Old Westbury Gardens: Old Westbury, N.Y.

Old Westbury Gardens: Old Westbury, N.Y.

Open to the public since 1959, this 150-acre estate possesses what is considered the finest English garden in the United States. It’s located on Long Island’s North Shore, made famous during the Gilded Age for its opulent mansions. Financier and sportsman John Jay Phipps John Jay Phipps built the estate for his English bride, Margarita Phipps Margarita , in 1907.

The Old Westbury Gardens has 88 acres of formal gardens, tree-lined walks, ponds and statues. There are stately willows, sycamores, maples and cypresses. Flowers include 2,000 boldly colored tulips, pansies, forget-me-nots, irises and poppies.