Untermyer Park and Gardens

Untermyer Park and Gardens was the private estate of Samuel Untermyer from 1899-1940. Untermyer was a successful lawyer, investor and advocate for progressive causes. The garden was built in 1916 and was called “America’s Most Spectacular Garden” in the 1920s by the national press. It had 60 gardeners and 60 greenhouses on 150 acres. Owned by the City of Yonkers since 1946, the park has seen a remarkable transformation since 2011 by the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy. The Walled Garden is the finest Persian garden in the Western Hemisphere. The Vista is ornamented with ancient Roman monolithic columns 2000 years old. The Temple of Love is a magnificent rocky garden with multiple waterfalls.

Amenities: Family Friendly, Greenway Trail Access, Public Transportation, Restrooms

The Walled Garden is primarily accessible and other areas, but not all, are reachable by wheelchair. 

Bus: Westchester's public bus system the Bee Line has stops for the 2, the 9 and the 6 lines within a block of the gardens. The Bee Line accepts cash or NYC Metrocards.  Please see their system map and individual timetables (2 Line, 9 Line and 6 Line) for additional information. 

Train: The Greystone Metro-North station is on the Hudson line and is less than a mile away from the gardens.  Please see Metro-North's travel planner for schedule and fare information.  The gardens are a 20 minute uphill walk from the station: walk uphill from the station to find the stairs on the left to Warburton Avenue. Climb the stairs.  Cross Warburton Avenue and go up Odell Avenue until it ends at North Broadway.  Turn right on North Broadway and walk to 945 N. Broadway, which is on the right.  Caution: this is a significant uphill walk of more than 200 ft in elevation.  

Train & Bus: To avoid the uphill walk from the Greystone Train station and to shorten time spent on the bus, take the Metro-North Hudson River Line to Yonkers Train Station and catch the number 6 Bee Line bus in front of the station; get off the bus at Tudor Woods/Gateway Ave, walk up Gateway Ave and then head north on North Broadway to 945 North Broadway.  Or catch a taxi to the gardens in front of the station. 

Trails: An alternate walking route to the gardens uses the Old Croton Aqueduct trail.  Follow the above directions and walk up Odell on the left side of the street until just before it makes a sharp right hand turn.   The Old Croton Aqueduct trail crosses Odell at this point.  Turn right, crossing Odell and entering the OCA trail heading south.  There is an entry point to Untermyer on the Old Croton Aqueduct trail.   You will notice large stone gateposts on the east/left side of the trail and a heavy relief sculpture of a lion and a horse.  Go through the gate and turn right onto the old carriage trail.  The unpaved carriage trail winds upward through the estate to the gardens and can be navigated on bicycle, on foot or on cross-country skis.   

Cycling and Hiking or Cross-country skiing: There is an entry point to Untermyer on the Old Croton Aqueduct trail south of its intersection with Odell Avenue.   You will notice large stone gateposts on the east side of the trail and a heavy relief sculpture of a lion and a headless horse.  Go through the gate and turn right onto the old carriage trail.  The unpaved carriage trail winds upward through the estate to the gardens and can be navigated on bicycle, on foot or on cross-country skis. 

Photo credit Jessica Norman