1925 - 2025100 Years at Steepletop
The Millay Society is thrilled to celebrate the centennial of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Edna St. Vincent Millay's 1925 purchase of Steepletop, her home and writing refuge, in Austerlitz, New York. The celebrations kick off with a regional student poetry contest in April and continue with monthly Open Days weekends at Steepletop from June through October.
We have many events planned, including the regional student poetry contest, local presentations about Millay and Steepletop, volunteer workdays, and five Open Days weekends, when the 200-acre grounds will be open to explore, and docent-led tours of Millay’s house will take place.
Each of the Open Days will include enhancements to the visitor experience, including musical performances, poets in Millay’s writing cabin composing poems on a typewriter, and a plein-air painting workshop on the final weekend in October. We invite you to come and experience the magic of Steepletop, where many say they still feel Millay’s spirit as they wander the property’s gardens, fields, and trails. We hope you will review the schedule of events and plan a trip (or two or three) with family and friends.
The Millay Society is seeking sponsors to help underwrite the series of events and contribute to preserving Steepletop. All sponsors will be listed on the website, in marketing materials, and in press communications. View our sponsorship opportunities.
Centennial Celebration2025 Student Poetry Contest
Open Days
Steepletop Open Days 2025
The Millay Society will expand access to Steepletop in 2025 to celebrate the centennial of Millay's 1925 purchase of the property. The public is invited to attend Open Days on the second weekend of each month, June through October.
A limited number of tickets for docent-led, 60-minute House Tours will be available in early-May. Grounds & Picnic passes, which allow visitors to walk and explore the 200-acre property’s grounds, gardens, and trails, will be available for purchase in advance and on site throughout each Open Days weekend.
The Steepletop Gift Shop will be open throughout the Open Days and The Jackson Gallery in the Tamarack Visitors Center will feature the exhibition “Edna St. Vincent Millay: Life at Steepletop,1925-1950,” curated by Society Vice-President Mark O’Berski. This collection of artifacts presents Millay's 25 years living at Steepletop.
The property will be open from 9:30am to 5:00pm on these days. While house tour tickets do not require advance purchase, they are strictly limited. Purchasing these tickets in advance is strongly encouraged to secure your spot on a tour. Grounds & Picnic passes may be purchased in advance or on site upon arrival.
The Edna Project performing.
Katie Barbato performing The Millay Tapes.
Open Days Special Events
The Millay Society is excited to announce that special musical guests and other artists will be featured at Steepletop during Open Days as part of the Centennial Celebration.
Musical guests include:
- The Edna Project
- Erin McKeown
- The Wanda Houston Project
- Katie Barbato
Artists include:
- Jess Ptak, a typewriter poet who will be stationed in Millay's writing cabin
- Diana Buitrago, a plein-air painter and teacher who will lead a two-day workshop.
Presentations About Millay
The Millay Society will be hosting several presentations in 2025 aimed at inviting the local community to look at the life and work of their famous poet neighbor, Edna St. Vincent Millay.
Edna St. Vincent Millay and Steepletop: 100 Years Later
Saturday, April 26, 2025 | 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Spencertown Academy Arts Center, 790 NY-203, Spencertown, NY 12165
Admission FREE!
Call for Volunteers!
There is plenty of work needed before Steepletop is ready to open in June for its 100th celebration year.
We are looking for volunteers to help in spring and autumn clean-up in Millay’s garden rooms and Kitchen Garden as well as the property’s trails. Work includes weeding and other garden tasks, mulching, and helping to clear trails.
Please come and get dirty on a Sunday morning (9:30-12:30) in late April, May, or June with Steepletop Gardener Leigh and Caretaker Prescott. Please bring gardening tools if you have them, we will also have some on hand.
Light refreshments will be on hand.
Currently accepting volunteers for the following dates:
Sunday, April 27 (9:30am-12:30pm)
Sunday, May 18 (9:30am-12:30pm)
Sunday, June 1 (9:30am-12:30pm)
Sunday, June 8 (9:30am-12:30pm)
Autumn volunteer events will added as they are confirmed.
Sponsorship Opportunities
The Millay Society is seeking sponsors to help underwrite the series of events and contribute to preserving Steepletop. All sponsors will be listed on the website, in marketing materials, and in press communications.
Choose a Sponsorship Amount
All donations in any amount towards this project will be greatly appreciated.
The Edna St. Vincent Millay Society is based at the poet’s home at Steepletop, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972 and a Literary Landmark in 2016. The mission of the Society and the Friends of Millay is to illuminate Millay’s life and writing and to preserve and interpret the character of her Steepletop home and gardens, places where nature inspires the creative spirit.
If you prefer to mail your donation to us, please send your check, made out to The Millay Society, or your credit card details with account number, expiration date and CCV number to: The Millay Society, PO Box 2, Austerlitz, NY 12017