Enjoy the luxury of Paris without flying there at this cereal heiress’ DC mansion

Marjorie Merriweather Post was an heiress, business woman and philanthropist, whose father founded the Post cereal empire in 1895. They traveled to Paris extensively for business, and Post built a collection of French art, fashion and jewelry.

“She left all these treasures that you can’t really see anywhere else, which is amazing,” said curator Megan Martinelli.

Now, some of Post’s rarest and unique items are on display at Hillwood — her mansion-turned-museum in Northwest D.C. — in a special exhibit called “Marjorie Merriweather Post’s Paris.”

“If you’re hankering for a French vacation, and you’re just too busy, why not just spend an afternoon at Hillwood traveling in the footsteps of Marjorie Post? You really get to see where she shopped, what she saw and what drew her to the city,” Martinelli said.

You can view six French couture gowns, parasols that are being displayed for the first time and stunning antique jewelry.

“Another standout is our Cartier Mughal emerald brooch, which has stones dating to the 17th century from the Mughal empire. And it’s seven emeralds in a platinum setting with diamonds and enamel. And that piece dates to Cartier 1925. And it’s one of our most famous pieces,” Martinelli said.

The exhibit runs through June 16.