MANCHESTER - On Saturday, Dec. 1 and Sunday, Dec. 2, The Museum Store at Hildene hosts its annual Our Home for the Holidays, welcoming neighbors and new friends alike to the warmth of the Lincoln family's 100-year-old restored carriage barn dressed in all its holiday finery. The store has gifts inspired by Lincoln family history, the Gilded Age, gardens, nature and life at Hildene Farm. Visitors will find distinctive items from Victorian Era ornaments and greeting cards to choices for children and more. Adding to the festive atmosphere on Sunday will be live holiday music from the Emerald Valley Recorder Ensemble.

Sunday, Dec. 2 will also be the last day for guesstimating the amount of Lincoln pennies in the big jar. There will be winners in two categories - youth ages five to 15 and adults ages 16 and older - which will be drawn on Monday, Dec. 3. The winner in the youth category will receive a check for the actual amount of pennies in the jar. A matching check will be sent to Superstorm Sandy relief efforts. The winning adult will receive a copy of "Giant in the Shadows: The Life of Robert T. Lincoln," written by Jason Emerson, Lincoln scholar and former Hildene Scholar in Residence. An admission fee is not required for visitors to the Welcome Center and The Museum Store.

If shoppers wish to extend their Hildene experience with a visit to the Lincoln's home decorated for the holidays - Dec. 1 through Jan. 2, 2013 - guest passes are available for purchase at the

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Welcome Center. During regular hours, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., interpreters and staff are on hand to answer questions about the home's history and famous residents. The cost of admission is $16 for adults and $5 for youth ages six to 14. Members, volunteers and youth under six are free.

For more information about the Dec. 1 and 2 Our Home for the Holidays at The Museum Store call Carol at 802-367-7968 or email carol@hildene.org.