Hillwood Estates Museum & Garden

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February 2026 Schedule

The February 2026 schedule is now open to all interpretation volunteers in Volgistics, complete with private tours and special events. Please log in to your Volgistics account to schedule your shifts. If you have any changes or questions regarding the volunteer schedule, please continue to contact volunteers@hillwoodmuseum.org or 202.686.8528. Thank you.

Log into Volgistics

Please note: Hillwood will reopen to the public on Tuesday, February 3 following our January closure for a deep cleaning of the mansion.

Happy New Year from Hillwood!

Goodbye 2025, and hello 2026! Thank you all for another wonderful year at Hillwood—we’re so thankful for the enthusiasm, energy, and dedication you bring to your volunteer service. We appreciate all that you contribute to our vibrant Hillwood community, and we look forward to the work that we’ll do together in 2026.

As we head into the new year, we’d like to take a moment to share some stats on last year’s visitation. With your support in 2025, we had another record-breaking year and welcomed 114,814 visitors on-site at Hillwood, along with 2,772 virtual visits from school and public programs. It’s been a joy to see so many new and returning visitors at Hillwood, and our volunteers serve a vital role in making sure everyone that comes to campus feels welcome and engaged with the beauty and story of Hillwood. As always, thank you so much for all you do!

A snowy day at Hillwood. Photo courtesy of Erik Kvalsvik.

While we’re closed for a few weeks in January, we hope you have a chance to relax and recharge before we gear up for the exciting programs, exhibitions, tours, and special events that will be taking place this year. Though our doors are currently closed for a deep cleaning of the mansion, there are many ways to keep in touch with Hillwood, such as the Virtual Volunteer Business Meeting on Wednesday, January 28 at 10 a.m., which is a great opportunity to hear directly from Hillwood’s senior management team about important updates and major projects for the coming year.

Read on to learn more about ways to stay connected this January, along with some updates from around campus. Thank you for your continued support in 2026; we can’t wait to welcome you back to the museum soon!

January Closure

Hillwood will be closed to the public from Monday, January 5 through Monday, February 2 for a deep cleaning of the mansion.

We will reopen to the public on Tuesday, February 3 and will be kicking off the new year with Crêpe Days: Celebrate La Chandeleur! on Saturday and Sunday, February 7 and 8. We look forward to welcoming back volunteers and visitors for another fabulous year of programs, exhibitions, and beautiful planting throughout the gardens.

2026 Guest Passes

As part of Hillwood’s volunteer benefit package, volunteers are welcome to visit the estate free of charge during normal operating hours and receive guest passes for family and friends. Be on the lookout for your volunteer guest passes, which will be mailed later this month.

At your earliest convenience, please ensure that the mailing address associated with your Volgistics profile is correct. Instructions for updating your profile can be found on pages 6-7 of the Volgistics User Guide.

Every volunteer will receive 10 guest passes for 2026.

2026 Mansion Docent Training

The volunteer team started the new year by welcoming a new class of mansion docents-in-training. We’re looking forward to working with them throughout the 2026 mansion docent training class, which runs from January-June.

Led by Lisa Leyh, head of volunteer and employee engagement, and Audra Kelly, director of interpretation, the training provides a wealth of knowledge on the life of Marjorie Merriweather Post, Hillwood’s expansive collection, best practices for engaging visitors, and more. For incoming volunteers, the training content is a wonderful way to engage with Hillwood’s history and collection and prepare to share their knowledge with the public. For existing volunteers, the pre-recorded lectures and the associated readings serve as great refreshers or provide new insights into collection and visitor engagement methods.

The French drawing room. Photograph courtesy of Erik Kvalsvik.

We encourage all volunteers to take advantage of this continuing education opportunity by following along with the pre-recorded lectures and looking through the readings, which are available on the 2026 Mansion Docent Training page of the volunteer website. The content is organized by topic, beginning with the first class in the training program. To access the training material, click on the desired topic to expand the page for a complete list of the pre-recoded lectures and reading materials.

Staff Update

The new year has brought a number of exciting promotions and additions to Hillwood’s stellar team. Please join us in celebrating the staff below who have taken on new roles.

FACILITIES

Brett Kirkland, Engineer 1

Please join us in congratulating Brett Kirkland on his promotion to engineer 1. Brett has demonstrated exceptional growth in his technical skills, along with a strong ability to step up and take on new responsibilities. He has been pivotal in assisting with many of the challenges the facilities team have faced as a group, consistently contributing thoughtful solutions and dependable support.

In addition, Brett has shown strong project management skills that have helped elevate both his performance and the effectiveness of the team. His recent achievement of earning his Universal HVAC license is a significant milestone and further reflects his dedication, professionalism, and commitment to continued development. This promotion is well deserved, and we look forward to Brett’s continued success in his new role.

