bayard cutting arboretum

The north shore has Planting Fields, the south shore has Bayard. Now, I would describe this arboretum as a humble little place compared to Planting Fields, but it holds a charm so uniquely its own. I always see people working on the grounds, volunteers or otherwise, beautifying it and I absolutely love that. I participated in "I Love My Parks" Day one year and this was the park I decided to volunteer at. I come here often to see how the changing seasons influence the landscape. There is a rhododendron walk which can attract some bees, but come on, it's all a part of nature. The mansion is beautiful, with such intricate detail that you'll probably miss quite a few things the first time you come...so make sure you come back! It straddles the Connetquot river, where most people like to go to take a lovely stroll to observe the wildlife or just relax near the calm waters, where benches are set up. There are also plenty of trees in which to seek shade in the hot summer months, and when I went, there were lounge chairs set up behind the manor house for those that really couldn't walk too much but still wanted to enjoy the outdoors. One large willow-like tree that has a "trail" made of decking is a popular spot for people, especially children, as you can get underneath the tree and the deck circumvents the stump, and the branches just cascade around you - it is really beautiful. It is incredibly well-kept, and for good reason; it is so lovely when it's maintained. There's also a barn and farm, which gives fresh produce for CSAs. Everyone I've ever met here has always been extremely friendly, too. Flower sales and other events are held frequently. There is a fee to enter the park April-October, and they are closed on Mondays and on holidays. "The Hidden Oak Cafe" is inside the manor house, where they have food and drinks. I haven't ever eaten there but I imagine it is delicious, and there is an afternoon tea available when a reservation is made - I plan on bringing people for that one day! I would suggest anyone from Suffolk County to stop by here, it is extremely soothing and peaceful, and is meant to be more of a retreat from the bustle of Long Island living more than anything else - you cannot jog/run, bike, bring pets, or picnic on the grounds. This is a romantic park to take a stroll by some flowers, by the ponds, or by the river. I love it here, and you probably will too.

I haven't been here for many years. The grounds were and still are,I imagine, gorgeous. Great place to go and enjoy nature. I also did high teas awhile ago. They were great

I've been to the Arboretum many times before to walk the paths in the woods and along the river but today was different. We had lunch in there cafe and were lucky enough to be seated in the library. The house was beautifully decorated for Christmas and my friends and I had a delicious lunch. When enjoying the grounds don't forget to stop in for a meal. I saw a sign that they also take reservations for "Tea". Can't wait to try that next time. If you have and Empire Pass the parking is free.

This arboretum is always improving it's gardens and programs. Several new gardens were added this year including a woodland garden by one of the 3 beautiful ponds. There are so many unusual and well cared for trees to walk among, a gorgeous mansion to explore complete with an excellent cafe, and the not to be missed Dahlia garden There are delights all along the winding pathways, lots of benches to relax on, and an extremely friendly staff.

Very pretty place to go for a walk, particularly in the fall. The grounds are lovely, and the perennial garden was just so beautiful to see so many things still blooming in late October. A true four season garden. There are many trails and we walked along the water, found small bridges; very scenic walk.After our walk we returned to the Manor House and had a delicious lunch inside the Hidden Oak Cafe, which offered sandwiches, salads, pastries, hot apple cider and a selection of teas.A beautiful way to spend an afternoon.

enjoy this wonderful sweeping lawn view from the mansion terrace and walk to the lake with ample bench rests along the way. Sample tasty and well presented sandwiches on the terrace( at reasonable prices and feel like a millionaire! Fee for the mansion tour only if you want.

Wonderful historic estate,great viewsLovely grounds, well taken care of. So relaxing to walk around the grounds as well as attend concerts etcMany events for families

Enjoyed a quick visit to this arboretum, taking advantage of great weather. Loved the grounds and unique plantings. Ideal for family photos.

We visited in late September during the Fall festival. Even though there were a lot of visitors, you could still walk the various paths without much company. The Fall colors were just coming on and the entire park was very pretty. The dahlia display was fantastic.

The second time in two years that I've had the pleasure. The grounds are magnificent- so well tended to... and decked out in fall colors...And as a bonus it was dahlia time~ they were nothing short of spectacular, from the miniatures to the ginormous dinner plate ones. Took a hayride along the Connetequot River that was lovely..walked thru the trees which were still covered with green leaves still~ and labeled with signs to tell what they were. It had rained the day before so everything was especially colorful and fresh. I just love this place- I have a made a memo to check out the mansion at Christmastime where I heard each room is decorated prettily. Take the drive- it is so worth it!!!

Beautiful grounds, very serine, nice place to be alone in your thoughts, very much a stress reducer. Not a park for kids to ride bikes or family picnics.

On the south shore of Long Island is the waterfront estate of Mr. Cutting.We often take walks here and see the swans, geese and abundant flowers in bloom. Its a great place to collect your thoughts and walk while escaping from the noise and hustle of everyday life.

This this a historic site: beautiful, romantic and relatively quiet. I don't recommend it for families with small children, but definitely recommend it for lovely couples, like us. The gardens are simple, very greenish, not too many flowers, but a lot of unique trees and shadow areas. The walk along the river is wonderful and also very romantic for couples of any age. I think that ROMANTISM is a signature of this place. There is a very pleasant café with average food, but delicious deserts.No picnics and no activities are allowed. But there is Heckscher State Park 2 miles away where you could have a wonderful picnic, barbeque, swimming in the quiet ocean, hiking, biking, running, jumping, screaming, ball playing and a lot of more civil or wild activities. ENJOY !!! Park is opened from 10.00am to 6.00 pm. Fee $8 per car and Empire Passport is accepted.

Do yourself a huge favor and just go to the Planting Fields Arboretum instead. This has been one of the great disappointments of my park visiting life. It's just a lot of grass. It's like a gold course without the sand and gold balls. It's extremely boring and uninspired. You can get the same experience from any county park for free. Not to mention the place closes at 5, which the jerk at the booth neglected to mention until after he snatched up that money. This must be a theme in this area. It's a beautiful May Saturday and parks close at 5PM. What a joke. Sad thing is, we arrived around 3:30 and left well before 5 it was so boring. I wish I could have demanded a refund. A place like this has to demand money before you enter because they know you'll think its worthless once you leave.Anybody who gives this place a positive review has never been to an actual good arboretum. Trust me and just go to the Planting Fields Arboretum instead...There's actually color because they plant things and have hired actual landscapers to design the grounds. They didnt just take a golf course and plant a few trees here and there and figure they could charge people.I've been to gardens and arboretums all over NY and NJ and this was far and away the biggest waste of time and money of them all.

Having some spare time in the area, I found this greenspace on the AAA map. I was thrilled at the magnificence of the park. The pine specimens are gorgeous and grandly placed, but should be labelled clearly. The riverwalk and ponds offer variety unusual in an arboretum. Benches placed strategically throughout are welcoming and serene, but there was plenty of family activity an the great lawn behind the manor house. Clean bathrooms and water fountains add to the accommodating atmosphere. The restaurant was busy with happy patrons (I didn't eat there.) Less well known than the Planting Fields and Old Westbury gardens, this is a world class experience. It was delightful seeing people of all ages enjoying the outdoors.