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Hillwood Museum and Gardens Review

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Hillwood Museum and Gardens

Museums / Galleries, Northwest

User Rating: ***** 4.8

Fodor's Review:

Hillwood House, cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post's 40-room Georgian mansion, contains a large collection of 18th- and 19th-century French and Russian decorative art that includes gold and silver work, icons, tapestries, porcelain, and Fabergé eggs. Also on the estate are a dacha (summer cottage) filled with Russian objects and an Adirondacks-style cabin that houses Native American artifacts. The 12-acre estate grounds are composed of lawns, formal French and Japanese gardens, greenhouses, and paths that wind through plantings of azaleas, laurels, and rhododendrons. Make reservations for the house tour well in advance, as well as for lunch in the café , where Eastern European specialties are on the menu. Children under six are restricted to the gardens only.

Member Reviews & Ratings:

Hillwood an example of elegance

Posted by Jennifer from Upstate NY on 2/21/06

Hiilwood is worth the cab ride and admission and the advance planning. You must reserve your tickets in advance, and make reservations to have lunch too. This is an unbelievably elegant home in a fabulous neighborhood the average visitor would never see. To see the collection of art the way that Mrs Post envisioned ( in a beautiful home, not a stark museum) is a unique experience. It isn't for everyone, I went alone and left my husband and kids to enjoy other pursuits.I enjoyed soup quich and champagne for lunch. I cannot wait to visit again!

EXPERIENCE: 5.0

EASE: 4.0

VALUE: 5.0

DON'T MISS: 5.0

RATING: 4.8