Weir Farm National Historical Park!

What Is Weir Farm National Historical Park?

This park preserves the artist retreat of Impressionist painter, Julian Weir!

What Makes It Historical?

Julian Alden Weir was born August 30, 1852, the fourth of sixteen kids! First schooled at the National Academy of Design, he spent his 21st through 25th years at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, studying with master, Jean-Léon Gérôme, and exhibiting in the Paris Salon! He returned to New York in 1877 and joined the Tile Club, a social club of artists whose ranks included William Merritt Chase and Winslow Homer! Here, he painted portraits and met buyers like Erwin Davis, who, at the time, owned this exact 153-acre farm near Branchville, Connecticut.

Mr. Davis offered up this farm to Mr. Weir in exchange for procuring a specific painting from Europe! Mr. Weir followed through, and in September 1883, he and his new bride, Anna, moved onto the farm. Here, immersed in nature, Mr. Weir’s career blossomed into a blend of French Impressionism with Japanese art. Here, the Weirs became parents to three daughters, Caroline, Dorothy and Cora! Here, tragically, Mrs. Weir died in childbirth in 1892, ten years after they signed the deal on this farm.

But the Weir farm continued to thrive! Mr. Weir married Anna’s sister, Ella, the following year, and the farm itself opened up to all kinds of artists who were tired of stuffy city societies! He joined a group called “The Ten American Painters,” whose members, like Childe Hassam and John Twachtman, often came to the farm to paint, hunt, fish in the Weir Pond, and just enjoy nature! In his final years, he served in lots of leadership positions, from President of the National Academy of Design to Boardmember at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and got honorary degrees from both Princeton and Yale! Some of his most famous works include Idle Hours, Upland Pastures, and After the Ride. Look ’em up!

How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?

Volunteer at Weir Farm National Historical Park!
Donate to Weir Farm National Historical Park!
Be a responsible visitor! Remember the old adages: Pack out what you pack in! Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints!

How Do I Get There?

735 Nod Hill Rd
Wilton, CT 06897
(Take Me There!)

When Should I Visit the Park?

Park grounds are open from dawn to dusk daily, but the visitor center and buildings are only open between April and November, Wednesday to Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 4:00PM!