Untermyer Park and Gardens

This park is one of kind. It’s tucked away in Yonkers. Yea… Yonkers lol. Not to far from the city. This is a national historic site. Most people who even live in Yonkers don’t know of it’s existence. I stumbled across this place while taking a walk around my old workplace, when I told my colleagues no one believed me about there being such an amazing park around. I’m just trying to share its beauty and unique with all you Unilocalers via the review, pics and videos.
It’s free and open to the public. You get views of the Hudson Valley, trails, fountains, gardens, etc etc. It’s actually nicknamed the Persian gardens for good reason. You definitely don’t feel like you are in America with the way this is set up. You never feel this place gets packed, even if a 100 people are the park is on 48 acres. Tons to explore and discover here.
Probably not my best review but the pics and videos should say it all :)
Fellas I did leave some tips in videos for ya lol… if you scroll down it’s labeled «Tips for the fellas». Hope they are helpful amigos ;)
Hope you guys get to check it out sometime.

Despite the many times I’ve been briefed about Untermeyer Park, I failed. Major failed. And never paid attention to the many, whether subtle or not, fine details. And, as I turn over a new leaf, I wanted to explore all the allure that Untermeyer has to offer.
Untermeyer is open from 7am-​7pm and located in a very restful neighborhood and literally, nestled away from Yonkers’ mixed bag, core city. I never knew, that all the beauty in Untermeyer, existed in this part of Westchester! The Walled Garden, for instance, is purely stunning. I honestly haven’t seen anything of this magnitude anywhere else! Adorned with flowers, columns, beautiful trees that are significant to the park and its wonderful Arab and Indian history with a slight Caribbean touch, all add up to a magnificent design.
The Temple Of Love is yet another nook here, bringing another awe-​inspiring feature, overlooking the Hudson River. It was built and created with many elaborate details full with rock walls, cute waterfalls and a captivating, laced-​dome top gazebo. The rustic artistry as well as the dainty undertone, is positively, overwhelming!
Every niche at Untermeyer, was designed with great consideration and much method involved. It’s filled with many tranquility spots, trees, artfully placed statues and monuments and beautiful garden landscapes, all lending well, to stroll and absorb its extraordinary atmosphere. So much so, I rescheduled some outings I had, because I really wanted to linger. For the couple of hours I was there, I tuned off work and the mundane stuff that happens day to day and enjoyed the remainder of my morning mesmerized– absorbing the feel of the sky and nature, that’s become my secret… garden.

Love this place! It’s one of the best parks I’ve been to. It’s extremely scenic and relaxing. I love coming here and walking around. I wish I lived closer so I could come here every day. I’ll definitely be back!

I have lived in Yonkers for so many years without ever coming across this gem. I am so happy to have been told to pay this place a visit. From the history to its beauty of the location, all aspects are well worth the visit. I cannot stress it enough that this is a local and breath taking gem. If you ever need an escape, this is the place to go!

I unfortunately arrived during the Yonkers Arts weekend when they were hosting a «fashion show» in the Walled Garden. I was immensely looking forward to experiencing the gardens and seeing for myself what has been touted as the finest example of a classical Persian garden in the Western hemisphere. In my mind I am thinking of the Alhambra, the Taj Mahal, Golestan Palace, the Persian city of Shiraz. Musically, I’m thinking lutes, dulcimers, violins tuned to the Middle Eastern scale. Instead, when I arrived I was assaulted by loud, cheesy, 80s soft rock blasting from giant speakers inside the Walled Garden. Elton John was not what I had in mind when I decided to visit this place. Of course there was no mention of this distraction on the Untermeyer homepage – it was mentioned on the «Events» page which required several clicks to get to. The infernal racket has been going on for 3 hours now.
The carriage road was closed as well as the Temple of Love and Rock Garden. So, the Walled Garden with the godawful event was the only place you could go.
Proceed with caution – after the ordeal of trekking all the way over to Grand Central Station, taking a 40 minute train ride, then literally hiking up a paved mountain (200-​ft elevation gain in about ¼ of a mile) to get here you may very well arrive at a «fashion show» or some other annoying distraction completely occupying the park. I plan to come back in late summer when there are more tourists. Hopefully, they won’t ruin the experience with stupid unannounced events then.

