hillwood museum & gardens

Hillwood was the home of the late Marjorie Merriweather Post. Take a tour of the house and learn about her outstanding collection of Russian art, including Faberge eggs, her French art, and her many table settings. We learned that the servants who washed the dishes by hand were not allowed to talk while they work, lest they break a piece of china. Every room is over the top elegant, which makes me wonder what it was like to actually live there. Lots of fun things in the gift shop. And the gardens are fabulous, including the huge fish pond. Next time we go, I want to have lunch at the garden restaurant.

This was a wonderful place to visit on a cold, wintry day. This was the estate of the late Marjorie Merriweather Post. Hillwood is one of Washington, DC's best kept secrets. The late Mrs. Post collected magnificent Russian art including two Faberge eggs which are on display in her home. She also has beautiful paintings and French decorative arts. Although the mansion is full of magnificent furnishings, it was a home where she entertained. One can just imagine the fabulous dinners and balls she held in her home. It is a visit well worth its price. The gift shop also had very interesting things on sale. We were told that the gardens on the grounds are magnificent so a visit when the ground isn't covered with snow is highly recommended.

The Hillwood Museum and Gardens is an extraordinary off the beaten path destination for visitors to DC! The museum was the home to Marjorie Merriweather Post a fascinating woman who collected an exquisite collection of both Russian imperial art as well as French decorative art and objects. She lived an extraordinary life, her sensibility is reflected in the collection and furnishings in her home.TAKE THE TOUR! My best pal and I delighted in the knowledge of our tour guide. We were treated to a glorious journey through the main house that informed us as to her life and her collections.The 25 acre grounds are lovely, the pet cemetery a highlight!The restaurant on the grounds is terrific! Great food and service! Make a reservation!It is an amazing destination!

This museum is truly breathtaking and worth the price of admission. Visit in the spring or summer to truly experience the gardens. However, the collections inside, and the house itself, are amazing in any season.

My wife and I went to Hillwood because we have been to DC many times over the years and wanted to see something that we had never been to before. We saw the listing for Hillwood in TripAdvisor and decided to visit. It was well worth our time even though the gardens are not in bloom in Winter, there was enough inside the home and outbuildings to keep us busy until closing time. We took the audio tour and highly recommend it. Take your time going through the main house. We allotted 2,5 hours and should have spent more time. If the gardens are alive, I would plan on spending at least 4 hours on the grounds. Don't be put off that there is an admission fee for Hillwood, unlike most other attractions in DC. The suggested fee is $15 for adults; there are reduced suggested fees for seniors, military, college students and children. Remember these are the suggested fees. You will not be turned away by paying less. If you have liked the homes of the rich and famous in Newport, RI or the estates along the Hudson River, you should not miss Hillwood. I am thankful to Marjorie Meriweather Post, that in her wisdom, she decided to allow her world to be open to the rest of us.

Was first introduced to Hillwood by a friend last Winter. Have returned 5 times...each time has been a bit different, always in a good way. The gardens are dormant in winter, but any other time...wow. Had lunch twice in the café and it was lovely. I joined and have made this the must-see for my guests.

Hillwood Mansion is one of the most beautiful, elegant homes you will ever visit! You will feel, as I did, that you've stepped back in time and Marjorie Meriweather Post will emerge to greet you at any moment. The displays, including the Russian Eggs and many different sets of dishwear, are fascinating and spectacular. I especially enjoyed visiting her huge bedroom and boudoir and seeing the elaborate costumes, many with feathers, she wore while entertaining. So many wonderful things, including original invitations from those gala parties, have been saved for you to seeGo in the Spring! The driveway will be lined with azaleas in every color imaginable. The flower-filled grounds of the museum are maintained beautifully and the gift shop is also a fun place to visit. Be sure to begin by viewing the short film, which will introduce you to your hostess and describe many things about her life and family so you can more fully enjoy the tour of her home.Be sure to take time for luncheon in the cafe - the food is delicious and beautifully served,I often like to imagine myself walking alone at night through the upper hall of this beautiful mansion in the moonlight.. Downton Abbey has nothing on this!

