Designed by Theodate Pope, a woman determined not to simply become a socialite (she ultimately became the country’s fourth registered female architect), the sprawling 33,000 square-foot mansion, set on 152 bucolic acres of rolling meadow and woodlands, provides a glimpse into the lifestyle of a prominent family at the turn of the century. It also houses one of the most significant Impressionist collections in the United States. Works by such masters as Degas, Manet, Monet, and Cassatt are on display throughout the house along with a collection of prints, photographs, and various decorative arts and furnishings. 

I recently brought my 5- and 7-year old daughters to the June First Sunday event, a tea party and story time. First Sundays are held on, you guessed it, the first Sunday of each month. Children attend a special activity while parents can enjoy a gallery talk or explore unencumbered. The events are a great introduction for kids that help make the museum more accessible to them. The activity varies monthly; check the web site for details. 

This time, ten little girls, ranging from preschool to upper elementary aged, were offered silver-plated tea service in the beautiful Sunken Garden (the site of the annual Sunken Garden Poetry Festival), just as Theodate Pope would have been served. The education specialist asked the children questions and spoke to them about life in the Pope household while the children drank herbal tea and nibbled on butter cookies. After tea they moved to a shady spot in the garden and sat on blankets as they listened to two garden stories.

After the tea party, my kids were jazzed to check out the inside of the house and see more about the lifestyle of the Popes. Before entering the house, a friendly security guard spoke to us about the major rules: no photography inside the house, no sitting on furniture, and stay behind roped off areas. This is where your mommy judgment must come into play: while on the one hand it’s great to expose your child to art at a very young age, you will have to be sure your child can handle being hands-off. There are some fabulously comfy-looking, silky chaise lounges that I saw my children looking longingly at, a piano waiting to be played, enticing carvings... if your child can abide by the no-touch rule, great, but this is, after all a house full of works of art -- not the kind of place where you want to have to chase down or wrestle a tantruming toddler who just wanted to pet the lion sculpture. 

While guided tours are an option, we chose to wander the house alone since I wasn’t sure what my girls’ attention span would be. In each room docents were available if we had questions about a particular painting. Mostly my kids were interested in seeing how the family lived and that didn’t disappoint: the dining room table is set, closets contain representative samples of period clothing, the bathrooms and kitchen, while roped off, provide a peek into the mundane yet fascinating details of daily life in the Pope household. We toured the house in about a half hour, which was plenty of time for my five-year old but not quite as long as I would have lingered had I been alone with my seven-year old.

After leaving the house we saw a group leaving for an estate walk led by a naturalist who offered fascinating tidbits about the family and their personal connections to famous artists. We tagged along with this group for a bit but my girls’ attention spans were starting to wane so we snagged a trail map and headed out on our own. There are several blazed trail loops throughout the property with helpful explanations on the map that we were eager to explore. Unfortunately, we were dressed for a tea party and quickly realized that, despite the easy trails, our fancy sandals were not a good match for the grassy terrain. My girls were happy to meander along the paved route, however, and pick bouquets of wildflowers. We will definitely be back soon with sneakers to explore the peaceful grounds -- they are truly breathtaking. The vista during foliage season from the top of the hill that the house sits on must be spectacular.

At the end of the day, my girls were happy campers -- a fancy snack, an opportunity to explore the museum at our own pace, and some time to wander among wildflowers on a beautiful day made for a lovely way to spend the day.    

The Hill-stead Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am-4 pm. The grounds are open daily from 7:30 am-5:30 pm. Admission is $15 adults, $12 seniors, $8 students, $5 children ages 6-12, and free to members and children under 6. In addition to First Sundays, the Hill-stead hosts family-friendly community events including Hay Day coming up in October, Holidays at Hill-stead, and May Day next spring. Check the web site for more information about these events.

Hill-Stead Museum
35 Mountain Road, Farmington, CT 06032
(860) 677-4787