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Hill-Stead Museum Walking Trails
Location Information
Sponsored by:
Hill-Stead Museum
Location Entrance:
35 Mountain Road
Farmington, CT 06032
Location Phone:
(860) 677-4787
Type: An entire preserve
Alternate trailhead or entry point:
35 Mountain Road
Difficulty: Easy (Mostly level terrain with the likeliness to encounter few, if any, obstacles)
Primary Walking Surface:
Earth
Hours open:
Open daily 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Suitable for ages: • Children • Teenagers • Adults • Seniors
Number of walking trails: 3
Total walking route length: 5 miles
Admission fees:
Free; Museum admission is $9 adults, $8 seniors, $7 students, $4 children ages 6-12, free to members and children under age six.
Location Website: Hill-Stead Museum Walking Trails
Location Details
You’re invited to explore the museum’s trails, part of a 152-acre historic landscape. Come to walk, watch for birds, identify trees, or simply absorb nature’s sights and sounds. You may wish to complement your outdoor experience with a guided tour of the 1901 Pope Riddle house. Hill-Stead’s original pathway system was used for both farming and recreation. From 1901 through 1946, Hill-Stead encompassed 250 acres and included the Pope Riddle house with outbuildings, gardens, and an experimental dairy farm. Alfred A. Pope and his wife Ada assembled the estate by purchasing small farms and tracts of open land. Drawing on the English Landscape movement and Colonial Revival style for inspiration, the Popes’ daughter, Theodate Pope Riddle, designed Hill-Stead with an eye to utility, horticultural variety, and ornament. Today, Hill-Stead maintains its trails and facilities with the generous support of hundreds of individuals.
Location Features
| Landscape settings: | • Pond/lake • Woodland • Wetland • Meadow • Historical site • Cultivated gardens, • Farmland |
| Amenities: | • Leashed pets permitted |
| Activities: |   |
| Neighboring towns: | |
| Access restrictions: |
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How to get there
| Driving Directions: | Take Exit 39, I-84 East or West. Follow Route 4 West. Turn left onto Route 10 South. At the first traffic light, turn left onto Mountain Road. Museum entrance is 1/4 mile up the hill on the left. |
| Parking: | Ample parking located at the Hill-Stead Museum visitor parking lot. |
| Public transportation: |
Other Items of Interest
| Flora and fauna: | Oak, maple, hemlock, and ash are predominate in the woodland. Other notable plants include white swamp oaks, black willow, cattails. The pond is a habitat for ducks, geese, heron, frogs, fish, and muskrats. |
| Affiliate Groups: | A National Historic Landmark and an Official Project of Save America’s Treasures, Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, CT, is a stop on the Connecticut Art Trail and a member of Connecticut’s Historic Gardens. |