Gardens

Geometric Garden, present day.

Locust Grove’s stately trees, rolling hills, and vistas from a bluff high above the Hudson River all combine to create a grand landscape garden.

William and Martha Young brought a new vision to Locust Grove after acquiring the estate in 1895. They began to purchase adjoining land and built scenic carriage drives along the Hudson River. Near the house, Martha Young expanded the formal gardens and today the Cutting Garden preserves her unique style and plant collection.

A kitchen garden provided fresh produce for the residents of the Locust Grove estate for over two centuries. Today, the restored kitchen garden provides a place for visitors to learn about the wide variety of vegetables and fruits grown on the estate over the past three centuries.

In 1975 Annette Innis Young, the last member of the Young family to live at Locust Grove, created a not-for-profit foundation to preserve the estate for “the enjoyment, visitation, and enlightenment of the public.” Her bequest included more than 125 acres of gardens and grounds.

Since that time the museum trustees have continued to expand the estate’s open space by acquiring much of the adjoining Southwood and Edgehill estates and today Locust Grove’s gardens and grounds cover nearly 200 acres.

Our historic buildings, modern exhibit galleries, elegant gardens, miles of hiking trails, and exciting public programs are available to visitors year-round.