Dutchess Tourism, Inc. (DTI) invites the public to explore the grounds of Dutchess County’s great estates during the Great Estates Garden & Landscape Weekends, June 25-26 and September 24-25, 2022. Visitors can experience outdoor guided and self-guided tours, a gardening workshop, and explore the scenic landscapes of these majestic homes along the Hudson. Events include tours of the heritage gardens blooming with heirloom flowers, vegetables and fruits at Locust Grove, the historic grounds of the Gilded Age estate of Ruth and Ogden Mills at Staatsburgh State Historic Site and the intricate network of carriage drives and trails at Wilderstein Historic Site designed by landscape architect Calvert Vaux.
“Visitors to our historic sites often focus on the mansions themselves, but the gardens and landscapes tell an important story as well,” said Dutchess Tourism President & CEO Melaine Rottkamp. “Many of these gardens are lovingly and skillfully tended by volunteer organizations alongside some professionals and they always do a spectacular job enhancing the visitor experience at these sites. We want to invite everyone to explore the outdoor beauty of these estates nestled along the Hudson River.”
Great Estates Garden & Landscape Weekends Locations:
Clermont State Historic Site, Germantown
Landscape Highlights: A walking tour of Clermont’s grounds on Saturday, June 25 and Saturday, September 24 at 2 p.m.
Locust Grove Estate, Poughkeepsie
Garden Tours at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 25 and Saturday, September 24
Historic carriage road walk with Director/Curator Ken Snodgrass at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 26 and Sunday, September 25
Mount Gulian Historic Site, Beacon
Garden Tours on Saturday, September 24 and Sunday, September 25
Roosevelt Home Garden and the Beatrix Farrand Garden at the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, Hyde Park
Digital Garden Tour with the National Park Service app. Park grounds and gardens are available from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Download free through the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Staatsburgh State Historic Site, Staatsburg
Container Garden Workshop on June 25 and 26 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Guided Landscape Walk of Staatsburgh’s Grounds: What You See and What You Don’t See on September 24 and 25 at 10 a.m.
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site
Digital Garden Tour with the National Park Service app. Park grounds and gardens are available from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Download free through the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Wilderstein Historic Site, Rhinebeck
Garden and Landscape Tour on Saturday, June 25 at 10 a.m. and Saturday, September 24 at 10 a.m.
For a full listing of events, visit www.dutchesstourism.com/greatestatesgardens. Advance registration is required for some events.
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About Dutchess Tourism
Dutchess Tourism, Inc., the officially designated destination marketing organization for Dutchess County, is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) of Destinations International. As a 501c6 non-profit organization, it works to bring tourism dollars to area businesses and the community by marketing and promoting the assets of Dutchess County to the nation and the world. The office is located at 3 Neptune Road in the Town of Poughkeepsie with 17 Tourist Information Centers located around Dutchess County. The website is DutchessTourism.com and they can be reached at 845-463-4000. Dutchess Tourism, Inc. is partially funded by monies received from the County of Dutchess.
