Ask your gardening questions while exploring the formal garden, pollinator gardens, and cutting & kitchen gardens.   Free with admission.  All guests must check in at the Welcome Center to pay admission or pick up their member stickers. Meet under the awning at the back of the Lincoln family’s home.  Rain or shine. 
Note: Note: Note: This event will be held on the 2nd Saturday of each month, through September 13.

Saturday, 7:00 AM - 10:00 AM, At Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home. Free 

These large, black birds have featherless heads which only a parent could love! Why no feathers? It’s all about cleanliness. They eat by thrusting their heads inside rotting, dead animals, ‘cleaning up’ carrion before it rots and causes disease. Their sense of smell is highly developed, but they do not have the ability to rip and tear open a fresh carcass. 

The red-headed Turkey Vultures soar with their wings in a slight V shape, barely flapping. The dark forward underwing linings contrast with the gray trailing flight feathers. They roost together at night and fly and hunt together during the day. 

Their cousin, the Black Vulture, is smaller with a black, featherless head. From underneath, white patches at the wing tips of black wings are diagnostic. Turkey Vultures are relatively new arrivals in VT, within the last 15 years. Black Vultures are even more recent.

Meet at the Welcome Center parking lot. Join local birders to gather long-term data on the presence of birds, their abundance, and changes in populations. Appropriate for birders of all skill levels, the walks run along uneven terrain on forest and meadow trails and around the main house. No registration required. Questions? Contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7960 or  click to email.

Thursday, 3:00 - 4:00 PM

Gather with friends in the garden in the dene at the height of the summer season to learn how to cut and arrange glorious flowers, while sipping refreshing herbal teas made from garden plants. Take a bouquet home to enjoy.

Registration required by August 12: $20 members/$25 non-members. Contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7960 or click to email. 

Friday, 9:00 AM

Meet in front of the Welcome Center for a wonderful walk through the trails and over to the goat dairy to say hello to the kids. Please wear comfortable walking shoes, plan for some mud, bring water, and wear sunscreen. No need to RSVP. 

Saturday, 10:00 - 11:00 AM

Join us for our final Formal Garden gathering of the season! Enjoy a morning stroll through the flower gardens of Hildene with a horticulturist. Learn a little bit about the history of the Formal Garden and beyond, along with current ecological gardening techniques. Ask your gardening questions while exploring the formal garden, pollinator gardens, and cutting & kitchen gardens.   Free with admission.  All guests must check in at the Welcome Center to pay admission or pick up their member stickers. Meet under the awning at the back of the Lincoln family’s home.  Rain or shine. 
 

Saturday, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (rain or shine)

Have your peony plants outgrown their space in your garden? Do you want to share the beauty with others? Learn the best methods and tools for dividing peonies from Hildene’s horticulturists in this hands-on workshop. Participants will practice on some of Hildene’s historic peonies and take home one of the divisions. Discussion will include the history of the estate’s historic peony collection and best management practices for planting and growing healthy plants.

Program fee:  $25 for members/ $30 for non-members. Space is limited. Registration required by Thursday, September 25. Contact Stephanie at (802) 367-7967 click to email.