This pastoral 122-acre plot was 'heaven' to its owner Daniel Chester French (1850–1931), the sculptor best known for his great seated statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. French's public works, mostly monumental, made him a wealthy man. His house and studio are substantially as they were when he lived and worked here, with nearly 500 pieces of sculpture, finished and unfinished, in the barnlike studio. Guided tours run at 11am, noon, 1pm and 2pm.

There are also rotating contemporary-sculpture exhibits in the grounds. A gallery building houses further pieces from the Chesterwood collection, including a study of the Concord Minute Man of 1775, French's bronze commemorating the Revolution.

To get there take MA 183 south 0.75 miles past the Norman Rockwell Museum, go right onto Mohawk Lake Rd and left onto Willow St, which becomes Williamsville Rd.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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