Applewood Estate, the Flint family home of automotive industrialist and philanthropist Charles Stewart Mott, is reopening the gardens and grounds for the first time in more than a year after the COVID-19 pandemic led to Applewood’s closure for the 2020 season.
This year, Applewood is open 11 a.m.–5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and from 1–4 p.m. on Sundays through October (closed Fourth of July). Admission is always free.
During open hours, guests are welcome to enjoy the gardens and grounds, which include the Perennial Garden, Rose Garden, Demonstration Garden, Discovery Trail and the namesake heirloom Apple Orchard. Other highlights include a self-guided “What’s In Bloom” garden tour and self-guided mindfulness activities, both available at the Visitor Services desk.
Due to the pandemic, all buildings at Applewood will be closed this season and house tours will not be offered. A virtual tour of the house and grounds is available at applewood.org.
Returning this year is the Taste of Applewood program, in which visitors are given a taste of a product made with ingredients grown at Applewood. The program continues Applewood’s legacy as a gentleman’s farm, or hobby farm, as the Motts grew and raised much of what they consumed.
As part of Applewood’s health & safety guidelines, guests are required to wear face masks only in the entrance/exit gate area and anyplace they can’t maintain 6 feet of space from other parties. Otherwise, visitors are welcome to remove their masks outdoors at Applewood. In addition, only the entrance/exit gate off the Visitor Parking Lot will be open for visitors. The gate on Kearsley Street will be temporarily closed. Other visitation guidelines can be found at applewood.org.
Applewood Estate, 1400 E. Kearsley St., was built in 1916 by Mott, one of the earliest and longest-serving leaders of General Motors. The estate is operated by the Ruth Mott Foundation and located between the Flint Cultural Center and Mott Community College.
The transformation of Applewood from a family home to a community resource was the vision of C.S. Mott’s wife, Ruth Mott, who wanted to open it in honor of her late husband and his significant contributions to Flint and the automotive industry. The estate was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and received an official Michigan Historical Marker in 2016.
For more information about Applewood and the Ruth Mott Foundation, visit www.applewood.org.
