Looking for a unique way to celebrate Mom this Mother's Day? Take her on a walk through time, history, and beauty at these two amazing museum homes and gardens.
We all know there are tons of museums to tour in D.C., but there are also some jaw-droppingly beautiful private estates turned into museum homes and gardens. These two are my personal favorite, and if you're looking for ways to wow your mom this spring, these are the places to do it! (Fun fact: "Mom" is "Wow" spelled upside down. You're welcome).Hillwood Museum & Gardens
4155 Linnean Ave. NW Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Suggested donations:- Adult: $18
- Senior: $15
- College Students: $10
- Child (6-18): $5
"I want young Americans to see how someone lived in the twentieth century and how this person could collect works of art the way I have ... I want to share this with the rest of the world."Now the Post Foundation maintains Hillwood Museum & Gardens, offering varied ways to tour the estate's rooms, treasures, and gardens. Self-guided, audio, or docent tours are all included in your "suggested" donation. Because seeing is believing, let this slideshow entice you to visit and marvel at one of D.C.'s most extravagant museum homes and gardens. [gallery type="rectangular" ids="7833,7831,7830,7829,7828,7827,7826,7825,7824,7823,7822,7821"]
Dumbarton House
2715 Q St. NW
Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Closed for month of January)
$10 Admission for adults (kids and college students with a valid ID, Free)
Dumbarton House is chock-full of D.C. history -- just the kind of museum house I love best! The classic Federal-style mansion was built in 1799 on one acre of land in what's now Georgetown, and it was originally called Belle Vue, but was renamed by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America. But we're getting ahead of ourselves!
First, Dumbarton House was built, bought, and sold by merchant Samuel Jackson. (No relation to the Pulp Fiction star, oddly enough). Next, it was owned by the Nourse family; Joseph Nourse was the first register of the U.S. Treasury. When the Nourses lived there, it was a fascinating time in the young capital city — until the summer of 1814, when the British burned the Capitol and the White House. By that time, Charles Carroll, close friend of President James Madison, was living there. It was to Dumbarton House that Dolley Madison fled on the day the White House burned. From the famous letter written that day:
". . . Our kind friend, Mr. Carroll, has come to hasten my departure, and is in a very bad humor with me because I insist on waiting until the large picture of Gen. Washington is secured, and it requires to be unscrewed from the wall ....And now, dear sister, I must leave this house, or the retreating army will make me a prisoner in it by filling up the road I am directed to take. When I shall again write to you, or where I shall be tomorrow, I cannot tell!"In 1928, The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America purchased the property. It was painstakingly restored to its Federal-style beginnings under the direction of world-famous architectural historians. Information was gathered from Nourse family letters and Joseph Nourse's account books to recreate what Dumbarton House was like when the Nourse family lived there. Any gaps in the picture were filled in by scouring old newspaper advertisements, paintings, and prints. The Dumbarton House herb garden is planted with herbs, flowers, and other plants that would have been in 18th and 19th century gardens. It has more than 40 different varieties of plants that help depict life (of a wealthy family) in the early American Republic. Check out the slideshow for pictures that tell a thousand words! [gallery type="rectangular" ids="7846,7841,7842,7851,7843,7844,7845,7855,7847,7849"]
Now that you have two of D.C.'s most beloved museum homes and gardens on your radar, get on out and explore them. Don't forget to bring Mom!
Do you have favorite local museum homes and gardens that we didn't mention? Tell us about them in the comments!
