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(Falmouth, Massachusetts): Highfield Hall & Gardens is pleased to announce the opening of two new permanent galleries; House of Dreams, and The Summer Salon. These galleries offer new ways to experience the rich and multi-faceted history of Highfield and the property. Visitors will enjoy a beautiful and serene setting to explore the new displays where the past and present unfold naturally through the presentation organized in these categories, Retreat, Center of Creativity, Architectural Landmark, and Community Asset. This new interpretation reveals an interconnectedness of those who lived and worked at Highfield since it was built in 1878. Highfield has long been a place of refuge and retreat, but also a busy place where individuals and organizations have ventured to create businesses and experiences for a wider community. The House of Dreams includes a film compilation featuring historical content with a dramatic interpretation of James Madison Beebe, the patriarch and Boston merchant who built the family’s fortune, plus contemporary interviews discussing key points in the story of Highfield. The installation was designed to allow additional content to be added digitally as research continues and more facts and stories are revealed. Motivated by new research and the opportunity to transform an office suite once rented to a local architect, the project took several years to complete. The project was an opportunity to conduct further research on the house, such as finding original wallpaper from c.1879 which confirmed the direction to take the Summer Salon. The Summer Salon is a space where stories about the women in the late 19th century, including the Beebe sisters, their friends, and women from the community including household staff, can be explored in context of a period designed room. The salon reflects a private summer space for well-to-do women where they were free to express themselves socially, intellectually, and culturally. These typically less furnished but elegant rooms were social hubs where women like the Beebes showcased their talents in art, music, and literature. The room was a microcosm of the broader societal changes and reflected the evolving roles and aspirations of women in an era marked by an increasing social sophistication and cultural refinement. Seasonal Gallery Hours: Tuesday– Friday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm About Highfield Hall & Gardens The house is a rare surviving example of transitional Stick Style architecture, containing beautiful gardens located in the heart of Falmouth, Massachusetts. It is a unique combination of a historic house, expansive gardens and trails, and a vibrant cultural center. Built in 1878 as the summer home for Boston's Beebe family, the house sits on 5.5 pristine acres surrounded by nearly 400 acres of conservation land and public walking trails. Highfield Hall & Gardens is not your typical historic estate. It is an example of a historic building saved by grassroots community organizing. An effort of tenacity and vision that continues as new research on the structure and its story of the people who lived here add to the building's significance. It offers world-class music, international art exhibitions, culinary classes, family programs, and year-round special events. For more information, visit www.highfieldhallandgardens.org.