Hill-Stead Museum

As a VENUE:  Host your event…

CELEBRATE at Hill-Stead: Beautifully unique, Hill-Stead offers privacy, sweeping views of the surrounding meadows and hills with gardens and lawns edged by over 3 miles of dry stone walls. Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, Hill-Stead boasts a 1901 colonial revival home designed and built by Theodate Pope Riddle (1867-1946), one of the first licensed female architects in America. A classic country estate, Hill-Stead was created to showcase the art and antiques passionately collected by Theodate’s father and to provide gracious spaces for her mother who loved to entertain. Theodate created the Sunken Garden for her mother who loved gardening-in the 1920’s Beatrix Farrand (1872-1959) created a planting plan that is honored to this day. Our unique indoor and outdoor spaces are ideal for a variety of events: From * business retreats * meetings and * entertaining to * celebrations ranging from * weddings * showers * reunions * dinners, and * cocktail parties – Hill-Stead makes every event something special. With six distinct spaces at your disposal, you can create an unforgettable occasion.

• West Lawn & Veranda: In the tradition of English Country Estates, Hill-Stead’s sweeping West Lawn is framed by a colonial revival mansion, with vistas of the Litchfield Hills and nearby views of the estate’s farm buildings, meadows and pond. This area can accommodate large gatherings and is suitable for an open-air or tented event of any size.  A Mount Vernon-style veranda at the front façade complements this expansive space.
  • Capacity: 400 guests

• Grass Court: Adjacent to the West Lawn and bordered by leafy trees and stone walls, the Grass Court is an ideal space for retreats and team building exercises. This grassy glen was the site of the estate’s grass tennis court and has views of the historic home and veranda.
  • Capacity: 200 guests

• Sunken Garden: A one-acre perrennial garden surrounding the original summer house, the Sunken Garden provides waves of color from spring through fall. From seated dining in the summer house for 16 to standing cocktail parties for 200, The Sunken Garden is a magical space for you and your guests. Surrounded by rustic stone walls, the garden reflects the palette of the estate’s Impressionist paintings. The summer house is a focal point, accented by brick paths radiating out among the many flower beds.
  • Capacity: 200 guests

• Glass Room: With glass walls providing views of the hills and original kitchen garden on one side and the Garmany terrace and stone walls on the other the Glass Room lets you and your guests experience the majesty of Hill-Stead’s grounds in climate controlled comfort. An interior space like no other the Glass Room can accommodate 40-50 for seated lectures or dining.

• Makeshift Theater: Originally designed as a community gathering space the historic Makeshift Theater is an airy, rustic, indoor space adjacent to a warming kitchen. With direct access to the parking lot, a sound system and pull down screen the Makeshift Theater can be used for presentations or can be decorted for ceremonies and parties. This airy Arts and Crafts-style wood-paneled room in the Carriage Barn provides a rustic setting for events up to 120. The room is climate controlled for year-round use.
  • Capacity: 100 seated at guest tables / 150 seated lecture stile / 200 guests for a standing reception

• Pope Board Room: An elegant, intimate space for meetings or smaller events the Pope Board Room is decorated with antiques and paintings of Theodate and her Father. Adjacent to a small kitchen, is a private restroom and the Stone Porch.
  • Capacity: 50 guests

Support the Hill-Stead Museum… by simply booking your next special occasion here:

https://hillstead.org/private-events/

As a SHOP: Discover unique gifts…

Shop at Hill-Stead!  Discover unique gifts and delightful treasures at Hill-Stead’s gorgeous Museum Shop while also supporting our mission. NOTE: There are no online sales. Physical store offerings include: * Books * Toys and Games * Unique to Hill-Stead, and * Holiday Boutique.

Support the Hill-Stead Museum… by simply purchasing your specialty merchandise here:

Be a DONOR: Show that you care…

Support Hill-Stead Museum:

Hill-Stead Museum is both a local treasure and a National Historic Landmark. On any given day you may see visiting school children come face-to-face with an Impressionist masterpiece for the first time, neighbors meeting for a companionable stroll, a tourist group or garden club arriving, volunteers at work in the Sunken Garden, a scholar poring over the archives, or a family enjoying time together on the trails.

Membership

Becoming a member is a great way to enjoy Hill-Stead Museum all year long. All memberships are fully tax deductible and support the Museum’s mission. Annual benefits include: free admission to the historic house, special exhibitions and estate walks, advanced notice of and complimentary or discounted tickets to programs and events, invitations to Members-only events, 10% Museum Shop discount, and more. Membership at specified levels is offered: * Student/Educator * Hill-Stead For You * Hill-Stead For Friends & Family * Bronze * Silver, and * Gold.