The old Greystone/​Untermyer Estate is now Untermyer Park, a National Historic Landmark. Utermyer is a refreshing change from the big city attractions. The neighborhood is home to old Victorian style architecture from early 1900’s. Not far from Manhattan (20 min by train, 15 by taxi). Opens at 7 am and closes at dusk.
The property has changed hands over time and was in decay until fairly recently. It has been slowly restored to original splendor. The park is heavily wooded with a beautiful walking path, carriage house, various gardens and ancient looking statues and an amphitheater. St. John’s Riverside Hospital has been built on the property next to the park but is still actually part of the land. Many original structures on the property are in ruins and some have even been demolished. The park overlooks the Hudson River & the Jersey Palisades cliffs. I came here in the dead of winter (been in the fall, too) and saw deer, even a couple rabbits. Partying locals hang out in the park at night.
Based on popular Urban Legend, next time I come here …it will be at NIGHT and I’m bringing a black hooded robe (fashionable nighttime scary attire, lol), a black candle and a flask of whiskey (nerve tonic). If discovered, must have a Crucifix taped to my flashlight (for protection!) and wear a diaper in case things get way outta hand! I know this place is haunted by anyone’s standards, even during the daytime. I can feel it, you will too! For insomniacs like me, really opens at midnight, shhh.
If you do come here during the day you will be blown away by the mystical beauty of this Yonkers chunk of history complete with opulent gardens and those eerie abandoned ruins. The coolest spot is the «Thousand Steps», good for existential pondering.

One step onto these grounds gets your instincts screaming there’s a lot of history that’s gone down here. Untermyer Gardens is a public park, just 20 minutes north of Manhattan. While parts of the gardens are perfectly manicured, they are surrounded by a crumbling façade. Cross-​crossing canals with clean flowing water are surrounded by gorgeous blooming tulips but it all leads to a drained pool with a cracked mosaic bottom, one that even in ruins is quite stunning.
This bizarre and wonderful 40+acre park is nestled on the banks of the Hudson River in Yonkers, right next to Saint John’s Riverside Hospital. It’s been dubbed as ‘American’s Greatest Forgotten Garden’ and it’s easy to see why as it’s hidden by a giant wall. These grounds are a real gem for both garden and history lovers. As someone who loves exploring, especially when it involves a touch of spooky, this park truly captured my heart .
Untermyer Gardens was created by Samuel Untermyer with his wife Minnie Untermyer around 1915. With their shared passions for exotic plants and green thumbs their intention was to build the finest garden in the word on their estate. The results were an eclectic mix of ancient Greek and Indo-​Persian designs which has been hailed as one of the ‘most celebrated gardens in America’ during the 1920’s. The grounds now belong to the City of Yonkers and are fortunately being restored back to their glory.
The most popular area in the park is the Walled Garden. Inside the walls you see cross-​crossing canals symbolizing the four ancient rivers. The quadrants represent the elements: earth, air, fire and water. The flowing canals are lined with rows of flowers and lush landscaping. Facing North, at the end of the Walled Garden, is an open-​air amphitheater. It’s decorated with two sphinxes on top of marble columns with the amphitheater behind it. The floor of the amphitheater is made up of a gorgeous mosaic.
On the west side of the Walled Garden is a roofless gazebo called Temple of the Sky which is made up of Corinthian columns. This area has fantastic views of a sprawling lawn, the Hudson River and the Palisades. A terrace below the temple leads you to what once was a large reflecting pool, unfortunately it’s currently drained and in need of major repairs.
Right next to the amphitheater, heading west towards the Hudson River, is an area called The Vista. This is accessible via an inconspicuous doorway leading out of the Walled Garden which opens to a long descending stairway. The Vista is said to be modeled after the well-​known Villa D’Este originally found in Lake Como, Italy. At the bottom of the stairs is the Overlook, which is a circular area flanked by two monolithic ancient Roman Columns.
Another well known area is the Temple of Love. This area is currently under renovation and not accessible to the public. I will definitely be coming back to see this. It looks like a tower built of rocks with a four-​columned gazebo on top.
My four year old daughter and I had a great morning exploring these gardens. There were just a few other people there during our visit, which was surprising considering how remarkable these grounds are. When I got home I started doing some research on this park, that’s when I came across its spooky history! It’s rumored that the Son of Sam’s Devil Cave is located in the park and that he used to spend his time there. There are also stories told about occults hanging out on the grounds at night. So, is this garden haunted? I’m not so sure but I wouldn’t go there at night. After all, the garden’s silence seemed so… loud.
Tips:
The park is free and open to the public, it even has free parking. Hours 7am — sunset daily.
Best time to visit is during the summer when the gardens are in full bloom.
The Temple of Love, which features waterworks that haven’t functioned in 75 years, is in the middle of a major renovation with plans for it to be back in working order by late spring 2016.
Visit
for more information and a full schedule on history and horticulture tours (small fee). The grounds are open year-​round for free, self-​guided tours.
Samuel Untermyers and Minnie Untermyer are fascinating people. I’m not a history buff but really enjoyed learning about their contributions to society, be sure to google them.
Strollers are allowed but there are areas not accessible via wheels.
There are no food vendors although there are picnic tables if you bring your own food.
Dogs are not allowed.
Restrooms, water fountains & pamphlets with a park map are available at the community center (which is in the parking lot).
Parking: There are two small lots with spaces for about twenty cars next to the community center at Untermyer. In addition, there is street parking along North Broadway which is both metered (coin operated) and unmetered.
For more family fun adventures check out:

