Hillwood Estates Museum & Garden

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December 2026 Schedule

The December 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

Celebrate the Holidays at Hillwood!

With December right around the corner, we have some exciting news and updates to share as Hillwood prepares for the holiday season. Read on to learn more about this year’s holiday tree display, explore the label text that will accompany the trees, and see a reminder for our holiday hours.

Holiday Display 2026

It is that time of year for the horticulture staff to pull out the holiday decorations. This year's theme, A Woven Wonderland, is inspired by the current exhibition, Interwoven: A Tradition of Textiles. Some amazing pieces have been chosen that will weave into your hearts this holiday season. Find out what to expect in this article by Ami Wilber, floral and event décor designer.

Read the Article

Tree decorations from 2025.

Holiday Tree Display | Label Text

Holidays at Hillwood | A Woven Wonderland will be on view from Tuesday, November 24 through Sunday, January 3. Learn more about the holiday tree rotation in the volunteer resource, A Woven Wonderland Label Text.

This document can also be found on the 2026 Exhibition Information & Mansion Display Updates of the volunteer website.

Hillwood's Hours this Holiday Season

Hillwood will be closed to the public on:

Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving)
Friday, December 25 (Christmas)

In December, we’ll adjust our hours and close early at 3 p.m. on:

Thursday, December 24 (Christmas Eve)
Thursday, December 31 (New Year’s Eve)

More information on our January closure will be shared in the December newsletter.

News from the Museum Shop

With the holiday season around the corner, Hillwood is gearing up for a busy end of the year. Read on for exciting news and updates from the museum shop.

Museums & Makers Holiday Market at Strathmore

November 12 – 14, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Join the Hillwood Museum Shop at the annual Museums & Makers Holiday Market at Strathmore!

Browse an exciting array of jewelry, toys, one-of-a-kind gifts, and more from the area's best museum and cultural shops. Find something fabulous for everyone on your list and give gifts that give back this holiday season! Every purchase is part of a larger purpose, supporting nonprofit museums and arts organizations in our community.

Support the Hillwood museum shop at Strathmore on November 12-14.

Holiday Discounts for Volunteers & Staff

November 24 – December 24

Enjoy an additional discount for Hillwood volunteers and staff throughout the holiday season. From November 24 through December 24, enjoy 30% off non-clearance items in store or online.

Come visit in-person to enjoy the beautiful merchandise on display, or shop online from the comfort of your own home.

Museum Store Sunday

November 27 – 29

Hillwood is proud to be participating in the 10^th annual Museum Store Sunday, an event that encourages shopping at museum stores to support the missions and programs of each participating museum and cultural institution.

All shoppers will enjoy special giveaways and a 20% discount from Friday, November 27-Sunday, November 29.

On Sunday, enjoy the following exclusives:

Artisanal jewelry pop-up
Free gift with purchase
And more to come!

The museum shop is the perfect place for holiday gifts. With jewelry, home décor, books, and more, there is something for everyone this season!

Find a gift for the holidays and support your local museums!

Have Pennies to Spare?

Thank you to everyone who exchanged their pennies at the museum shop earlier this year! Now that pennies are no longer being minted, they’ve become more limited in circulation. If you have a jar of pennies at home, the museum shop staff would love to exchange them to help ensure cash-paying guests have the change they need.

If you’re interested in trading in your pennies for larger coins and bills, please contact Laura Graham, museum shop and sales manager, at lgraham@hillwoodmuseum.org to schedule an exchange. Please note: An appointment is required so the museum shop can ensure it has enough cash on hand for daily operations.

Thank you for helping Hillwood’s team keep the pennies flowing!

Now Recruiting: Outdoor Garden Volunteers

Hillwood is currently accepting applications for Outdoor Garden Volunteers for an upcoming training in early March 2027. Help us spread the word among your friends and colleagues who may be interested.

Outdoor Garden Volunteers are essential members of Hillwood’s volunteer team, offering support to the horticulture department through hands-on care of the estate’s gardens. Their activities include routine garden maintenance, soil preparation, planting, and propagation, and helping sustain the beauty and health of Hillwood’s diverse garden spaces.

This role is ideal for individuals who:

Have knowledge of horticulture and an interest in plant care
Enjoy being outside and don’t mind getting their hands dirty
Are passionate about gardening and the environment

Typical shifts for this role are scheduled from 8-10 a.m., Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Shifts are offered mid-March through Mid-December.

The fall cutting garden. Photo courtesy of Erik Kvalsvik.

To apply, please review the detailed position description and complete the online application available on Hillwood's website. Applications are due by January 15, 2027.

Thank you for helping us share this exciting opportunity!

New Resource: Staff Directory

Ever have a great conversation with a staff member during your shift but couldn’t remember their name afterward? We have a new resource to help!

The volunteer management team is excited to announce that a staff directory is now available on the volunteer website. Organized by department, the directory includes the photos, names, and titles of staff members who regularly work with and support our volunteers. Featured departments include Security, horticulture, visitor services, museum shop, archives & special collections, and volunteer management.

You can find the directory under the Onboarding tab on the volunteer website. As always, please direct any questions or comments to the volunteer management team at volunteers@hillwoodmuseum.org.

We hope you find this new resource helpful!

Check Out the Directory

Hillwood's staff directory.

