By Dan Murphy
As the summer approaches, one of the best ways to get outside and ‘smell the roses’ is to visit Untermyer Gardens in Northwest Yonkers. Untermyer Gardens was recently voted the #1 tourist attraction in Westchester County by TripAdvisor, and last year had 125,000 visitors.
The remarkable gardens created by New York City lawyer and civic leader Samuel Untermyer (1858-1940) for his family’s estate on the Hudson River, were designed by American architect William Welles Bosworth. Untermyer acquired the Greystone estate in 1899, and the gardens, unveiled in 1917, grew and flourished for years. Following Untermeyer’s death in 1940, the gardens were largely abandoned, vandalized, and fell into decades of disrepair.
However, with the founding of the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy (2011), there have been extraordinary efforts to complete a series of extensive restoration projects, dedicated to returning Untermyer Gardens to its former glory and splendor.
The mission of the non-profit Untermyer Gardens Conservancy is to raise funds to employ horticulturists and restore the gardens. And that restoration under the Conservancy and President Stephen Byrns has been remarkable.
“Untermyer Gardens is one of the country’s only major public gardens that is free to everyone, which ensures that it is an inspiration to people from all walks of life. We rely almost entirely on donations from individuals to care for this magical place,” said Byrns, who will be hosting one of the Conservancy’s major fundraisers, The Sunset Soiree, on June 4.
This summer, The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy will host ten concerts in the Amphitheater, which seats about 250. The Minnie Untermyer Concert Series (named after Samuel Untermyer’s wife) will begin on June 10 with Persian Music; other concerts include performances from music and dance groups, The Westchester Philmarmonic, Gospel Choir performances, and classical music. Tickets are required to attend.
Over the years, we have called Untermyer Gardens a Hidden Gem in Westchester, but after reaching 100,000 visitors in 2021, and 125,000 visitors in 2022, the secret is out. “We are the best deal in town,” joked Byrns. “Most great American gardens cost up to $50 to enjoy (NY Botanical Gardens). We are hoping to hit 150,000 visitors this year. Untermyer Gardens was called the most spectacular garden in the 1920’s and we are bringing it back to life, bit by bit. There is something for everyone-great architecture, great horticulture, and a spectacular view.”
On Mother’s Day last month, Untermyer Gardens had 3,000 visitors, the largest one-day total in decades. And a recent photo shoot from designer Oscar de La Renta proves that the beauty of this location is spreading.
And for Byrns and the Conservancy, the renovations continue. The latest large construction project at Untermyer Gardens is a renovation of the Persian Pool, located in the Walled Garden. “This was originally a swimming pool, which will become a fountain. We were able to match the mosaics, fabricated in Italy and shipped here. The installation will begin this month and we hope to dedicate the Persian Pool with support from the City of Yonkers and a State grant, and the biggest funding coming from the Iranian community,” said Byrns.
The three main, restored attractions at Untermyer Gardens are The Walled Garden, The Temple of Love and The Vista.
The Walled Garden owes its inspiration to the great Indo-Persian gardens of antiquity. Like the ancient gardens, the Walled Garden is divided into quadrants by waterways and bordered by crenellated walls anchored by octagonal towers. The Indo-Persian walled garden was intended to mimic a paradise on earth and thus had features inspired by religious descriptions of paradise.
The Vista is modeled on a similar series of descending stairs at the Villa D’Este in Italy. At the Villa D’Este, the stairs descend gracefully toward Lake Como while at Untermyer, they cascade toward the Hudson River.
The Temple of Love is another popular attraction at Untermyer Gardens, restored through the generosity of Angelo Martinelli in 2017. The Vista overlooks a magnificent view south along the Hudson River and the Palisades. Best viewed from below, it is a stupendous rocky fantasy capped with a round temple. It is the centerpiece of an extended rock garden and is flanked by terraced beds.the outcropping was an elaborate water feature, with water coursing all around it in various waterfalls and ponds. The Temple of Love was created by Carlo Davite, a Genoese stone mason who did work in the Paris Exposition, the St. Louis Exposition and at the Frick Museum.
Byrns told us that while the Gardens have become a popular destination for wedding photography, he likes to keep it open for the public to enjoy. “We really don’t want large parties; we want it to be open to the public.”
Nine gardeners, assisted by a dedicated group of volunteers, now maintain Untermyer Gardens, which is still a long way from the sixty full-time gardeners once employed by Samuel Untermyer in the 1920’s. And working with the gardeners are Yonkers Public high school interns, who have begun to grow vegetables in uncovered beds that were cropped 100 years ago. More volunteers are always needed and welcomed.
While any visitor is free (literally) to walk the grounds, tours are offered by Byrns and Docents. Please pre-register for all events online at untermyergardens.org.
Upcoming dates include:
Sun 6/4 11 am History tour 60 minutes Walled Garden to Vista $12
Sun 6/11 10 am Trees of Untermyer Gardens Vista to Ruin Garden tour 60 min.$20
Sun 6/11 11 am President’s Tour by Steve Byrns 90 minutes $25
Sat 6/17 9 am Plant Geek tour 2 hours $20
Sun 6/18 11 am Seasonal HIghlights (hort) tour 60 minutes $12
Sun 6/25 11 am History tour 60 minutes Vegetable Garden to Temple of Love $12
CLASSES and WORKSHOPS:
Sat 6/3 11 am-12:30 pm Garden of the Heart: Sufi Poetry Reading $25
Fri 6/16 1 am-12pm Chair Yoga in the Garden $20
Tues 6/27 9:30 am-12:30 pm Drawing and Painting in the Garden All levels $50
MINNIE UNTERMYER CONCERT SERIES
Sat 6/10 5 pm (rain date Sun 6/11 5 pm) Saba Ensemble Persian Music $35. Persian food available for purchase during intermission
Sun 6/18 5 pm Cabaret: German Cabaret Music $35
Fei 6/23 7 pm (rain date Sun 6/25 5 pm) Tom Gold Dance $35
Advance registration is required for all at untermyergardens.org. Private tours are also available. This reporter plans on reserving a private tour with Stephen Byrns. The first 15 people who sign up can join me at a to be determined date. Email me at dmurphy@risingmediagroup.com.
Enjoy this summer at Untermyer Gardens!
