Hillwood Estate

Washington, DC

November 28, 2015

It's sort of a holiday tradition in the DMV to hit up the Smithsonian museums on the day after Thanksgiving. I did something different this year and visited a "house museum", one of the three estates owned by Marjorie Post, the Post cereal heiress.

Hillwood was the Spring and Autumn home of Post, a
"modern" socialite, who maintained the wealth and opulence of the Gilded Age (lotta homes lotta staff), long after it was over. I've toured a lot of residences of wealthy people. This is one of the few where opulence didn't leak into gaudy.

Even if you're not into interiors, the site is worth a visit for the beautiful gardens, including a rose garden, a Japanese garden and a French Parterre. There's also a greenhouse filled with orchids. For the fashionistas, the museum's current exhibit is "Ingenue to Icon" chronicling Post's frocks through the years. Finally, there's a quality gift shop with amazing retro Christmas ornaments. I picked up a few for my tree.

Hillwood is open year round, six days a week. For more information: Hillwood Museum and Gardens.