Things to Do in New York: Old Westbury Gardens

By VI Staff on March 8, 2021 - Updated

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Located in Old Westbury, New York, Long Island, The Old Westbury Gardens aims to inspire knowledge and appreciation of American country estate architecture, gardens, and landscaping. Visitors can expect to find expertly landscaped formal gardens, breathtaking architecture and historical collections within the estate, and a variety of educational programs and family-friendly events year-round. Certain attractions may be temporarily closed or require advance reservations. Some restaurants are currently offering pickup only. Hours/availability may have changed.

1.History:

The Old Westbury Gardens and Estate was formerly the home of the prominent Phipps family – John and his wife, Margarita. The grand estate was built for the Phipps family in 1906 and was designed by Englishman designer, George Crawley. The interior of the estate is furnished with exquisite English antiques and fine decorative artwork that the Phipps family collected over their more than 50 years of residence in the estate.

The massive mansion was designed in a Charles II-style and the 200-acres are complete with the much more than the beautiful estate. Remaining consistent with estate design of the era, there are formal gardens, woodlands, quality landscaped grounds, ponds, and lakes.

2.The Sites

When guest arrive at the Old Westbury Gardens, they are welcomed by an enormous, beautiful grand lawn surrounded by landscaped rolling hills and woodlands. The massive, brick estate only gets larger as visitors get closer. The white columns, red brick walkways, bright green grass, and purple lavender overwhelms the senses with color and fragrance.

Once inside, visitors can tour the mansion room-by-room and admire the fine English antiques, world-class artwork, and priceless decorative arts. Various rooms are set aside for rotating special art exhibitions and displays.

After a tour of the estate, visitors can explore the formal gardens. These gardens are filled with beautifully-landscaped plants, flowers, and trees, as well as many exquisite statues and perfectly manicured lawns. Visitors are sure to fill an entire day taking in the sites at the Old Westbury Gardens and witness what it was like to live a privileged life during the early 1900’s. Today, the Westbury Gardens and Estate welcomes thousands of visitors a year and attempts to stay true to its mission by delighting visitors with specialized tours, family-friendly activities, and world-class lecturers and talks.

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3.Events

Seward Johnson at Old Westbury Gardens:Famous sculpture artist, Seward Johnson will be presenting his exhibition of 38 selected works from his two most popular series, Beyond the Frame and Celebrating the Familiar.

Johnson is famous creating colorful life-size bronze figures for more than 50 years. His work typically features people doing familiar things like dancing or reading. His goal is to spark a public dialogue about artwork and sculpture enhancing physical landscapes.

His series, Celebrating the Familiar, features sculptures representing everyday life. The sculptures are hyper-realistic and are meant to catch our eye and get us to engage in self-reflection and focus on the small pleasures of everyday life.

His series, Beyond the Frame, stems from his love of French Impressionist painters such as Monet, van Gogh, and Renoir. His goal was to create an entire world outside he regular work inside the frame and allow people to take a 3-D tour of the artwork.

This event is free with admission to the gardens and will be on display throughout the Westbury House and Gardens from June 16, 2017 – September 4, 2017.

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4.Education & Programs

There are a variety of educational activities and programs available for visitors of all ages, including specialized guided tours, book signings, workshops and demonstrations, games and activities for members of the entire family, concerts, gardening classes, unique exhibits featuring fine English antiques, and world-class lectures on a variety of topics including art, history, horticulture, architecture, and design.

The website provides an abundance of information for visitors regarding upcoming events, what flowers are in bloom, what educational programs and activities are coming up, and how to schedule a group tour of the grounds.

Additional Information:

Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury, NY, website, Phone: 516-333-0048

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