Address
71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury, New York 11590
Phone Number
(516) 333 - 0048
Date Visited
08/31/2017
Website
Old Westbury Gardens
Description
Old Westbury Gardens is located at 71 Westbury Road, Old Westbury, New York.From the entrance a long drive goes to the gravel parking lot which has 4 handicapped spaces. With a handicapped parking permit, one can park in the courtyard in front of the mansion.
It is quite a distance up a steep paved hill to the mansion.
Steps lead to the double door main entrance of the mansion. A handicapped entrance ramp that takes you into the sun room, is to the right of the main entrance. One must ask for this door to be opened.
The mansion has two floors. The second floor is accessible by stairs only.
From the mansion one must walk down stone steps or the ramp, to go back down the paved, main driveway.
Single occupancy, handicapped accessible restrooms are located on the main floor in the mansion. Multi-stall, handicapped accessible restrooms can be found in a free-standing building on the grounds near the Cafe in the Woods.
Throughout the gardens we found benches available but the terrain to get to the gardens is uneven and hilly. Grass and gravel are the primary surfaces.
We found only one bench for sitting in the mansion.
Cafe in the Woods, an outdoor cafe, can be reached via a gravel path.
- Surface of lot: gravel
Distance to venue: not close
Transportation to venue offered: no
Terrain: hilly, uneven
Places to rest: benches can be found throughout the gardens
Paths and walkways: paved, gravel, grass
Doors: double-doors at main entrance, single at handicapped entrance
Number of floors: 2
Elevators: none
Ramps: ramp at handicapped entrance
Steps and staircases: staircase to 2nd floor of mainsion, steps leading down to gardens
Width of aisles: ample
Places to sit: one bench in mansion, benches throughout the gardens
Location of restrooms: on main floor in mansion, also in separate building near cafe
Type of restroom: single-occupancy handicapped accessible in mansion, multi-stall, handicapped accessible in other building
Ease of entry and exit: good
Available food services: Cafe in the Woods
Friendliness of staff: friendly and helpful
Notes: * Besides handicapped spaces in main lot, one can park in courtyard in front of mansion with handicapped permit.* To use handicapped entrance to mansion, one must ask someone to open the door.
We have been to Old Westbury Gardens before, but visited on this beautiful last day of August to see the Seward Johnson exhibit. It has been extended until September 24th. We think it is something not to be missed.
We drove down the long entrance driveway thinking about the fact that a family called this place home for more than 50 years.
The parking lot is gravel/grass with four handicapped spaces. If you can manage the gravel, paved paths are near. Otherwise, let your passenger out on the paved portion. A somewhat steep, paved walkway/driveway goes from the parking lot to the mansion. If you have a handicapped permit you can park on the gravel in front of the mansion. If you don’t have a permit, you can drop your passenger off at the mansion and return to the parking lot. There is an accessible ramp to the mansion that can be accessed by asking someone inside to open the glass door leading to the sun room. The main floor of this beautiful mansion is wheelchair accessible. A single-occupancy, handicapped accessible restroom is located down the hall past the gift shop. A bench just outside the restrooms is the only place to sit down within the mansion.
This former home of John S Phipps, Westbury House, is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was completed in 1906. It is furnished with antiques and arts from the more than 50 years of the family’s residence. The woodwork, ceilings and fireplaces are enough to make one drool. Beautiful, with great attention to detail. Even if you aren’t thrilled with the styles, one must admire the beauty of Westbury House. Tours are available. Since we had already taken one, we decided to pass.
This exhibit, “Experiencing Art In The Landscape,” features 32 individual pieces of Johnson’s work. They “focus on sculptural commentary about day-to-day life and Johnson’s love of nature and French impressionism. Each (life size) sculpture reflects the realism and meticulous attention to detail that are the hallmark of Johnson’s work.” (website) A number of the sculptures are located within the mansion itself and on its patios. The remainder are placed throughout the gardens, necessitating walking along gravel and/or packed dirt pathways on uneven terrain and through grass. For some, this may not be an easy task. Benches can be found throughout the gardens, mostly on the grass. Even if you are not able to see all of the pieces, we think it is well worth the price to view the ones that are accessible (in the mansion and on the patios). The stone/brick patios surrounding the mansion are accessible. Unless one goes back down the main driveway, all other departures require steps. Although this is a most beautiful destination it is not one of the easiest to traverse.
Restrooms can also be found near the Café in the Woods, an outdoor café, located near the parking lot. A flat, gravel path will get you there.
As always, we at Destination Accessible advise you to check a venue’s website, www.oldwestburygardens.org, when planning a visit, to “know before you go.”
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