Whether it’s exploring more than a
century of history or basking in the greens, there is something for everyone on
this Road Trip: Close to Home to Lyndhurst in Tarrytown.
About
a half mile south of the Gov. Mario Cuomo Bridge lies the
sprawling 67-acre park and mansion known simply as Lyndhurst. "It really is about the
architecture and the architect -- and it's very original, we have all of our 67
original acres going back to 1838," says Lyndhurst executive director Howard Zar.
There
is so much to explore, but first, you should check out the historical building. "There's a basic tour that takes
you to two floors and shows you about 14 rooms of
the mansion, and we have all the furnishings from Lyndhurst going back to the
1830s," says Zar.
From
living spaces, to the kitchen, to the attention to detail within the mansion - every inch you lay your eye on has a story in
itself.
It’s
all laid out to bring you back in time, to how life was like back in the early
19th century.
Next,
explore the grounds! While
you walk around, be sure to check a bowling alley inside one
building. It isn’t used as one for the public anymore, but the fourth owner of this property wanted to build this to
provide not only a sport for men,
but for women too.
What’s
really interesting is that the building also doubled as a sewing school to give
women opportunities for economic equality.
Along your walk, you’ll also notice the rose garden. It’s a
beautiful area to walk through and, quite literally, stop and smell the
roses.
Right
next to it, you'll see the frame of the greenhouse made in 1881.
Today, it no longer serves as a greenhouse, rather, it’s an historical artifact showing the very
first metal-framed greenhouse made in the United States.