Saint Gaudens National Historic Site

This is a jewel in the National Park system honoring the life and works of one of the country’s most prolific public sculpture personalities. And as well, the perfect place to spend a beautiful Fall day admiring the foliage, architecture and culture of the site.
Arriving at the expansive site, the visitor center welcomes you and one can make reservations for the house tour, well worth it. Then the walkers visit the sculpture garden and the workshop. To the initial observers to Saint Gaudens’ work, the surprised faces abound when they become aware that some of the most well known sculptures in our major cities as well as monuments of national significance were products of the amazing creative genius of Saint Gaudens. The workshop is equally amazing.
The next item to visit once the tourists have reservations is the home, Aspet. Quite a lot of history although it is a shame only the lower floor in the unique mansion is open to the public.
Lastly, the sprawling gardens are worth visiting especially during the Fall, as the property location commands a spectacular view of the area as well as the piedmont of the Green Mountains. During our visit, the expansive apple orchards were producing countless apples which the staff encouraged visitors to pick or else they’d rot.
Worth a visit. Scenic, historic, pleasant.

The Saint Gaudens National Historic Site preserves the home and studio of one of America’s greatest and most successful sculptors, Augustus Saint-​Gaudens (1848 – 1907). Operated by the National Park Service year-​round, the exhibition areas are open from spring to fall, and during the summer they host concerts as well. Part of the Cornish Art Colony of the time, Saint-​Gaudens first saw the 1817 house in 1885, soon began spending summers there, reportedly at the urging of his wife, and in due course purchased it and named it Aspet, for his father’s French birthplace. After the family left NYC they lived there year-​round until his early death after which his widow and son provided for its preservation. The house is only accessible by tour, but visitors are welcome to wander the beautifully planted grounds, which offer fine vistas of Mount Ascutney and allow one to see in a single location iconic works including his famed Farragut Monument (1881, the original is in NYC), Shaw Memorial (1900, the original is in Boston) and the Adams Memorial (1891, the original is in Washington, DC). Also accessible are studio buildings containing further exhibitions of work by Saint-​Gaudens. There is no food service, but there are picnic facilities and a small gift shop. Some walking over uneven ground is required to fully experience the site which includes a two mile trail through the adjacent woods. Whether you love art or nature or simply wish to take a step back in time, my only disappointment regarding the Saint-​Gaudens Site is that I do not get there more often.

I have visited Saint Gaudens a few times and have always been left absolutely speechless. The first time I went was with my photography class and I have since been a return visitor. When I visited, Admission is $ 5 a person however their website now states its $ 7 a person. Admission covers access to the many buildings at Saint Gaudens, Trails and a guided tour of Aspet which is the home on the property. The tour only covers the first floor however its a home full of rich history and the tour guide was very knowable. There are SO many things to see here I suggest setting aside a good portion of your day if you plan to visit. One of my favorite places was the carriage house! Such a great gem!

Fabulous! Gardens so beautiful, the art work was so beautiful. We enjoyed the tour house and learned so much about this talented artist.

We went on an amazing whirlwind 30 day driving vacation this summer to the east coast. Prior to arriving here we had the pleasure of seeing many of his completed scultures in person. This was even better. The grounds are so beautiful. We were lucky to arrive on a cool beautiful June day. It was in the low 60’s. The exhibits all over the property were amazing. There was also a walking path in the woods that led to a beautiful stream. Loved it all. Recommend wearing sneakers. Lots of walking

We took our kids to Saint Gaudens (ages 6 – 10) and they had a great time here. The art is amazing. The art guide was very knowledgeable. The college interns were kind and informative. The guide for the house didn’t seem to have much to say but did her best. The grounds are well kept and fun to explore.

Lovely park site. Costs $ 5 per person to get in, but counts for multiple days of admission. The road up to the parking lot is narrow and steep so be careful.
The art is awesome. It isn’t ed everyday that you get to be surrounded by such great works.

Beautiful art set in a picturesque setting. They have versions of most of his favorite works, including Lincoln, Farragut and Sherman. The studios show how much of it was created. Scenery is gorgeous.

