Robert Todd Lincoln built Hildene as a summer home at the turn of the 20th century.  He was the only child of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln to survive to maturity.  Robert first visited Manchester as a young man in the summers of 1863 and 1864 when he came to the Equinox Hotel with his mother and his brother Tad. He was so taken by the beauty of Vermont that some forty years later he returned to purchase 500 acres of land to build what he would call his ancestral home.



The non-profit Friends of Hildene raised the money to purchase the estate in 1978 and began the long process of restoring the home and gardens.  The formal gardens, designed as a birthday gift by Jesse Lincoln for her mother Mary, include many of the original plantings from 1907 and produce thousands of peony blooms each June.



The garden promontory, overlooking the Battenkill Valley, provides spectacular views of the mountains on either side and the Meadowlands 300 feet below.  The Cutting and Kitchen Garden behind the Welcome Center was restored in the spring of 2003, and the original potting shed now houses exhibits and provides space for the volunteers who maintain the garden.



Many programs and events take place on the estate each year including children's camps, craft festivals, art shows, community concerts, farm fairs, polo matches, and family days. Hildene Holiday Evenings are the highlight of the winter season when the house is dressed in traditional festive decorations with flowers, greenery and candles throughout.  The formal gardens, lawns and house are also available on occasion for private functions.