This park is truly breath-​taking. It’s never a bad moment for alone time, or a family walk-​through.

This is a well kept secret in my opinion. I took the family for the Winter lights during Christmas break, it was simply decorated which made it all the more elegant. Beautiful Park and great Garden no matter what season. The garden is tranquil, oh what a great place to take pictures. No matter what the subject is, the setting will make your photos beautiful.

This park is a great place to come and just stroll through or sit on the grass and relax for a while. They are putting a lot of effort into restoring the park, and I cannot wait to see it at its completed stage.

Untermyer Park and Gardens are all the remains from a great estate of another era. The house which they surrounded is long gone, but the Yonkers Parks Department has a modern building there which along with the accompanying lawn is used for an active schedule of indoor and outdoor programs, including free summer evening musical performances. The prize of the estate is the formal walled garden with sculptures and waterworks, which only in recent years has begun to recover from decades of decay. Restoration is ongoing, but elaborate seasonal plantings and a reopened walkway leading to panoramic views of the Hudson River have begun to draw back visitors. The garden is not entirely physically accessible, but on-​site parking is available.

We truly wished we could visit this place during 20s-​30s! At its glory days, it was 150 acres of beautiful landscape, waterfall from rock, marble columns, mosaic swimming pool, Diana & Acteon statues and Untermyer fountain (now it is in Central park). All of that are mostly gone, and you can’t help but see a big hospital ruining your view, especially when you are in vista area.
Nevertheless, this is a beautiful park, the Garden of Eden inspired walled garden is unique, the vista view is breathtaking and it’s not crowded so you can enjoy the scenery.
Although some places are still in ruin, this place is great for fashion shoot, film setting or some dramatic personal photos. We can imagine the walled garden as a setting for Game of Thrones Dorne water garden :)
We hope they will continue to improve restoring this garden to its former days.

This is a surprisingly nice park in Yonkers. I lived about 20 minutes away for many years and never knew about this place’s existence until now. Beautiful gardens with excellent landscaping and wonderful Hudson views. Entering the garden on a hot day into the shade of the tall beech trees is truly pleasant. A good, but smaller, alternative to Wave Hill if you don’t want to pay an admission fee. There’s also an interesting historical side to the erection of this park.

It is a wonderful little hidden garden. One can take a stroll, sit under the trees or even hike through the woods. It is never crowded and very peaceful.

What a gift! This place is beautiful, with incredible views of the Hudson, Roman and Grecian architecture and a small garden that can rival the likes of the Botanical Gardens. I felt like I stepped into a different time, in a different culture. Entrance and parking are free and you can bring a picnic lunch, there are picnic tables outside. It’s a great place to hike, to relax, to reflect and see nature and the fabulous views of the Hudson. An oasis!

When I tell you that I am absolutely amazed by this place I truly mean it. It’s just surreal, actually surreal isn’t even a powerful enough word for it. I cannot even beleive this place exists in New York much less that it hasn’t been destroyed by city folk is pretty astounding in itself because we all know how New Yorker’s just can’t have nice things lol Just kidding… kind of.
I went nice and early and we had the park mostly to ourselves but when noon hit a bunch more people arrive. I also decided to go on Mother’s Day and I certainly was not the only mom here enjoying the garden. Everyone was polite and we all wished each other a happy mothers day as we passed by.
If you really want to enjoy all this park has to offer wear some beat up sneaks and be prepared to walk. The property it very large and even after walking for about two miles I still don’t think we covered every nook and cranny but we did hit up the main places we wanted to see on the map. As you enter the garden grab a pamphlet and there’s a map of the property on the inside. If you want to venture into some of the more obsure and abandoned places you will have to venture out and explore on your own as they are not listed as main attractions for obvious reasons.
Honestly I feel like I can go on and on about this part but I will try to get to the point. It’s stunningly beautiful, if you like flowers there are plenty. You can check the website before you visit to see what’s in bloom. Don’t just focus on the abundance of tulips. If you carefully explore the whole garden you will see so many other plants and perhaps some you’ve never even see before or knew existed. For example I found some snakeheads near a patch behind a bench. The print on those is amazing and when you find it you will see why it’s called a snakehead flower.
I saw some teens with their parents picking flowers, really people? C’mon! This isn’t a flower shop. If everyone picked just one flower this garden would be barren so cut the crap. We took the walk down to the Hudson, the view was spectacular. There’s lot of stairs so be prepared. If you don’t like stairs there’s a path through the trees on the left hand side facing the water. We actually took this way back up and I think it was less of a hike. They are in the process of replanting the Japanese hollies on the path down and you will see large piles of dirt off to the sides. I don’t think the color garden was open because I looked at the area on the map and there was nothing gardeny about it.
I love this place, it’s so peaceful. I am definitely coming back to check out everything I missed on my last adventure.

