Journey to Kykuit

One of my favorite places to visit in the historic Hudson Valley is Kykuit, the 40-room classic-revival mansion overlooking the Hudson River, in Pocantico Hills, NY. The architectural firm of Delano and Aldrich designed the six-story stone house, that was completed in 1913 for Standard Oil Founder, and philanthropist, John D. Rockefeller.  The house's name "Kykuit" means "overlook" in Dutch, which is appropriate because the 2,000 acre estate has a sweeping view of the Hudson Valley, including the Hudson River and nearby Palisades.

From May to November, some portions of the house and grounds are open to the public. Interior highlights include Chinese and European ceramics, and modern art masterpieces by Henry Moore, Andy Warhol, and Pablo Picasso. Rockefeller originally commissioned the Olmstead brothers to create the landscape design for Kykuit. He was unhappy with their plan, and eventually layed out the initial plantings and walkways himself. He later hired William Welles Bosworth, who designed the beautiful gardens, terraces, and pavilions, which contain more than 70 sculptures.

Kykuit is owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and operated by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. For more information about Kykuit, visit the Historic Hudson Valley’s website. Below are a few photographs from my past excursions.