House Tours
Wethersfield Estate & Garden is pleased to re-open the Main House for guided tours during the 2023 Season.
House tours run twice daily on select Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.
Dates for the 2024 Season will be released in late April.
Wethersfield Members enjoy unlimited visits to Wethersfield Estate & Garden and one free house tour per season with priority booking. If you are a member wishing to make a reservation, please call 845-373-8037 or email info@wethersfield.org and indicate “House Tour” in the subject line.
Admission is $15 (plus processing fees) per person for non-members.
House Tour Reservations are required, and space is limited. Each tour can accommodate up to 10 people.
About the Main House
Situated at the estate’s highest point and at the center of the formal gardens, Wethersfield House is a Colonial Revival brick and brownstone country house, that reflects the close collaboration between architect L. Bancel LaFarge (1900-1989) and client Chauncey Stillman (1907-1989), a Columbia trained architect. Together, LaFarge and Stillman produced a unique edifice, the interior of which features multiple spatial dimensions not always obvious from the exterior. The interior of the house corresponded to align with specific features and spaces in the gardens, reflecting an organic relationship between axis-inspired indoor and outdoor living. The majority of Stillman’s significant collection of art and decorative art remains in situ, including a marble room known as the “Gloriette” containing frescoes by Italian painter Pietro Annigoni (1910-1988), renown for his portraits of notable sitters including Queen Elizabeth II and John F. Kennedy. The tour will lead visitors through the first floor of the house.
Know Before You Go
Parking
When you reach the gate at the bottom of the hill, you will be welcomed and directed up the hill towards the house and garden. As you reach the top of the hill, there is a sign that directs you to visitor parking. Please follow the signs and park accordingly.
Restrooms
There are public restrooms located next to the parking area for your convenience.
Meeting Point
Please follow signs through the garden to the front of the Main House, where you will meet our Hospitality Coordinator, another staff member, or a docent who will be waiting to provide your tour.
Health & Safety
Please note that we require guests to wear protective footwear while in the House. (This is provided by Wethersfield.) Note that marble and/or polished floors may be slippery, and the safety of guests is of utmost importance to us. (In addition, we are mindful of wear and tear which foot traffic produces, and we appreciate your understanding.)
We also ask you to respect the choice of fellow guests to wear (or not wear) a face covering. If you are experiencing any symptoms of Covid-19, please call the office to reschedule your tour at no additional cost. (We will provide complimentary masks on request.)
No Photography
We respectfully ask that visitors refrain from interior photography.
No Food & Drink
We respectfully ask that no food or drink be brought into the house.
What You Will See
The House Tour is conducted through the downstairs only. The upstairs is not included on the tour.
Additional Help
Please let us know if any member of your party needs assistance, and we will make every effort to accommodate. Please email info@wethersfield.org.
More about the Main House
Please enjoy the below videos (click to view):