Fun social distancing summer activities: Historic New England Tours

On July 8, Historic New England is opening twelve of its beautiful historic landscapes.

Castle Tucker, Wiscasset, Maine

Only the grounds of Castle Tucker are open to the public from daily from dawn to dusk. There is no charge to visit the grounds.

The following guidelines are in place for the safety of both the staff and the workers:

• Groups no larger than ten
• Face coverings required
• Groups must maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others

About Castle Tucker:

Castle Tucker was built in 1807 on a hill overlooking the Sheepscot River. It tells the story of Mollie and Richard Tucker, a prominent shipping family, and their five children at the turn of the twentieth century.

Codman Estate, Lincoln, Mass.

Only the grounds of Codman Estate are open to the public from daily from dawn to dusk. There is no charge to visit the grounds.

The following guidelines are in place for the safety of both the staff and the workers:

• Groups no larger than ten
• Face coverings required
• Groups must maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others

About Codman Estate:

This estate is filled with art and memorabilia from Europe and America. The grounds feature a hidden turn-of-the-century Italian garden with perennial beds, statuary, a reflecting pool filled with water lilies, and a 1930s English cottage garden.

Cogswell’s Grant, Essex, Mass.

Only the grounds of Cogswell’s Grant are open to the public from daily from dawn to dusk. There is no charge to visit the grounds.

The following guidelines are in place for the safety of both the staff and the workers:

• Groups no larger than ten
• Face coverings required
• Groups must maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others

About Cogswell’s Grant:

This colonial-era farmhouse is a must-see for lovers of American folk art. It was the summer home of renowned collectors Bertram K.  and Nina Fletcher Little.

Eustis Estate, Milton, Mass.

The estate will reopen for guided tours on Saturday, July 11. Advance tickets are required and admission is free for Historic New England members.

The following guidelines are in place for the safety of both the staff and the workers:

• Tours have been altered to maximize social distancing
• Groups no larger than six
• Face coverings required
• Groups must maintain at least six feet of distance from others
• Groups must arrive ten minutes before their scheduled tour time and meet their guide at the front entrance of the mansion
• All large bags must be left at home
• Hand sanitizer will be available
• Enhanced cleaning and disinfectant measure are in place

About Eustis Estate:

The Eustis Estate was designed in 1878 by renowned Boston architect William Ralph Emerson. It sits at the base of the Blue Hills and is full of stunning architecture and design details.

Gropius House, Lincoln, Mass.

The estate will reopen for guided tours on Saturday, July 11. Advance tickets are required and admission is free for Historic New England members.

The following guidelines are in place for the safety of both the staff and the workers:

• Tours have been altered to maximize social distancing
• Groups no larger than four
• Face coverings required
• Groups must maintain at least six feet of distance from others
• Groups must arrive ten minutes before their scheduled tour time and meet their guide at the front entrance of the mansion
• All large bags must be left at home
• Hand sanitizer will be available
• Enhanced cleaning and disinfectant measure are in place

About Gropius House:

Walter Gropius, the founder of the German design school known as the Bauhaus, was one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century. He designed Gropius House as his family home when he came to teach architecture at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. It combines traditional elements of New England architecture with innovative materials.

Hamilton House, South Berwick, Maine

Only the grounds of Hamilton House are open to the public from daily from dawn to dusk. There is no charge to visit the grounds.

The following guidelines are in place for the safety of both the staff and the workers:

• Groups no larger than ten
• Face coverings required
• Groups must maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others

About Hamilton House:

Shipping merchant Jonathan Hamilton built this Georgian mansion in 1785 on a bluff overlooking the Salmon Falls River. Today, it is one of the region’s quintessential Colonial Revival-style country estates. The elaborate perennial garden and garden cottage provides visitors with a place to stroll and picnic overlooking the river.

Governor John Langdon House, Portsmouth, N.H.

Only the grounds of Governor John Langdon House are open to the public from daily from dawn to dusk. There is no charge to visit the grounds.

The following guidelines are in place for the safety of both the staff and the workers:

• Groups no larger than ten
• Face coverings required
• Groups must maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others

About Governor John Langdon House:

The Governor John Langdon House tells the story of the early colony of New Hampshire, Portsmouth’s mercantile boom, and the Colonial Revival movement. Named after three-term governor of New Hampshire, signer of the United States Constitution and Revolutionary War leader, the National Historic Landmark was “esteemed the first” in Portsmouth by George Washington.

Lyman Estate, Waltham, Mass.

Only the grounds of the Lyman Estate are open to the public from daily from dawn to dusk. There is no charge to visit the grounds.

The following guidelines are in place for the safety of both the staff and the workers:

• Groups no larger than ten
• Face coverings required
• Groups must maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others

About the Lyman Estate:

In 1793 shipping merchant Theodore Lyman commissioned famed architect Samuel McIntire to design and build a Federal-style home for his family. The estate is one of the finest U.S. examples of a country estate following eighteenth-century English naturalistic design. The thirty-seven acres include beautifully preserved gardens and historic greenhouses.

Roseland Cottage, Woodstock, Conn.

Only the grounds of the Roseland Cottage are open to the public from daily from dawn to dusk. There is no charge to visit the grounds.

The following guidelines are in place for the safety of both the staff and the workers:

• Groups no larger than ten
• Face coverings required
• Groups must maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others

About the Roseland Cottage:

The Roseland Cottage is instantly recognizable for its pink exterior. Built in 1846, the cottage was the summer home of Henry and Lucy Bowen. Bowen used Roseland Cottage as a place to entertain friends and political connections, including four U.S. presidents. The landscape includes original boxwood-edged parterre gardens planted in the 1850s. 

Fun fact: The estate has the nation’s oldest surviving indoor bowling alley!

Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, Newbury, Mass.

Only the grounds of the Spencer-Peirce -Little Farm are open to the public from daily from dawn to dusk. There is no charge to visit the grounds.

The following guidelines are in place for the safety of both the staff and the workers:

• Groups no larger than ten
• Face coverings required
• Groups must maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others

About the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm:

This family-friendly, 230-acre site fosters animals in partnership with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. You can learn about life on a farm over the centuries through hands-on activities. You can also explore nature trails and enjoy a picnic under ancient maple trees.