Great Estates Garden & Landscape Weekends

Date Published: May 3, 2024

Explore the gardens and landscapes of Dutchess County’s Great Estates along the Hudson River. Experience the outdoor beauty of these estates from the Revolutionary War, the Gilded Age, and the World War II eras on your own or attend an outdoor event! Don't miss the Great Estates Garden & Landscape Weekends June 15-16 and August 3-4, 2024. Find details of what each site is offering below and check back as additional events and details continue to be added!

Wilderstein Historic Site

Garden and Landscape Tour on Saturday, June 15 and Saturday, August 3 at 10 a.m.

Wilderstein is a historic country estate located along the Hudson River in Rhinebeck. With its exquisite Queen Anne mansion and Calvert Vaux designed landscape, Wilderstein is widely regarded as one of the region's most important examples of Victorian architecture. It was the home of Margaret (Daisy) Suckley, a distant cousin and confidante of Franklin Roosevelt.

During this special outdoor guided tour, visitors will learn about Wilderstein’s landscape and gardens, the exterior design of the mansion and outbuildings, and the lives of the Suckley family. One hour should be planned for the tour with an additional half hour for perusing the gift shop, exploring the hiking trails on the property, and enjoying the spectacular views. Tickets $12. Advance online registration strongly encouraged. To purchase tickets, go to the calendar here.

Staatsburgh State Historic Site

Macramé Workshop on Sunday, August 4 at 2 p.m.

Make your own macrame plant hanger! Cookies, lemonade, and Harney & Sons "Staatsburgh Blend" iced tea will be served. Macrame plant hangers are the perfect small-space solution - they can be hung on the wall or from the ceiling, freeing up shelf space. All materials and a plant are included in the cost of the workshope. For ages 16 and up. Reservation required, tickets are $10 - click here to register.

Self-Guided Tours of Staatsburgh’s Grounds

Enjoy a walk through Staatsburgh’s grounds, designed in the classic English Landscape Garden style. You’ll stroll down a shaded carriage drive winding past a sweeping lawn to a magnificent view of the Hudson River. A short, free guide to accompany your walk can be found here: Self-guided Walk at Staatsburgh.

Mount Gulian Historic Site

Garden Tours on June 15 and 16 and Aug. 3 and 4 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Mount Gulian Historic Site, Beacon, invites visitors to explore its garden and unique horticultural history on Aug. 3 and 4. Garden tours will be given at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Reservations are requested. Please call 845-831-8172 or info@mountgulian.org.

Visitors will learn about the garden's origins, evolution, and notable gardeners, including MaryAnna Verplanck, who as a precocious eleven-year-old, designed the original 1804 garden; James F. Brown, an enslaved person who fled Maryland and worked as Mount Gulian's master gardener after he was manumitted by the Verplanck family; and Virginia Verplanck whose literary contributions include two gardening books, Every Day in My Garden and A Year in My Garden from the early 20th century.

Admission to this special program is: $14 adults; $12 seniors; $8 youngsters (6-18 years). Children under 6 and Mount Gulian members are free.

Vanderbilt Mansion summer Hyde Park — Vanderbilt Mansion (summer), Hyde Park; Photo: Photo: Zachary Gawron

The Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites in Hyde Park

A Timeless Tapestry: Nature, Culture, and History at a Grand Estate at Vanderbilt Mansion on June 15 and 16 and August 3 and 4 at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Come stroll in the footsteps of the River Families, Hudson River School artists, and renowned landscape architects. With a Park Ranger guide, participants will learn about the natural and cultural history of the Hyde Park Estate. We will explore the different elements of Hyde Park's picturesque landscape and learn how various stewards have shaped and complemented the natural mmajesty of the Hudson River Valley.

This outdoor grounds tour will be held at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Approximate duration is 1 hour, weather permitting. Meet at the Vanderbilt Mansion NHS Overlook Parking Lot. Reservations are not required and the grounds programs are free.

Self-Guided Tours of The Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites in Hyde Park

The gardens at the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site will be available throughout the Great Estates Garden & Landscape Tour Weekends. Visitors are encouraged to bring their smart phone or other handheld devices to access the digital garden tour available by dialing a number or scanning a QR code. Park grounds and gardens are available from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. For maps of the park, including location of gardens, stop by our Visitor Contact Stations or download the new National Park Service app to your smart device.

Additionally, the Roosevelt Home Garden and the Beatrix Farrand Garden at the Home of FDR National Historic Site will be available throughout the Great Estates Garden & Landscape Tour weekends for self-guided exploration. The Beatrix Farrand Garden will have greeters available to answer questions Aug. 4 from 1–3 p.m. Both gardens boast cell tours that can be accessed using smartphones and other handheld devices and are available daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. For maps of the park, including locations of the gardens, stop by the Visitor Contact Stations or download the new National Park Service app to your smart device.