Brett Kirkland

VISITOR SERVICES

Shannon Bastan-Siar, Visitor Services Assistant Manager

Please join us in congratulating Shannon Bastan-Siar, who has been promoted to visitor services assistant manager. Shannon has been part of the visitor services team for nearly four years (with many more at the Merriweather café before that), and her leadership, experience, and deep knowledge of our operations make her a wonderful fit for this role.

Shannon Bastan-Siar

Erin Rockwell, Group Sales, Special Events & Tourism Coordinator

Erin Rockwell has stepped into a new full-time role as group sales, special events & tourism coordinator. This position will support our growing group sales and special events work. Erin has been supporting group visits for nearly two years as a visitor services coordinator, and we’re thrilled to see this role come together with her in it.

Erin Rockwell

James Donoghue, Visitor Services Coordinator

Please also congratulate James Donoghue, who has been promoted to visitor services coordinator. James is known for his strong attention to detail, positive attitude, and reliability, and we’re excited to see him take on expanded leadership responsibilities.

James Donoghue

Bethanie Belisle, Full-Time Visitor Services Associate

In addition, we are happy to share that Bethanie Belisle has been promoted to a full-time visitor services associate. We’ll be working with our people and culture team to refill Bethanie’s part-time associate position in the coming weeks.

Bethanie Belisle

Ashley Tressel, Part-Time Visitor Services Associate

We are also excited to welcome Ashley Tressel, who recently joined the visitor services team as a part-time associate. Please take a moment to say hello next time you are in the visitor center!

Ashley Tressel

COLLECTIONS

Mackenzie Witter, Associate Registrar

Please join us in congratulating Mackenzie Witter on her promotion to associate registrar. Mackenzie has been a wonderful member of the collections team since joining Hillwood in September 2023. She has proven herself to be dedicated and reliable, a hard worker, a quick learner, and a great colleague. We are so lucky to have her on the collections team!

Mackenzie Witter

Upcoming Volunteer Education

Mark your calendars for these upcoming volunteer educational sessions:

Virtual Volunteer Business Meeting
January 28 (Wednesday), 10 a.m.

Join us for Hillwood’s annual Virtual Volunteer Business Meeting, offered virtually via Zoom, on Wednesday, January 28 at 10 a.m. Volunteers will have the opportunity to hear from Hillwood’s senior management team to learn more about Hillwood’s strategic plan, important updates, and major projects for the year ahead. Time will also be dedicated to answering volunteer questions submitted via Zoom’s Q&A feature. The meeting is scheduled to run for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. All volunteers are encouraged to attend, and no advance registration is needed. A Zoom link with the meeting instructions will be emailed closer to the program date. The business meeting will be recorded and the video link shared with volunteers via email.

Green Day of Horticulture
February 9 (Monday), 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Join Hillwood’s horticulture department for Green Day of Horticulture, a relaxed and engaging day designed for learning and connection. This year’s program will feature four short lectures exploring:

The history and evolution of ecological horticulture
Best practices in weed and invasive species management
The intersection of historic and sustainable garden design
The past, present, and future of composting at Hillwood

The session will be held in the visitor center theater, with coffee and light refreshments provided. Doors to the visitor center will open at 9:30 a.m. There will be plenty of opportunities to connect with staff and fellow volunteers before, between, and after the lectures.

All volunteers are encouraged to attend, and no advanced registration is needed. If you’re unable to attend, the session will be recorded and the video link shared with volunteers via email.

Virtual Volunteer Lecture | On Time: Giving Form to the Fleeting
February 18 (Wednesday), 6 p.m.

Join us for the upcoming virtual volunteer lecture presented by Dr. Wilfried Zeisler, deputy director and chief curator, highlighting Hillwood’s special exhibition On Time: Giving Form to the Fleeting, opening in the dacha on Saturday, February 14. The exhibition will present Hillwood’s robust collection of lavish 18th, 19th, and 20th-century timepieces, displaying these beautiful objects alongside historic and contemporary loans to explore horology's place in society, both culturally and stylistically.

The lecture, hosted via Zoom, will provide an overview of the exhibition design and objects, followed by a live Q&A with the curator. All volunteers are encouraged to attend, and no advanced registration is needed. A Zoom link with the meeting instructions will be emailed closer to the program date. The virtual lecture will also be recorded, and the video link will be shared via email and posted on the volunteer website.

Staff Help and Resources

Thank you for being a part of the Hillwood community! Our doors are always open. Feel free to reach us at volunteers@hillwoodmuseum.org.

-The Volunteer Support Team

Erin Allen, Holly Scanlon, Matt Boyle, and Lisa Leyh

Explore Hillwood Online

Stay connected with Hillwood anytime through our website! Discover treasures in the collection database, see what’s blooming in the gardens, and sign up for upcoming programs. Planning a visit? Head to our Plan Your Visit page for the latest offerings and to book your next visit.

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Visit the Volunteer Website

Stay informed and inspired by visiting Hillwood’s volunteer website. Revisit past newsletters and updates, watch recordings of volunteer programs, and review the latest guidelines. Dive deeper into your Hillwood journey with a wide array of educational resources designed just for volunteers.