A Garden Afternoon at Wave Hill

Wave Hill is a public garden and cultural center on a Riverdale estate high above the Hudson, looking straight across the river to the Palisades. Its grounds mix flower gardens, woodland paths and broad lawns, with a conservatory, the Glyndor Gallery for contemporary art and the older Wave Hill House at the center. It feels less like a city park than a private estate that happens to be open to everyone, which is exactly why New Yorkers come here to sit on a bench and forget the subway for an afternoon.

Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for students and seniors and $4 for children 6 and up as of October 2026, and it is free all day on Thursdays (not for organized groups); special days such as Sunset Wednesdays cost more. The gardens are open year-round and change by the season, from spring bulbs to autumn color. There's a café and a shop, and onsite parking costs extra. Metro-North, the subway and local buses all get you close, so check the Getting Here page first.