Heritage Museums & Gardens Opens New Giant Treehouse
Sandwich, Mass.— Heritage Museums & Gardens will open its new giant Treehouse to the public on Thursday, August 18. Three years in the making, the two-story Treehouse is the crowning element of Hidden Hollow, Heritage’s new $550,000 outdoor discovery center, which is the only certified Nature Explore Classroom at a museum in New England.
“Treehouses bring out the kid in all of us. They represent freedom and inspire dreams,” said Ellen Spear, executive director of Heritage Museums & Gardens. “We envision it being used in many ways: as an observation tower to facilitate learning about the canopy layer of the forest, a family play space, a retreat, or just a place where kids can let their imaginations run wild. In a more serious vein, they help kids practice creativity – an identified 21st century skill.”
Master treehouse-builder Pete Nelson advised on the project early on, situating it in two magnificent oak trees and suggesting post-and-beam construction inspired by Norwegian stave churches and medieval wooden churches. Architect Greg Jones created the final design that incorporates sustainable woods (ipe, locust, red cedar, and mahogany). High school students from the carpentry program at Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School built the Treehouse under the supervision of their teachers. The landscaping around the structure is being completed by Robert Maffei Landscape Contractors, taking inspiration from the Hidden Hollow landscape design created by renowned landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy. The first floor of the building is fully accessible to visitors with disabilities.
Hidden Hollow is a place for families to play in and explore the natural world. Nestled in a two-acre dry kettle hole, its unique topography offers a stimulating and beautiful outdoor setting for family discovery and learning. Children can climb stepping stumps, navigate log balance beams, construct forts, create nature-inspired art, build with blocks, dig in sand, experiment with water, make music, engage in sensory investigation with plants, and more.
Admission and Location
Heritage Museum & Gardens is open daily from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Museum admission is $15.00 (adults), $12.00 (seniors), $7.00 (youth, ages 4 to 16),
and free for members and children age 3 and under. Heritage is conveniently located off Route 6 at 67 Grove Street in Sandwich, Massachusetts. For more information, call 508.888.3300 or see www.heritagemuseumsandgardens.org.
About Heritage Museums & Gardens
Founded in 1969, Heritage Museums & Gardens is a place that celebrates American culture and inspires lifelong learning by sharing excellence in horticulture, garden design, and the exhibition of great collections. Heritage is located on 100 acres of gardens and nature trails on the banks of Shawme Pond in historic Sandwich; it is the largest public garden in southern New England. In addition to the magnificent grounds, known for their encyclopedic collections of daylilies, hostas and hydrangeas, the estate holds a nationally significant collection of Dexter rhododendrons, specialty gardens, water features, and sculpture. Hidden Hollow, a new family-friendly feature, is a place for exploration of the natural world and learning about environmental stewardship. Heritage also offers three buildings housing permanent exhibits of world-class automobiles, American folk art, historical artifacts, a working carousel, and changing special exhibits on aspects of American culture.
