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November 2023 by Bill Kusmit
A lovely place on beautiful Mascoma Lake. It's great just to walk around, especially in autumn.
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October 2023 by Jim W.
We arrived at the Enfield Shaker Museum shortly after 10 a.m., which was its opening time. You park either on the right side (facing the buildings) or possibly around back also. You enter at the front and the tickets are sold in the gift shop immediately on your right. The lady selling the tickets was friendly and chatted with us. She said there was a tour starting at 11 a.m. Another guy wandered in who turned out to be the guide. After a little confusion, he led us through the building to a sunlit room towards the back. Here they had some chairs set up facing a TV. He first discussed a bit of general Shaker background with us and then started the ~ 10-minute video about them. It was interesting. The video ended at about the same time that another group of 3 German tourists was escorted back by the ticket lady. Our guide seemed a bit torn, and asked if we wanted to see the video again. We deferred, figuring that we could wander around outside for a few minutes (it was still only around 10:40 a.m.) before the tour. He then started the video for the new group. We walked around some of the buildings and took a few photos now that the morning fog had burned off. We then went back in and asked the ticket lady about the tour, as it was then around 10:50 a.m. She said that it may have already started, so we walked back to the video room. The guide was indeed discussing a topo map of the site with the Germans. We joined in and the tour then began. This was interesting; he discussed how the building was laid out (mostly to allow separation of the male and female Shakers). He showed us the basement workshops / storage areas as well as the common dining room. An older couple passed us at one point early in the tour and headed inside. A couple of minutes later, the ticket lady led the couple back to the tour group. They had intended to join the 11 a.m. tour (at 11 a.m.) and were somewhat irate that they had missed part of it. The staff tried to be helpful and offered them a refund, but in the end they settled down and just joined the tour. I sympathized with the couple in this case - if you state that you have an 11 a.m. tour, it seems like you should at least designate where to meet (presumably at 11 a.m.). The tour here just seemed to coalesce at some time in the neighborhood of 11 a.m. We continued touring the ground floor and then made our way upstairs to the 2nd floor, where there was an even larger central room for worship services. The way the builders included cabinets in almost every part of the interior walls, and how they arranged shutters for the windows, was quite interesting. Note that one of the 'simple gifts' that the builders were not able to include here was an elevator. Hence, if you have mobility issues, climbing the stairs between floors may be something you should factor in to your planning. The tour then headed next door to a church that the subsequent owners (a Catholic organization) had built. The interior was interesting with plenty of stained glass. Our guide wrapped up the tour with quick stops at a couple of mostly gutted outbuildings. It was about 12:10 p.m. at that point. I thought this was an interesting site. You should just allow some flexibility on tour timings.
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September 2023 by Courtney Jane Brown
Darling and well done festival of Shaker life this last Saturday. The kids enjoyed all the old-timey activities and I really enjoyed the fiber arts tent especially! I really learned a lot from the friendly and knowledgeable volunteers. There was mask making, weaving, vine crown making, candle making, broom making, apple cider making, wagon rides, dinkeys & goats to pet, a sheepdog seminar, too. I'm not even listing it all! Amazing work by the volunteers truly.
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September 2023 by Das E.
Stay overnight, enjoy Shaker architecture and sensibility from the inside. Hike up to Smith Pond, savor fresh cider at the harvest festival. Friendly people, rustic interiors, gratuitous coffee, I'd come again.
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July 2023 by Brian McGarry
I stopped here on a whim with my family as we were traveling. Not knowing what to expect, we were honestly blown away by this experience. The Shaker's are a fascinating group to learn about and their craftsmanship is top notch. The tour lasted 1.5 hours and the guide was genuinely knowledgeable and passionate.This museum is also a Blue Star Museum which means military families are free for entry.
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June 2023 by Otis otis
We were on a road trip… And by happenstance came upon this museum… We just dropped in without planning, and we had a wonderful visit… The guide, who did a tour with us, Mrs. Torres, was incredibly knowledgeable, and was a great tour guide… Very personable and attentive to our questions… What Are most about this place was the structures and the store… Or gift shop… With many products… Very competitive pricing… The staff were very cordial and polite… It’s a wonderful place to visit… It really is an interesting place, because it shows you the great diversity of this great country… For all groups, no matter what… Who came here… To practice their faith… Or just to be free… It’s a wonderful experience… I must say that visiting this place was very insightful… It’s a place that I would definitely come back to you if I ever come this way again. If you visit… Inquire about Mrs. Torres… She’s a great volunteer…
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June 2023 by Jeff Todd
The main building on this property is quite impressive. The tour though long was good. The docent was very willing to answer questions and quite knowledgeable about the history.Price for entry: $14
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December 2022 by LowellIsTheCity
Even just walking the grounds is a very beautiful experience for a connection with history through the time period's very peaceful architecture and yards.
