School Visits to Untermyer Gardens
At Untermyer Gardens, students can learn about local and global history, gardening, mythology, biology, and more. We offer private tours to school groups led by trained docents with a wealth of knowledge to share. Our docents are experts in the history of the garden and are regularly kept up to date on what's blooming in the garden. Guided tours are FREE for Yonkers Public School students and their chaperones. Tours are available Monday-Friday. We are able to host one school tour per day. Please note that your requested date may not be available. Spring tours will be scheduled beginning in late January.
Spring tours will be booked starting in late January 2026.
Spring tours will be booked starting in late January 2026.
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The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy offers school tours guided by our volunteer docents with a wealth of knowledge to share. Our docents are experts in the history of the garden and are regularly kept up to date on what's blooming in the garden.
- Sensory Tour (recommended for PreK- Grade 2) engages young children in using their senses to experience the garden. This tour will take place in the Temple of Love and Rock & Stream gardens. (approx. 60 minutes)
- Adventure Tour (recommended for Grades 3-5) introduces children to plants, mythology, architecture, and sculpture within the Walled Garden and Persian Reflecting Pool. (approx. 60 minutes)
- Mythology Tour (recommended for Grades 6-7) introduces students to mythological symbols and stories expressed in the art and architecture of the Walled Garden and Persian Reflecting Pool. (60 minutes)
- History Tour (recommended for Grades 8-12) highlights the history of the estate emphasizing its world-famous heyday in the Untermyer years, its dramatic decline after 1940, and the remarkable and ongoing restoration efforts. The tour progresses from the Walled Garden to the Vista, Vegetable Garden, and Ruin Garden, emphasizing history, architecture, and horticulture. (90 minutes)
Details:
We offer school tours Monday through Thursday generally between mid-April and mid-November, in all weather. Tours begin at 10 AM and last approximately one hour, or 90 minutes for high school history tours.
Our driveway and parking lot are not designed for school buses either for parking or for dropping off. Buses must drop off students and chaperones on the southbound side of the 945 North Broadway entrance, and then find street parking nearby.
If you choose to cancel due to the weather, we cannot offer you another date. Please advise your students to dress according to the weather.
School groups are welcome to stay at the garden after your tour for a self-guided tour and/or picnic lunch. Your group is welcome to picnic in our picnic area, which is on a small, rocky hill. The lawn outside the Walled Garden is also available for picnicking and students may bring blankets or towels to lay on the grass. Note that NO sports equipment is allowed. We do not have a cafe or any food services onsite. Public restrooms are located near the garden entrance.
Our standard school tours are for those without physical limitations. It requires some stamina and the ability to traverse stairs and uneven, unpaved terrain. We can customize your tour based on the physical capabilities of your group. Only the upper terrace of the Walled Garden is wheelchair accessible; its paths are covered in stone dust. At this time, we only offer tours in English but you are welcome to bring a translator.
Our driveway and parking lot are not designed for school buses either for parking or for dropping off. Buses must drop off students and chaperones on the southbound side of the 945 North Broadway entrance, and then find street parking nearby.
If you choose to cancel due to the weather, we cannot offer you another date. Please advise your students to dress according to the weather.
School groups are welcome to stay at the garden after your tour for a self-guided tour and/or picnic lunch. Your group is welcome to picnic in our picnic area, which is on a small, rocky hill. The lawn outside the Walled Garden is also available for picnicking and students may bring blankets or towels to lay on the grass. Note that NO sports equipment is allowed. We do not have a cafe or any food services onsite. Public restrooms are located near the garden entrance.
Our standard school tours are for those without physical limitations. It requires some stamina and the ability to traverse stairs and uneven, unpaved terrain. We can customize your tour based on the physical capabilities of your group. Only the upper terrace of the Walled Garden is wheelchair accessible; its paths are covered in stone dust. At this time, we only offer tours in English but you are welcome to bring a translator.