Theodate Pope Riddle Society: The Theodate Pope Riddle Society is made up of those who support Hill-Stead with gifts of $1,000 or more per year.

Donations

• Give to the Annual Fund: Throughout the year, we ask you to support Hill-Stead. We are fortunate to have such a close-knit community of caring and compassionate individuals. Now, we hope you will join the charge in sustaining our beloved institution well into the future. Supporting Hill-Stead supports education, celebrates the arts, and provides for the future. Donations in specified amounts are designated or you may customize your gift. Recurring donations are encouraged: Weekly / 1st and 15th / Monthly / Yearly.
• Gifts in Honor or in Memory: A gift to Hill-Stead Museum’s Annual Fund is a great way to recognize your friend, family member, or colleague. Acknowledgements are mailed notifying that a tribute gift has been made in someone’s honor or memory. Your contribution receipt will also be mailed. If you have any questions about making a Tribute or Memorial Gift, please contact our Chief Philanthropy Officer.
• Sponsor an Event or Program: Every program and event that Hill-Stead presents over the course of a year is supported by the generosity of corporations or charitable foundations. Sponsorship of Hill-Stead events and programs increases visibility and showcases commitment to the Greater Hartford community. Through sponsorships, foundations further their mission and outreach, and businesses reward employees, cultivate new relationships, and build goodwill.
• Planned Gifts: Be part of the legacy by remembering Hill-Stead down the road. You can continue to pave the way for others by including Hill-Stead in your estate plans. Since 1998, The Legacy Society members have helped support and sustain our beloved cultural hub and the larger community it serves far into the future. If you are considering a bequest to Hill-Stead, our team can work with you to ensure your wishes are honored, and your gifts serve the beloved cultural hub far into the future. And, if you’ve already made a bequest, please tell us so we can thank and recognize you as a member of the Legacy Society.
• Donor Advised Funds: A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is a type of giving program administered by a third party (such as Bank of America Charitable, Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, etc.). It allows you to combine the most favorable tax benefits with the flexibility to easily support your favorite non-profits, and is created for the purpose of managing charitable donations on behalf of an organization, family or individual.
• Poetry Programs: Hill-Stead Museum welcomes support for the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival all year long. Make sure this wonderful tradition of poetry and music remains a high point of each Hill-Stead summer.
• Sharon Stotz Object Conservation Fund: At the museum’s 2013 Annual Meeting, it was announced that in lieu of a gift in honor of her 40 years of service to Hill-Stead, Sharon Stotz suggested that a fund be established to benefit the Museum’s ongoing conservation needs. Sharon launched this fund with a generous contribution, and to date, many have joined her in helping to preserve the beautiful objects in our collection so that they may be enjoyed by visitors of all ages for years to come.
• Matched Gifts: Many corporations offer matching gift programs to their employees, retirees and board members. Check your employer’s website to learn more about your company’s matching gift program. You may be able to double your contribution.
• Endow Hartford 21 Fund: Hill-Stead is among one of the 51 organizations participating in Endow Hartford 21 Fund, a pioneering initiative of Henry Zachs and his family foundation to offer a matching program for nonprofits across Greater Hartford. Over the past year, Hill-Stead has blazed new paths to strengthen itself by serving our local community. From the Porch, our multicultural performing arts series, forged partnerships with fellow arts organizations by offering live art experiences during the pandemic. Through Endow Hartford 21, we are turning to our community again, seeking its support for this groundbreaking initiative. With help from the Zachs Family Foundation and generous supporters like you, this program will strengthen Hill-Stead by creating a more steady income for the Museum. Any gift between $250 to $10,000 per participating organization will be matched 1:2 by Endow Hartford 21.

Volunteer:  At Hill-Stead Museum, the people make the place! Our volunteers are at the heart of Hill-Stead, giving of their time and energy in every aspect of the dynamic cultural destination from its extraordinary art collections to its impressive architecture, and expansive gardens and grounds. Volunteers nurture Hill-Stead Museum’s mission of enrichment, education, and stewardship alive for generations to come. They also strengthen our ability to offer enriching educational programming and give generously of their time at our robust roster of events, including our May Market and our nationally acclaimed Sunken Garden Poetry Festival as well as seasonal celebrations.

Support the Hill-Stead Museum… by simply joining, giving, and volunteering here:

https://hillstead.org/donate/