Plan Your Visit to Hill-Stead
Hours
The Pope Riddle House (Available via Guided Tour Only):
Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00am-4:00pm, every hour on the hour.
The last tour starts at 3:00pm.
The Museum Shop:
Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00am-4:00pm.
Hill-Stead Grounds:
Monday through Sunday, 7:30am-5:30pm.
For groups of eight or more visiting the grounds, please make an advance reservation via [email protected].
Dogs are welcome at Hill-Stead, but must wear a leash at all times. The museum asks that owners clean up after their pets; there are receptacles provided throughout the property.
Please note that Hill-Stead is closed for all major holidays.
Admission
To keep our Museum accessible to all, Hill-Stead is proud to offer AAA, Blue Star Museums, Museums for All and Connecticut Art Trail program benefits. Hill-Stead’s grounds and hiking trails are free to the public.
Museum Members are always free. Not a member? Join Now!
Museum Members: FREE
Adults: $20.00
AAA & Seniors (62+): $18.00
Students: $15.00
Children (6-12): $12.00
Children (0-6): FREE
Special Admission Programs:
As a Blue Star Museum, Hill-Stead offers active-duty military families free admission from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across the United States of America.
Hill-Stead is a part of the Museums for All program and offers free admission for up to four people with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) or SUN Bucks card. Museums for All is a cooperative initiative between the Association of Children’s Museum and Institute of Museum and Library Services to offer a signature access program that encourages families of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum habits.
Hill-Stead is a member of the Connecticut Art Trail. Discover Connecticut’s artistic treasures with the Connecticut Art Trail Art Passport. The $35 Art Passport includes one admission to each of the 20 member museums per year. Explore diverse, quality collections rich in history and heritage, including European masterpieces, American Impressionism, ancient art, and contemporary culture.
Group Tours
Group tours are private tours led by Hill-Stead Museum Guides and require at least two weeks advance registration.
In the event of closure due to inclement weather, deposits may be applied to a future date.
Please note that Groups up to 36 people can tour concurrently (complete within 1 hour). Groups larger than 36 will need to tour in multiple shifts (complete in 2 hours).
Highlights of Hill-Stead (10 or more people)
1-hour guided tour of the museum.
Adults: $16.00
Seniors: $14.00
House & Garden Tour (10 or more people)
1.5-2 hour private group tour of the house, gardens and grounds. Great for garden and architecture enthusiasts! Please wear comfortable shoes.
Adults: $20.00
Seniors: $18.00
Curator-led Private Tour (for up to 6 people)
2 hour private tour of the museum with full access to all period rooms led by Hill-Stead’s Senior Curator. A unique opportunity to take an in-depth look at the collection with detailed family and artist stories.
To book this type of tour please email [email protected].
Adults: $45.00
Accessibility
Hill-Stead offers designated parking and wheelchair accessibility to the first floor of the Pope Riddle House, Museum Shop, Exhibition Gallery, and the Sunken Garden. Hill-Stead provides one wheelchair for visitor usage upon request.
Visitor Information
Archives
The Museum Archives are open by appointment only. Please contact [email protected].
Art classes, Plein air painting groups, and other groups
Clubs, classes, or workshops must make a reservation at least 7 days in advance. Location fees and restrictions apply. To make a reservation contact the Education Department at [email protected].
Please consider bringing your group indoors for a tour of the museum’s renowned collection. Monet’s fine landscapes can be a great source of inspiration. To arrange for a group please visit this link or email the Education Department at [email protected].
Photographers
Please review our Photography and Filming Policy here.
Pets at Hill-Stead
Hill-Stead welcomes pets of all kinds on the property, as long as they are accompanied by owners at all times and properly leashed or restrained. The museum asks that owners clean up after their pets; there is a receptacle in the Orientation area for garbage.
Guidelines for Visitors
The Hill-Stead Museum asks that you “Leave only footprints, take only photographs.” (Photographs allowed outside the museum only).
Please help us preserve this unique setting by observing the following guidelines:
- Please restrict your use of permanent materials, such as acrylic and oil paints, to grassy surfaces and stay away from all stone walls, bluestone paths, porches, and walkways.
- We ask that you park in designated parking areas only and not on the grass.
- Picnicking is allowed only in designated areas where the museum have placed picnic tables. Please do not eat in the Sunken Garden.
- During public hours, you are welcome to use the Hill-Stead Museum restrooms.
- There is also a wonderful array of original en plein air paintings by Connecticut artists, art books for children and adults, and many wonderful gift items available for sale in the Museum Shop.
- Please remember to keep away from poison ivy, which grows in abundance on the grounds of Hill-Stead. In addition, after you have finished working, remember to check yourself for ticks that may carry Lyme disease.
- Hill-Stead Museum is a not-for-profit organization and relies on support from people like you to keep its doors and grounds open. Consider making a donation to the museum or becoming a member. Stop by the Museum Shop for more information.