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October 2022 by crosscourtforehand
Having stayed at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill before, we knew what to expect. We enjoyed the stay, a peaceful alternative to typical lodging. The check-in at the gift shop was easy, the cost was very reasonable, the surrounding grounds and the building itself offered peaceful surroundings. Only downside I can think of was it got a bit toasty warm on the 4th floor overnight (no tv for one night, but we could handle that!). For nearby meals, I recommend Three Tomatoes Trattoria in Lebanon for dinner and Four Aces Diner for breakfast in West Lebanon.
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September 2022 by EvyDel
We stayed the night on the 3rd floor. Wow do this if you can. So clean hair dryer, fan, shower, good Wi-Fi in a 200 year old room that still had the feel you were back in the early 1800’s. Spotless even has a refrigerator. Take the tour, or you will miss so much. This is an experience that will make your vacation so memorable. Staff were all so sweet!!!!
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July 2022 by Barbara Ho
We learned a lot on the tour of the main building. The guide was very knowledgeable and could answer any questions we put to her. She was clearly very experienced. We toured the main building with her and then were let loose to explore the rest of the grounds ourselves. It would have been nice if the open buildings were marked on the map. We did meet up with a gentleman who was constructing brooms as the Shakers had, it was very educational.Both my husband and I enjoyed the tour. The only place we did not spend enough time in was the gift shop, but we live close enough that we will be back for that.
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July 2022 by Robin L
My husband really enjoyed this place but I found it underwhelming. The grounds are small and not a whole lot to see. The actual tour is inside, and again not a whole lot to see, but the tour guide was full of information on Shakers and their beliefs and way of life. Nice little ten minute film on the Shakers to start off the tour. The property was owned at one time by the LsSalette order and they build a Catholic Church/Chapel on the grounds. Check it out to see the beautiful stained glass windows. Alsos check out the gift shop for their great selection of teas and other goodies.
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June 2022 by Diana Kiesel
Discovered this via Airbnb. Value was great, location convenient, room was exceptionally clean, amenities easily available for guests to take (towels, toiletries, extra bedding), complimentary coffee/tea, ample free parking, multiple USB ports, great water pressure. Only downside, quite noisy since it’s an old building. Windows were loud and rooms could use room darkening curtains. Would visit again.
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June 2022 by Lynn Boucher
I have done this tour before so I think some things were left off the tour. On the other hand, I did learn a couple of new things so it evened out ! My husband has never been and he enjoyed the tour .
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June 2022 by Mike P
We scheduled a visit to the Enfield Shaker Museum into our drive from near Hartford in Connecticut to Montreal. Despite it being advertised as being open, when we arrived there we found that it was closed. There had been a tour of schoolkids during the morning and they left the museum and gift shop closed for the rest of the day without giving any publicity to this fact. Fortunately, we happened upon a very nice chap, their Director of Education who kindly opened up a few of the rooms and sat us in front of a video that gave an idea of the history of the place. I made a donation. The Shakers were an interesting group that had a few quaint ideas. They were a religious sect, related to the Quakers who lived simply and believed in living their religious faith through hard work. Nothing wrong with that! The men and women were separated and had to live in celibacy. Small wonder that the Shakers did not have a long term future! In the 19th Century, they took in orphans and other children who did not have family support and reading between the lines, the Shakers were subject to an expensive law suit. The museum gives little detail about this. The museum itself has a bit to offer but not a lot. It was interesting to know how the Shakers lived, what their values were and to see some of their crafts. The craft workshop was just shutting down and we had an interesting chat with the lady who made besom brooms. I would have liked to bring one home for transport for my mother in law but the airline luggage limit might have been a problem. Apart from a large barn, the remainder of the buildings were closed but all were impressive pieces of architecture. It would appear that this place is run by volunteers and their volunteering is gratefully appreciated. For us, the downside of this is that there is no guarantee that the place will be open which is a pity when you have travelled nearly 4000 miles to see it.
