Saint- Gaudens National Historic Site is a unit of the National Park Service located near Cornish, New Hampshire, right on the Vermont border. This historic site was established in 1964 to honor the famous American sculptor, Augustus Saint- Gaudens.

Attractions:

This site covers about 150 acres of land, in the New Hampshire countryside. It includes the home, art studio, and gardens of Augustus Saint- Gaudens, one of America’s best- known sculptors. Saint- Gaudens lived at this estate from 1885 until his death in 1907.

At the visitor’s center, you can watch a video presentation that details the life of Saint- Gaudens. This is a good place to start, so that you can acquaint yourself better with this man and his works.

After the video, the next place to go is inside Saint- Gaudens home, on a guided tour. The house is large- three stories tall with a wrapping porch. The tour guide will take you through some of the rooms of the house, and explain some important facts about Saint- Gaudens life and artwork.

There are three different art galleries with exhibits of Saint- Gaudens’ works of art, showing pictures of some of his famous sculptures, along with some actual originals, right in the galleries. Saint- Gaudens is best known for his sculptures and monuments, but he created other works of art, too, which are displayed in the galleries.

There are a few other buildings in this historic site to visit, but they may not be interesting to some visitors. There’s a horse stable building, containing antique carriages, which might appeal to some people. There’s also an art studio building, where Saint- Gaudens created many of his famous artworks. You can also visit his gravesite, which is on the premises.

Other Activities:

If you feel like going for a hike around the area, there are two hiking trails that originate in this site. The longest trail is the Ravine Trail, which is about 25 miles long. The other trail, the Blow-me-down trail, is much shorter- just over two miles in length. Both trails start out in the historic site area, and lead into the New Hampshire forest.

Admission Fees/Hours of Operation:

This site is open from Memorial Day through October 31. The house, studio, and exhibits are open from 9 to 4:30pm each day. From November 1 to Memorial Day, the grounds are open, but you cannot tour any of the buildings.

Cost of admission is $4.00 per adult, age 17 and older. Children 16 and under are admitted free of charge. The $4.00 fee is good for 7 days.

Final Thoughts:

Augustus Saint- Gaudens is a name that few people have heard. When I went to this site, I knew I had heard the name someplace, but I couldn’t quite remember where. Then, I remembered that it was Saint- Gaudens who designed one of America’s coins, back in the 1800’s. He designed an attractive $20 gold piece that was coined for many years.

This is the type of National Historic Site that will appeal mostly to people who have an interest in art and art history. I don’t have much interest in either topic, so I didn’t find this site very appealing or entertaining. There is some nice artwork to view, but unless you’re in tune with this type of thing, it’s not really all that interesting.

The location of this site, on the western edge of New Hampshire, also makes it less likely that many will bother to visit. It’s not very close to any large cities. You have to make a determined effort to come here and visit.

About 40,000 people visit this site each year, so it’s not one of America’s more popular sites. This is good for those who don’t like crowds. But unless you know about Augustus Saint- Gaudens, or have an insatiable love of art, you might want to pass on this historic site. It just doesn’t have anything unique or interesting to offer the average visitor.




Be Sure to Click the Links Below to Read Reviews of Other National Historic Sites:

James Garfield National Historic Site
Carl Sandberg Home National Historic Site
Touro Synagogue National Historic Site
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
Fort Point National Historic Site
John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site
Cowpens National Battlefield
Adams National Historic Site
Andrew Johnson National Historic Site
Salem Maritime National Historic Site


Recommended: No

Best time to go: June-August
Recommended for: Familes
Review Topic: Overview