Rhododendron Tour tickets available

Due to popular demand, this year’s Rhododendron Tour will be held entirely on the weekend! Join us Saturday, May 31 or Sunday, June 1, at Naulakha, the Dummerston, VT house and gardens of author Rudyard Kipling, normally open only to overnight guests. Take a self-guided tour when its spectacular rhododendrons are likely to be in bloom. Start your visit with a tour of Naulakha, where Rudyard Kipling wrote The Jungle Books and Captains Courageous (you can even sit at the desk!), then stay to enjoy the estate’s grounds at your leisure. Visit Kipling's Carriage House, former home of Kipling’s coachman, Matthew Howard, and his family. Wander the grounds to see the flowers in bloom and the clay tennis courts located below Naulakha, among the first tennis courts built in Vermont. Bring a picnic and enjoy the incredible views from the sloping front lawn.

The Cocktail Party option returns this year as well, offering an even more exclusive and intimate experience of this special property on Friday evening, May 30, at 6:00 p.m. These special tickets include all the same access as daytime tickets with the addition of delicious hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, Scott Farm hard cider, wine, and beer.

This year is especially significant, as we are also in the midst of raising funds for the Naulakha Campaign in support of a climate resilient future for Naulakha. This important project will replace the main house’s aging cedar roof in kind, develop a comprehensive drainage solution for the property (both scheduled for Spring 2026), and rehabilitate the Naulakha Stable into a new overnight rental, the first new Landmark in over a decade (scheduled for Summer 2025). You’ll have an opportunity to support this important cause at the event by purchasing a symbolic “cedar shingle” complete with keychain made from a Naulakha shingle!

Timeslots often sell out early, so get your tickets today!  Proceeds from all tours support the historic preservation work of The Landmark Trust USA.