After our trip up to Cold Spring yesterday, Bob and I had planned to drive the 45 minutes up to the Visitors Center for West Point Military Academy and then walk around the town of Highland Falls where West Point is located. Luckily, while we were getting ready Bob discovered that a parade was happening there today to celebrate the return to school. We didn’t want to get in the middle of that, so we found an alternative plan for the day.
Instead of driving across the river and up to Highland Falls, we drove about 20 minutes straight down Highway 9, which we live right off of, to the community of Yonkers, New York, to visit the Untermyer Park and Gardens. It was quite a find, and a lot of people were out enjoying the free 43 acre park on this beautiful mid-80 degree Saturday.
Yonkers, New York, has a population of about 211,000, making it the third most populous city in New York State and the largest in Westchester County. It borders the northern edge of the Bronx, so is south of Tarrytown.
The brochure we were given at the gardens says that the Untermyer Gardens were once called America’s most spectacular garden. They were created in 1917 by Samuel Untermyer (1858-1940) on the grounds of his estate overlooking the Hudson River.
The current park includes 43 of the once 150 acres that comprised the Untermyer estate. The highlights of the park include a walled garden, The Vista, Ruin Garden, Carriage Trail, Stumpery, and Temple of Love.
We started in the Walled Garden. The brochure states that the Walled Garden is based on the Garden of Eden as described in the Book of Genesis, and is the finest Indo-Persian garden in the Western Hemisphere.
symbolizing the 4 rivers of Paradise
with an overlook of the Hudson River
at the far end of the garden opposite the entrance
Walking through an inconspicuous doorway in the north loggia of the Walled Garden took us to along staircase leading down towards the Hudson River.
On one side of the staircase down to The Vista are remnants of two of the estate gardens, where they are currently displaying bronze busts of seven prominent Hudson River School painters.
as sculpted by Greg Wyatt in 2024
The Ruin Gardens contains a now roofless gate house at the intersection of the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail and the Carriage Trail as well as the Gate House walls.
Approximately 150 upended tree stumps have been gathered to form the basis of a woodland garden called The Stumpery. It is to be enhanced with water features and ferns in the future. Bob and I saw our first Stumpery in the UK when we were exploring the grounds of a lovely estate near Bury St Edmunds with friends.
misting The Stumpery.
We don’t know why, we’re a bit stumped.
As if the Walled Garden and the Vista weren’t enough, the Temple of Love was also pretty attractive. It provides another great view of the grounds and Hudson River and is also the centerpiece of a series of rock gardens.
Peckish Travels 