A Summer of Photo Shoots

This summer, the curatorial and collections team took part in several large-scale photography projects in preparation for Hillwood’s upcoming publication, The Art of Entertaining, to be published by Rizzoli in the fall of 2027.

As part of these photo shoots, hundreds of objects were taken off view throughout the summer, resulting in a number of display updates in the mansion. This is a common practice at museums as they prepare for upcoming publications and exhibitions, but it takes an incredible amount of time, care, and attention to detail, especially with a collection of Hillwood’s magnitude. Kudos to the collections and curatorial staff for their amazing work in undertaking these photography projects, and thank you to our volunteers for your flexibility and support throughout this process—we’re so appreciative of your ability to pivot and adapt while these important projects took place.

Photographer Alex Braun prepares a silver set for photography.

Explore more about what went into the photo shoots in this article with behind-the-scenes images by Mackenzie Witter, associate registrar, and Amy Abraham, collections and curatorial coordinator.

Read the Article

The Top Dogs of Spooky Pooch 2026

This year’s Spooky Pooch Howl-o-Ween Celebration was another for the books! Learn about the event, including photos of some of the top dogs of the night, in this recap by Claire Fuller, public programs manager:

On October 24, Hillwood hosted another festive Spooky Pooch Howl-O-Ween Celebration, honoring Marjorie Post’s love of dogs through this annual Halloween-themed costume competition and gathering. Guests enjoyed Halloween games, festive photo opportunities, archival displays highlighting Hillwood history, and a lively costume contest featuring approximately 37 canine participants. We were also pleased to partner again with New Columbia Pub Quiz, whose dog-themed trivia and energetic emceeing added to the fun. The grand prize, Scampi’s Choice, was awarded to the “European Artists,” who won an annual Hillwood membership, a floral mum dog expertly crafted by Floral and Event Décor Designer Ami Wilber, and a collar and leash from the museum shop. With 181 pre-registered guests and a strong turnout, the event was a wonderful success. Enjoy the photos below, courtesy of Connor Beaty, people and culture manager.

The grand prize included an adorable dog made of mums, created by Ami Wilber.

Mary Slimp, mansion docent and former board president, dressed her dog as a monarch butterfly.

Costumed pets and humans get ready to take the stage. The Van Gogh-inspired “European Artists” costume took home the Scampi’s Choice grand prize!

Staff Update | Wishing Kevin Beamer a Happy Upcoming Retirement

Time has flown by since Garden Section Manager Kevin Beamer’s retirement announcement earlier this year. Now the day is nearly upon us. Kevin has been with the horticulture department for twelve years. During the last six, he has been responsible for a swath of gardens from the Lunar Lawn to the Dina Merrill Pavilion. With a background in IT and an interest in construction, he has been key in multiple projects over the years. Kevin has managed our irrigation system and created maps to track changes to the system. He has routinely built the step-and-repeats for the annual gala and February 14 events. He expanded the useable space at the cold frames and worked with Ami Wilber, floral and event décor designer, to create a shade cutting garden at the Steward’s House. He also designed and installed the plantings at the Dina Merrill Pavilion.

The horticulture department is grateful for his time here and for everything he has done. We will miss him but wish him the best for his next adventure. His last day will be December 3.

Kevin Beamer, garden section manager, will be retiring on December 3.

Happy Halloween from the Volunteer Management Team!

After dressing as the Fabergé eggs last Halloween, Holly Scanlon, volunteer programs coordinator, and Erin Allen, volunteer programs manager, showed their love for Hillwood this October with another collection-inspired Halloween costume. This year, they took inspiration from the French porcelain collection and created handmade Sèvres porcelain plate headwear in bleu celeste and pompadour pink. A big shoutout to mansion docent Suzanne Morgan for the amazing idea, and thank you to garden docent Lynn Feinberg for this year's photo!

Holly Scanlon and Erin Allen pose in their Sèvres-inspired costumes.

Last year, they started the tradition with costumes inspired by the Fabergé eggs.

Battery Recycling Update

As part of an effort to increase sustainability across campus, Hillwood has been running a battery recycling program throughout the year and has had great success in keeping our batteries out of the landfill. We greatly appreciate the support and enthusiasm our volunteers have shown for the program. Unfortunately, due to rising costs, we can no longer accommodate batteries being brought from home. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes.

While Hillwood will no longer be accepting battery drop offs, there are a number of battery recycling drop offs near the museum. You can visit The Battery Network website for a full list of locations, and search for drop off locations near you.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

Upcoming Volunteer Education

Mark your calendars for these upcoming volunteer educational sessions:

Volunteer Holiday Display Tour

December 8, 9, 10 & 11 (Tuesday-Friday), 10:15-10:45 a.m.

Get an intimate look at Hillwood’s holiday decor on this tour of the mansion and grounds hosted by Ami Wilber, floral and event décor designer. Tours will depart from the cold frames near the greenhouse at 10:15 a.m. Group size is limited to 15 volunteers. Please use the links below to sign up for a tour:

Volunteer Holiday Wreath Workshop

Wednesday, December 9 & Friday, December 11, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Be inspired and create your own unique holiday wreath of wintery greens under the guidance of Matt Boyle, cutting garden and volunteer manager. Space is limited to 16 volunteers per workshop. Workshop takes place in the Dina Merrill Pavilion. Cost is $10. Please use the links below to sign up for a workshop:

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.

Explore >

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.