Wave Hill

Wave Hill is a 20.87-acre public garden and cultural center in the Riverdale section of the northwestern Bronx, perched on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River and the Palisades. The estate, which includes two historic houses surrounded by meticulously maintained gardens, is widely considered one of the most beautiful public gardens in the world.

The property has a distinguished history of notable residents: Mark Twain rented the main house in 1901-1903, Theodore Roosevelt's family lived there during his youth, and Arturo Toscanini occupied the house in the 1940s. The British delegation to the United Nations also used the property as a retreat.

George W. Perkins, a partner of J.P. Morgan, purchased the estate in 1903 and developed the gardens that became the foundation for Wave Hill's current horticultural program. Perkins' family donated the property to the city in 1960, and it has operated as a public garden and cultural center since 1965.

Wave Hill's gardens include a wild garden, an aquatic garden, a herb garden, a pergola overlooking the Hudson, greenhouses with tropical and succulent collections, and woodland walks through the estate's mature trees. The gardens are designed to be beautiful in every season, with carefully orchestrated plantings that provide year-round interest.

The cultural program at Wave Hill includes visual art exhibitions, concerts, dance performances, lectures, and horticultural workshops. The institution's programming emphasizes the connections between art, nature, and the environment, creating a multidisciplinary experience unique in the city.

Wave Hill offers an experience unlike any other in New York City: the intimacy of a private garden, the quality of a world-class cultural institution, and views of the Hudson River and Palisades that rank among the finest in the metropolitan area. For visitors from across the city, Wave Hill is a revelation; for the Bronx, it is a treasure.