What a random treasure in the middle of New Hampshire! I’ve lived here for two years and just heard/​visited this place.
The grounds are meticulously well-​kept and the exhibits are simple but informative. I love the Roman and Greek-​influenced architecture and seriously would consider coming back with a good book and just sit by the reflecting pool to read.
Being a city-​girl, it’s been hard being away from arts & culture here, but having this nearby is such a treat. Saint Gaudens was a prolific artist and the sculptures dotted around the estate are testament to his craft.
The only drawback was that we came on a particularly muggy and buggy day, which made enjoying the outdoors a little difficult. Would love to come back here on a crisp autumn day.

A beautiful National Historic Site resplendent with sculpture gardens and well landscaped environs. They have rotating artist exhibitions and on site sculpters. During the summer months they have a concert series in a pavilion located on the grounds. It is a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon with a picnic lunch on the grassy ground listening to the music.

I will admit that prior to visiting Saint Gaudens, I had never heard of the artist — we made the trip up there from Connecticut because we knew that it was a national historic site and thought that we would find it interesting. I will admit to being underwhelmed by the buildings; but the art is spectacular. We could have sat and looked at some of the sculptures all day, they were so amazing. We all learned a little bit about history — US coins, in particular — and really enjoyed looking at the various sculptures. Our youngest earned her junior ranger badge — the park rangers made a big deal about swearing her in as a junior ranger, which was really great. I definitely recommend a visit to Saint Gaudens.

Wow, this place is amazing!!! Sooo many sculptures to see here. Plus, you get a really nice tour of the place with a ranger. Nice landscaping here and you can easily spend the day visiting the house and all the gardens here.

I’ve been here spring, summer, and fall and no matter what season this place is just magnificent. You really get a feel for how amazing it must have been to live there and have this grandiose estate. The huge trees, vast grassy field, beautiful flower gardens, and wooded surroundings make you feel like you’re living in The Secret Garden. The people who work there do a fabulous job of keeping it in tip top shape.
I haven’t done too much in terms of exploring all the buildings, but for the most part have been surprised at all the beautiful nooks and crannies I’ve found just around the corners. Be sure and check them all out.
I loved it here so much that I decided to get married here last year. As far as that went, nothing could have been more perfect on that day and I can’t say enough good things about their staff (especially Greg) making it seem flawless, providing wonderful advice, and being so laid back to anything we needed.

The Augustus Saint Gaudens Historic Site in relatively obscure, but attractive Cornish is a fine place to enjoy Saint Gaudens’ statues, stone reliefs, and busts. I especially appreciated Saint Gaudens’”Shaw Memorial With Heroic 54^th Massachusetts Regiment” and his work,“Ceres, Goddess of Agriculture”.In addition, I enjoyed visiting Aspet, the home of the Saint Gaudens and learning about the life of this eminent sculptor and the history of the Cornish Art Colony. There is a pleasant ravine nature trail on the premises and from Aspet, there are fine views of Mount Ascutney and the Connecticut River Valley. In the summer, there are are occasional concerts on Sundays-​so inquire.

Must be one of the prettiest spots in all of New England… how cheesy of me to say. But ’ tis true dammnit!
The sculpture parks are beautiful to wander around in, the grounds are expansive, and they are pretty chilled out in terms of allowing you to explore, picnic, and pretty much just wander around at your leisure.
The tour of the house was short, but informative.
They allow doggies! Bring your doggy, they will love running and rolling around in the grass here.

Okay, I’m biased. I work for the NPS and enjoy visiting other sites when on the road.
I’ve been aware of St. Gaudens for a long time and relished the chance to finally visit. Through academic work, I am familiar with St. Gaudens work and impact, so was thrilled to finally visit.
Although the historic house is interesting (only the ground floor is open and must be seen on a guided tour), the gallery spaces, film and outdoor gardens are the highlight. There are three garden «rooms» with major casts that are also nice. The piece he created at the end of his life for Henry Adams is stunning. The views of the surrounding area are quiet spectacular, with a wonderful view of Mt. Ascutney.
God for the art, soak up the history, and enjoy one of the very few National parks dedicated to America’s visual arts.

St Gauden’s is the former home of the famous scupter Augustus Saint Gaudens. His home is now a national park and museum in Cornish, NH. The estate is open to the public and has beautiful gardens, and grounds. The house and most buildings are only open during the summer months but the land is open all year round and has beautiful views of Mt Ascutney. They also have tours and educational classes, music, and all kinds of special events in the arts. I have been going there to hike the trails for over 25 years and its a beautiful and free place to enjoy nature and art.