The Legacy Gala
ANNOUNCING:
Doris Kearns Goodwin
In conversation with Craig Gemmell
at The Legacy Gala, Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Doris Kearns Goodwin is a world-renowned presidential historian, public speaker, and Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times #1 best-selling author and partner in Pastimes Productions.
Storytime on the Farm: Goat Dairy
Saturday, June 6th & 13th
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
This program is free with admission.
It’s story time on the farm! Put on your overalls and boots and join Hildene’s farmers and frolicking baby goats at the goat dairy for a different interactive story each week. 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 enjoy a walk to the goat barn or use Hildene transportation.
Exploration Backpack Program
June – October
10:00 am - 4:30 pm
This program is free with admission.
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. The pack is designed for 1 to 3 children, but more could participate if they are willing to share tools. This experience is free with admission. 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 here.
Meet the Little Lambs!
Saturday, June 6th
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
This program is free with admission.
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!
Butterfly Walkabout
Saturday, June 6th
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
This program is free with admission.
Offered on Saturday, June 6th, 1-2:30pm (rain date: June 7th) 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. Free with admission. Meet in Hildene’s Welcome Center. Contact Stephanie or call 802-367-7960.
Edible Plant Trail Walk & Talk, with Ann
Thursday, June 11th
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
This program is free with admission.
Join Ann Ogden Hausslein on a tour of the Edible Plant Trail at Hildene on Thursday, June 11, from 2 -3PM. A collaborative effort between Hildene and Burr and Burton Academy through their Farm and Food Studies Program, the trail has been tended over the course of five years (incorporating BBA Ethnobotany Classes, BBA-Hildene Summer Farm Crews, Hildene Youth Corp, Bennington College interns, Smokey House Center Forest farming plant-outs, Earth Matters, and wild food expert Russ Cohen.). Discover seasonal edible foods, ask questions, and try something new! This program is free with admission. Check in at the Welcome Center and take the tram (or enjoy a 25-minute walk on wooded trails) to the greenhouse in the dene.
Early Light, Stronger Images: Photography Workshop at Hildene
Friday, June 12th
8:00 am - 10:00 am
This program does not include admission.
(During the 2 hours before Hildene opens to the public; rain date: Saturday, June 13)
Capture Hildene’s beauty with confidence in this hands-on, two-hour photography program led by Christopher Dant, a longtime photographer and former student of Ansel Adams. In the early morning light, you’ll quickly learn practical ways to visualize a scene, simplify its composition, and strengthen your photographic eye to make photos you’ll be proud to share. Photographing the picturesque Formal Garden and the exterior of the Lincoln family home, this program is ideal for those who know their camera’s basic controls and would like to take their photography to the next level. Participants may use either a smartphone or an SLR/mirrorless camera. The session will conclude with time to choose 1–2 favorite images to share with the group. Register by Wednesday, June 10; $20 for members, $25 for non-members.
Bird Walk
Saturday, June 13th
7:00 am - 10:00 am
This program is free and does not require admission.
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.
Bird Note: Cavity Nesters
For those interested in bird watching, observations and enjoyment can go beyond simple identification. Consider adding a nest box or two to your property to attract a cavity nester. Who might move in? Eastern Bluebirds are the earliest nesters and sometimes succeed in raising two broods. They add grasses and moses to a box. While only the female does the nest building and brooding, both help feed the young.
Insect-eating Tree Swallows are in serious decline. They prefer boxes out in the open away from vegetation and often decorate their nests with feathers. Only the female incubates, but both parents feed and tend young.
House Wren males fill nest boxes with sticks, many times just creating a dummy nest, perhaps to thwart nearby competition. Within the stick cluster, there is an interior cup made with fine grasses, feathers, and spider webbing. Other cavity nesting birds include chickadees and Tufted Titmice. There are several boxes in the apple tree orchard behind Lincoln Hall at Hildene.
A Day of Artful Discovery at Hildene
Tuesday, June 16th
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
This program does not require admission.
On Tuesday, June 16, 10:00 AM–3:00 PM, join Anharad Llewelyn A Day of Artful Discovery at Hildene to explore the Lincoln family’s beautiful property through the artist's eyes. Students will begin the day learning visual art journaling tips and tricks, before going out to capture the subtle textures, values, and light that define the varied landscape. From colorful flowers in the gardens to frolicking animals on the farm, students will have plenty to take in as they acquire new techniques (including drawing/painting/collage) for seeing nature and making art inspired by the landscape. Space is limited and registration is required: $70 for members; $80 for nonmembers, which includes a visual art journal. All other materials will be provided.
(Rain date: Wednesday, June 17)
Register by Sunday, June 14th. Questions? Contact Stephanie.
Farm Chores
Fridays & Saturdays from June 19th through July 25th
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Fridays - At the Goat Dairy
Saturdays - At the Animal Barn
This program does not require or include admission.
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, from June 19-July 25. 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. Sessions are limited to no more than 5 children, all of whom must be accompanied by an adult. Registration required at least 48 hours in advance. $15/per child (aged 3 and up).
Juneteenth With Harps at Hildene
Friday, June 19th
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Join us at Hildene in the Formal Garden on June 19th from 5-6pm for a delightful evening of music performed by The Dorset Harp Colony. Student harpists will perform a repertoire of solo and ensemble pieces. The concert will conclude with "Lift Every Voice and Sing" to celebrate the observance of Juneteenth. All welcome to attend, free to the public.
The Dorset Harp Colony is a premier summer program dedicated to cultivating the next generation of harpists through intensive study, mentorship, and performance. Founded in 2024 by acclaimed harpist and educator Alix Raspé Gray, the Colony brings together talented students in a supportive, inspiring environment that emphasizes artistry, individuality, and career sustainability. With a focus on both musical excellence, mindfulness and real-world skills, participants leave empowered, confident, and prepared for a lifelong journey in music.
Celebrate Father’s Day at Hildene Farm
Sunday, June 21st
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
This program is free with admission.
Celebrate Father’s Day at Hildene Farm in the dene with a fun-filled day on the farm!
Join us for a special Father’s Day Storytime from 11:00am- 12:00pm featuring tractors, jumbo building blocks, a corn sandbox, and Peaches' Mud Kitchen for hands-on play and exploration. Hildene’s tractors and gators will be nearby for all the future farmers to check out.
Stay for the afternoon and enjoy complimentary wagon rides through the dene from 12:00am- 4:00pm. Pack a picnic, relax on the farm, and make memories together with family and friends.
Perfect for little farmers, tractor lovers, and dads who enjoy a day outdoors!
Questions? Call (802) 367-7960 or email Stephanie.
A Summer Night at Hildene
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Thursday, July 23, 2026
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Experience the storied elegance of the Lincoln family legacy during an intimate, after-hours journey through the breathtaking 412-acre estate of Hildene. We invite you to step back in time for a curated evening of historical grandeur, agricultural wonder and refined flavors.
