Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens presents a way of living that has nearly vanished. It is the only public site in the District of Columbia of a noted collector, philanthropist, and socialite’s home and estate—where presidents, heads of states, ambassadors, politicians, and dignitaries were formally entertained in the mid-twentieth century. Further, it is a premier American example of an “art collector’s personal museum,” preserved intact for posterity. Marjorie Merriweather Post bought Hillwood in 1955 and soon decided her home would be a museum that would inspire and educate the public. Her northwest Washington, D.C. estate endowed the country with the most comprehensive collection of Russian imperial art outside of Russia, a distinguished 18th-century French decorative art collection, and twenty-five acres of serene landscaped gardens and natural woodlands for all to enjoy. Today Hillwood's allure stems from the equally fascinating parts that make up the whole. From the captivating life of Marjorie Post to the exquisitely maintained Mansion and Gardens, the experience of Hillwood outshines even the Fabergé eggs.