A French tradition in 20th Century American Style!
Not far from the National Zoo, visitors to DC can swing by the Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, a beautiful historic home with an incredible amount of European art. Marjorie Post bought the property after her divorce from her third husband and arranged for the property to be turned into a museum after her death. Originally bequeathed to the Smithsonian, the museum is managed by the Post Foundation, and is a really lovely place to visit if you want something that’s a little removed from the hustle and bustle of the National Mall. The museum is also a vocal supporter of the LGBT community and hosts Pride themed events and has a delightful café on property as well.
I’ve had tea at Hillwood before – a really lovely date with my fiancée the last time she visited me! – but I had never been inside the house proper before and have been meaning to do so since I moved here. So when my friend Ama sent me a link to their annual Crêpe Day celebration, I leaped at the chance to go look at some beautiful artwork and enjoy some hopefully tasty crepes.
Read on to hear about how our adventure went?
I’ve had tea at Hillwood before – a really lovely date with my fiancée the last time she visited me! – but I had never been inside the house proper before and have been meaning to do so since I moved here. So when my friend Ama sent me a link to their annual Crêpe Day celebration, I leaped at the chance to go look at some beautiful artwork and enjoy some hopefully tasty crepes.
Read on to hear about how our adventure went?
La Chandeleur – or Crêpe Day – is a French tradition with both Pagan and Christian roots that takes place on February 2nd. It marks the halfway point between winter and spring, and was a handy way to use the last of your stores of wheat before the new harvest came in. The crepe’s round shape also can represent the sun, which is starting to come back after the long dark days of winter.
There are lots of superstitions and traditions associated with la Chandeleur, but Hillwood uses it as a way to celebrate the museum being open for the season again. It’s an event that’s really great for families, with fun kid friendly tours of the museum, storytelling, and even a craft where kids can decorate their own plate in the style of the museum’s impressive French porcelain collection. They also had an area for younger kids to play with felt crepes and toppings, which was super cute. I’ve always loved pretend food, no matter what form it comes in!
There are lots of superstitions and traditions associated with la Chandeleur, but Hillwood uses it as a way to celebrate the museum being open for the season again. It’s an event that’s really great for families, with fun kid friendly tours of the museum, storytelling, and even a craft where kids can decorate their own plate in the style of the museum’s impressive French porcelain collection. They also had an area for younger kids to play with felt crepes and toppings, which was super cute. I’ve always loved pretend food, no matter what form it comes in!
And, of course, there’s real crepes!
There were three options for crepes: Nutella, berry, and plain, with chocolate sauce and whipped cream to dress up your plain crepe if you wanted.
The crepes were really delicious. They weren’t eggy at all, and they had just the right amount of filling. For $10 at the student fee, we each got two crepes, as well as admission to the museum, so it was a really nice deal for us grad students who don’t have the cash for pricier museum admission.
We explored the grounds a little, including their incredibly impressive green house, which has one of the country’s best orchid collections, according to the Hillwood:
We explored the grounds a little, including their incredibly impressive green house, which has one of the country’s best orchid collections, according to the Hillwood:
The Russian style Dacha hosts special exhibits, but was still closed for the season. It’ll open with a new exhibit in a few weeks! We also stopped by the Japanese style garden and the French parterre, which were still impressive to look at in the winter time, as were the other gardens flanking the house:
When Jessi and I went this past September, the gardens were still in bloom and absolutely gorgeous. Maybe we’ll have to take another field trip out there this spring for some better outdoor pictures!
We also made friends with an orange cat who apparently lives at the museum. Although he wouldn’t let us pet him (and wouldn’t pose for pictures!), he followed us around for a good half hour, and shadowed us until we went inside the house.
We also made friends with an orange cat who apparently lives at the museum. Although he wouldn’t let us pet him (and wouldn’t pose for pictures!), he followed us around for a good half hour, and shadowed us until we went inside the house.
Marjorie Post was a big collector of paintings, china, and other pieces of art from France and Russia, particularly Imperial Russia, and including a few Fabergé eggs.
You’re allowed to walk freely through the first and second floor of the house, or you can go on a guided tour if you want a more in depth look at the house’s design and collections. It’s one of those homes that makes me wonder why people are so dismissive of American homes in terms of architecture and artistic design. Sure, it’s no Versailles, but it’s still a really incredibly beautiful home.
You’re allowed to walk freely through the first and second floor of the house, or you can go on a guided tour if you want a more in depth look at the house’s design and collections. It’s one of those homes that makes me wonder why people are so dismissive of American homes in terms of architecture and artistic design. Sure, it’s no Versailles, but it’s still a really incredibly beautiful home.
We also got to literally peek inside the pantry!
The house has a huge, almost industrial kitchen. Marjorie Post was a big fan of entertaining, so a huge kitchen was a must. I was practically salivating at all the counterspace, considering how teeny tiny my kitchen is.
But my favorite room was Marjorie’s bedroom. They had one of her dressing gowns and tea sets on display, and while I don’t tend to think of myself as someone who wants everything lacy and pink, I could definitely see myself happily moving into this room and getting quite comfortable. Maybe when I finally get around to writing the next great American novel…
Hillwood is a beautiful, underappreciated gem for most DC visitors, and if you’ve got any interest in art, gardens, or just looking at how the other half lived in the mid 20th century, I would absolutely recommend stopping by. And if you can swing February 2, 2019, you’ll get to enjoy some really tasty crepes!
And who can argue with that?
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