The George Aiken Wildflower Trail and Hadwen Woods at Bennington Museum is a large woodland garden that showcases the many native plants that Aiken–a 2 term governor and 6 term US Senator–loved, propagated, and wrote about in his book, Pioneering with Wildflowers.

The trail is a learning laboratory featuring seasonal plant identification markers and signage relating to the history of the region and other topics. Sculptures by regional artists are scattered along the trails. Some are permanent and some change each year. In the warmer months, a map in the kiosk box features the sculpture locations and artist names.

Access

The trail is one-third of a mile long. There are several benches along the way for resting, 18 of which are hand painted and feature patterns found on quilts in the Museum’s collection. Those with mobility issues can use the  service road to reach more accessible parking at the top of the hill.

Be respectful of the surroundings. Leave no litter behind, keep your pets on a leash, and pick up after them. The trail is open to the public from dawn to dusk.

Special thanks to Bennington College, The Bennington Garden Club, local Boy and Girl Scout  Troops, The Career Development Center, Marie and George Hadwen, Jerome Construction, Bennington Master Gardeners, Pembroke Landscaping, The SEALL Program, Teens4Change, The Whipstock Hill Foundation, The Vermont Community Foundation, the Harris & Frances Block Foundation and many more!

The George Aiken Wildflower Trail has been developed and is maintained by volunteers. To join the trail crew, which meets on Saturday mornings in the warmer months, please email info@benningtonmuseum.org or call Bennington Museum: 802-447-1571.

The Museum frequently holds outdoor educational programming and workshops for children and adults in the pavilion and along the trail. Visit our website to see what events are coming up or to make a donation to support this free outdoor community resource!

Nearby

From the trail you have easy access to historic Old Bennington which includes sites such as the Bennington Monument, the Old First Church, the Walloomsac Inn, and the site Catamount Tavern including a Stopping Stone which was placed by the Museum to commemorate a former slave.