1. History of Old Westbury Gardens
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, you 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, you 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. You 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.
3. Plan Your Trip
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.
Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury, NY, website, Phone: 516-333-0048
Plan Your Trip