What a lovely place! I just came back from a visit. It was a lot smaller than I thought it would be, but I also couldn’t find some things that are on the map, like the color gardens. Just means I’ll have to go back. Today was a beautiful fall day and since it is a Friday, it wasn’t that busy. There were some people who perched themselves on the grass for a relaxing afternoon.
The walled garden area is almost like a butterfly house. There were so many flying around and I got to capture a lot of them on camera (bees, too!). I went here because the other photos I’ve seen are amazing and I wanted to visit a beautiful place and practice my photography. I love these little gems in the middle of such a big metropolitan area.
The community center on-​site apparently hosts some events for seniors — it was pretty cute. The park is very unsuspecting in the middle of a neighborhood. Definitely worth a relaxing visit!

Quite the hidden gem, just outside the city, almost like the unknown east coast grounds of Hearst Castle or the Getty Museum. (Perhaps handicapped by the fact that «Untermyer» has none of the cachet of «Getty,» «Hearst,» or «Rockefeller?»)
Practically had the place to ourselves on a beautiful Saturday morning.
«It’s a shame kids come here to drink beer and smoke dope at night» one other visitor commented to me at the overlook. Say what you may about the activities, but their choice of locations couldn’t be better — just leave the graffiti elsewhere, please.

Spectacular & «Zenful»
Untermyer Park is my home away from home. I go here at least once a week and during ALL the Seasons! It is open all year. It is rich with history & splendor.
I love to see the gardens transform according to the Season. I enjoy hiking and doing yoga & tai chi on the grounds of Untermyer. It is kept clean & it is very safe. (You will come across some broken glass over by the Temple of Love, but other then that, the grounds are Extremely Well Kept!!) Their genius & very friendly Senior Gardner, Timothy, is always tending to something on the grounds.
They have FREE concerts on Saturday evenings util September 6^th. Summer Solstice Celebration as well as many events, (Fashion Shows, Lectures, etc. check their calendar for more details)
I’ve come across beautiful wildlife grazing, as well as birds & butterflies. Who would think this Magical place is in Yonkers, NY?! You will think you are in Lord of the Rings when you are at the Temple of Love, or down by the Vista or in the Great Gatsby when you are in the Walled Gardens! Those who really appreciate the grandeur will be transported to another place and time …
You will meet people from all over the tri state as well as tourists from other countries stopping by on their vacations to check out this amazing place. I’ve seen wedding photos done here & even Cosplay events going on.
NOTE: It is NOT a place for loud radios/​music. There are NO sand boxes or swings here. This is a place of Culture. A place to enjoy the sounds of nature. Do not come here thinking it is a playground for the kids.
Hopefully, one day, someone will make a video of Untermyer with the music of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons!
Gina S. — Yonkers, NY USA

Untermyer Park gives you the creeps.
I forgot what I was searching on Unilocal,I think it was «fun things to do,» and somehow this park managed to show up in my results. I read the reviews and thought «Oh, this sounds nice,» but then it turned out to be the park where Son of Sam once performed his satanic rituals.
Of course I had to go!
I arrived here with my partner-​in-​crime via bus. The 2 takes you from the hustle and bustle of Getty Square to the solitude of Tudor Woods. The bus ride is chilling as the city changes into the quiet suburb you expect from Westchester… then it becomes still and placid.
You walk about one block, and the entrance to the park is right on Broadway.
There was absolutely no one there when we arrived. So we meandered into the walled Persian gardens… alone. I felt like we were in a post-​apocalyptic universe.
Then, our curiosity got the better of us and we wandered through the woods to the gazebo overlooking the Hudson, and eventually down a trail that put us in the deepest portion of the woods… where we saw something lurking in the distance. I was absolutely terrified.
It was a deer.