If you only have a day or two in DC, this probably won't make your "must see" lust. But if you've already seen the monuments and Smithsonian, this is a great place to visit. You don't have to pay to see the gardens, which are beautiful in spring. The house is a world-class museum that also provides insight into what was considered the "modern" luxuries of mid-century America. Love the yellow kitchen!

Very pretty home owned by the daughter of Post cereal. The home sits 2 miles north of the National Zoo. The Mansion is filled with art/furniture from France and Russia. You must watch your children as many displays are open. The grounds have several gardens: rose, zen, tea etc. this was a beautiful place- we spent about 3 hours

Hillwood is place I keep recommending all of my friends. The Russian objects(silver, avant-garde porcelain figurine, porcelain,paintings, and many many more) is incredible. The Marjorie Post's estates reminds me the St.Petersburg's palaces.

This is a nice cafe with very modest selection of snacks and small seating space compared to the grandeur and luxury of the museum. Outside area was not covered with umbrella's either on a sunny day. Good for a quick bite but I would not bet on it as a full lunch.

Hillwood is a look into the past of a very rich woman with excellent taste. Exploring the mansion is interesting, but seeing the superb art collection is the main reason to visit--especially the huge "Boyar's Wedding" painting and the Faberge objets. I'd love to have Ms. Post's bedroom and blue dressing room.The gift shop is another good reason to visit!

Mrs. Post's estate is a beautiful home with contents almost beyond imagination, architecture, artwork, jewelry, tapestries, superlative artifacts... The home and collection is worth a visit several times a year because of the wonderful gardens that are different during each season of the year... The home has so many wonderful things therein that several visits are necessary to take it all in... If you have exquisite taste, like Mrs. Post did, visit...you'll be very glad you did... Do take the docent tour...so much to be learned and observed... Enjoy lunch in the café too......oh so nice...!! I can hardly wait to go back...!!

This delightful house and its beautiful gardens should be on any D.C. visitor's to-do list!My husband and I received a wonderful private tour given by one of my friends who is a docent there. The house was aglow in the most spectacular Christmas decorations and the special Cartier jewelry exhibit was unbelievable!We had a delicious lunch in the museum restaurant - I highly recommend making that part of one's day there. And don't miss a visit to the gift shop...it is filled with so many unique and lovely items.

Was trolling TripAdvisor.com for some ideas of things to do over the holidays and came across Hillwood Museum and Gardens. I have lived less than 10 miles away from this estate for nearly 20 years and never knew it existed! My husband and I went the next day and were completely blown away by the experience!We arrived at 10 AM when it opened and were greeted warmly. Our admission fee covered both a self-guided audio tour as well as a docent tour. We selected both options. After watching a brief and informative video about Marjorie Merriweather Post, we began exploring. The 16th and 17th century collections of French and Russian decorative art were astounding. Each room was more exciting than the last. Our docent was informative and entertaining and answered all of our questions. The docent tour was supposed to last about 45 minutes, but we easily took twice that time and enjoyed every minute.We had made reservations at the cafe in advance, but realized that the docent tour (only offered at 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM) would interfere. No worries! There are convenient phones at the Mansion and Visitor's Center for easy rescheduling. After the docent tour, we enjoyed a tasty lunch in the cozy cafe. Even the wait staff had interesting stories to share about the estate. After lunch, we returned to the Mansion to complete our exploration with the self-guided tour then off to the Cartier exhibit which included a thrilling array of custom jewels and gowns.Although we visited in January when the gardens were hibernating, we did stroll through the greenhouse to admire the various orchids and other plants.We spent more than five hours at Hillwood and look forward to several more visits. Can't wait to introduce other local friends and out-of-town visitors to this magnificent experience!