I recently traveled with my dog to visit Old Westbury Gardens, located in Old Westbury, NY to attend their “Dog Friendly Days” at Old Westbury Gardens. The event took place October 23-24, 2021.This was the second time this year they offered this event, with the previous one being held during the first three weekends in April 2021.
***UPDATE: Spring Dog Festival: April 12, 2025 and Dog-Friendly Day: April 13, 2025!***
According to the website, leashed dogs are allowed.
On the second day of the weekend, they had a Fall dog parade and costume contest as well.
“Dog Friendly Days” are held at the gardens every year.
Tickets To Old Westbury Gardens
Tickets needed to be purchased in advance. They were sold in 2 week blocks and were non-refundable once purchased. I kept checking the weather (off and on it was reported it would rain), and I was able to wait until the day before to purchase tickets.
Being that this was our first time going to this event, I opted to go on the first day, not knowing what to expect and hoping it would be less crowded.
The day we attended was overcast with a few sprinkles here and there, which made it very comfortable to walk around.
Arrival and Parking At The Gardens
The gardens were easy to get to, but there was a very small entrance that was used as both the entrance and exit, so be aware of other cars coming and going through the space.
Parking was free and on the grass of the grounds, with plenty of room for all who attended the event. We arrived within the first hour of opening and there were already quite a few people there.
The Westbury House At The Gardens
We immediately walked up to The Westbury House for a tour upon our arrival. Admission to the house is included with your ticket. At the time of our visit the house tour was self guided and the house closes each day between 1 and 1:30pm.
Dogs are not permitted into the house, so my family members and I split up our time so we were each able to go inside while someone stayed outside with our dog.
The Westbury House was the country home of John and Margarita Phipps and their family. The house was empty, allowing for plenty of room to explore each aspect of it. You could take as much time as you wanted in each room, which had descriptions of the room and what it was used for on display. Staff was also available on each floor to answer any questions.
The Grounds Of The Gardens
Once we all had our turn, we made our way towards the grounds at the back of the house. This was where everyone and their dogs congregated.
All the dogs were so cute and friendly. A few of them would bark at some of the other dogs, but dogs bark as we all know, and it was all good. No dogs needed to be removed or even reprimanded for their behavior.
The grounds were vast and well maintained, making it easy to walk around. Dogs were allowed in all areas of the grounds except for the walled gardens (where all the flowers were located). There was also a lake and pond to walk around as well.
Since the grounds were so large, there was never a huge group stuck in one place. There was plenty of room to walk around and for people to keep their distance from one another.
Garbage bins were located in various places throughout the gardens, so after cleaning up after your dog, it was easy to find a place to dispose of it.
Overall, this was a nice, relaxing day with my dog. I had never been to the gardens, so it was nice to be able to experience it with her.
We ended up spending a little over 2 hours exploring the gardens. Everyone we encountered, both employees and visitors (humans and dogs), were friendly.
Make sure to bring water and poop bags to clean up after your dog, as these were not provided.
Location
71 Old Westbury Rd.
Old Westbury, NY 11568
Admission
Admission as of 11/2021:
Adults: $14
Seniors: $12
Full Time Students: $12
Children ages 7 to 17: $8
Children ages 6 and under: Free
Old Westbury Gardens Members: Free
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