A Journey Home to Heritage: Marilyn Olmsted Reflects
"There's a new museum that's just opened in Sandwich. Let's go!" said her grandmother Carter. It was the start of another adventure in her month-long summer stays with her grandparents in East Dennis for Marilyn, aged 18, and her brother, 15. The year was 1969. And what an adventure it was! Turns out, the adventure has lasted a lifetime. "Visiting Heritage in the late 1960s and 1970s felt like we were in the Garden of Eden. It was fabulous!" reflected Marilyn recently. "We visited every summer to see what was new in the gardens and the auto gallery. On one visit, my grandmother fell while chasing a tram to get a ride. The staff helped her and were so kind. We never forgot this about Heritage."
Summers for Marilyn also meant trips to Eldred's, the antique auction house in East Dennis, with her great-aunts. They never missed an exhibition. While Marilyn didn't buy anything herself, those visits sparked a lifelong love of antiques and interiors. "I was a bossy child—always had opinions about things like what curtains my grandfather should buy for the galley of his Chris-Craft Cruiser," laughed Marilyn. It's no surprise, then, that she went on to build a thriving interior design career in the Washington, D.C. area, Westport, CT, and New York City. She also cherished accompanying her husband, Dodge Olmsted, on their buying trips in the 1980s to England for his successful antique business, which he ran from their historic home in Old Town Alexandria, VA.
Her love of tradition and adventure wasn't limited to Heritage or antiques. Marilyn grew up on the water. "My parents raced sailboats before I was born, mainly along the Connecticut coast," she explained. "We had various sailboats growing up, so being on the water was part of our family rhythm." After college, she crewed on a John Alden schooner on-and-off for three years, sailing between Rhode Island and the Cape and Islands. She also spent countless hours on her grandfather's boat, and her brother, who lives near Seattle, continues the tradition on his custom 47' Beneteau sloop. "Being on the water has always been where adventure and connection meet," she said. "You see so much from the water, and where you anchor makes you love the land even more."
Fast forward to 2014 when Marilyn and Dodge decided to retire from New York City to Cape Cod. One factor was Dodge's love of classic cars—space for a proper garage was impossible to find in the city. For Marilyn, the move was a return to the place of her sweetest summer memories. Her only regret was leaving her volunteer role for the Central Park Conservancy, where she co-chaired a major fundraising committee. She and Dodge also spent weekends pulling weeds in the park—hands in the dirt—keeping their commitment to the Conservancy genuine.
From their very first interactions with the staff at Heritage, Marilyn and Dodge felt an immediate connection. "Wherever you go, it's always the people that make it special," Marilyn said. "And at Heritage, that's huge to us."
Once the couple settled into their home in West Barnstable, they decided that Heritage Museums & Gardens would be the focus of their hands-on volunteerism and philanthropy. They attended Galas in 2017, 2018, and 2019, as well as the celebration of Heritage's 50th anniversary on June 15, 2019—an event that rekindled Marilyn's connection with the Lilly family.
"I love the people and especially getting to know the Lilly family members whose parents made my summers as a child so special."
Marilyn soon joined the Heritage Collections Committee, where her knowledge of antiques was invaluable in discussions of accessions and deaccessions. She later served on the Board of Trustees and co-chaired the 2020 Gala—an event reshaped by the pandemic but one that raised more funds than any Heritage fundraiser to date. She and Dodge also loved attending the annual Auto Show and Cocktails for Cars, where Dodge happily chatted with fellow car enthusiasts.
Though Marilyn has since stepped away from her board and committee roles, she and Dodge remain devoted to Heritage. They often see Heritage's Director of Museums and Exhibitions, Jennifer Madden, at Eldred's auctions, where they exchange tips about the antiques market. As generous donors to the new Barbey Family Welcome Center, they attended the ribbon cutting in June 2025 and continue to stay close with friends made through Heritage.
For Marilyn, Heritage is a touchstone and an anchor—linking past to present, and celebrating the people, passions, and connections that have enriched her life. As she and Dodge look ahead, they take comfort in knowing that Heritage will continue to inspire others as it has inspired them. For them, the museum's true treasure has always been its people—the staff, volunteers, and families who care for it so deeply—and those connections have created lasting friendships and meaningful experiences. Every act of care and support helps ensure that Heritage's beauty, history, and spirit will endure for generations.