Terminal Moraine

Review of Old Westbury Gardens

Came for the day from Manhattan having visited oth...

Came for the day from Manhattan having visited other historic "Gold Coast" estates. The mansion was closed on the day I visited, but I came mainly for the grounds. It does not compare to the beauty of other sites like the Sands Point Preserve which charge a fraction of the admission fee. The grounds are mostly unremarkable and more or less have the character of a city park.
However- and this is a crucial point- it's a much more photogenic space than the sprawling estates on the shorline with their vast, panoramic views. Crucial because the pictures online oversell it. Here, everything your eye is drawn to will fit in the dimensions of a photograph, with the blandish peripheral elements cropped out. It looks amazing in pictures, and we did see photographers with couples taking wedding photos, which added to the Central Park vibes.
The high point was walking through the little walled flower garden which is indeed beautiful but also quite crowded on a sunny weekend day.
The cafe in the woods is parking lot-adjacent, not exactly the idyllic setting we'd hoped for. The website does not mention that high tea must be reserved days in advance, or that large areas would be roped off for a private event, etc. Or that the mansion would be *completely* closed, which is unforgivable. They were, however, quite persistent about following us around in golf carts to remind us, repeatedly, that they close at 5.
For a lot less than the cost of the rail fare + cab + admissions, you have way better options. If you're not local it's not worth the trip.