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Bucket List: 15 Best Places to Visit in Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is home to some of the finest attractions in New York, like the great Untermyer Gardens, the historical Sherwood House Museum, and the thrilling Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. When visiting Yonkers, there are several spectacular outdoor activities to enjoy. The city still keeps the high-spirited energy of New York but without the suffocating congestion and crowded populations. The unassuming and exciting City of Yonkers is definitely worth a visit.
Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy was established in 2011 to restore Samuel Untermyer’s garden in Yonkers. The Untermyer Park was a celebrated park built in the Civil War era, boasting 2,000-year-old columns specially imported from Italy and the largest Persian garden in North America at the time. After Untermyer’s death, the state government neglected the park for decades until it attracted satanic groups in the 1970s. The park’s dark reputation for being the stomping grounds of an infamous serial killer pushed the garden to emptiness. It was the Conservancy that sought to revitalize the once glorious garden.
Untermyer Park and Gardens is open to the public for free and features its famous Walled Garden, Vista, Color Gardens, Temple of Love, Rhododendron Walk, and Rock and Stream Garden.
Location: 945 North Broadway, Yonkers, NY 10701
Groundwork Hudson Valley Science Barge
The Science Barge is a self-sustaining greenhouse that floats in the Hudson River. It is “the only fully functioning demonstration of renewable energy supporting sustainable food production in New York,” according to the Groundwork Hudson Valley website. The Barge donates the produce and also acts as an educational facility and interactive science museum. School groups visit the facility yearly to learn about zero-emission food production methods.
Location: 99 Dock Street, Yonkers, NY 10701
Lenoir Preserve
Lenoir Preserve is a 40-acre nature preserve adjacent to the Old Croton Aqueduct and overlooks the Hudson River. The nature preserve has unique trees and shrubs, like copper beeches from Europe, gingko trees from Asia, and Douglas firs from the Pacific Northwest, along with native sugar maples, red oaks, hemlocks, and pines and tulip trees that provide shelter to woodpeckers, owls, and bats. Birdwatchers gather at the preserve every spring and summer to witness large hawk migrations or visit the nearby butterfly garden and dragonfly pond. The location is highly recommended for a nature walk in the middle of the city.
Location: 19 Dudley Street, Yonkers, NY 10701
Hudson River Museum
The Hudson River Museum is dedicated to the great arts, standing out as an important facility for the arts and sciences. The museum has a permanent collection of ancient and modern art and a rotating collection of historic and contemporary art. Visitors of all ages can take the museum’s hands-on science and art classes. Besides the arts, the museum has a historic home and an amphitheater where live events occur.
Location: 511 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10701
Glenview Historic Home
The Glenview Historic Home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and exhibits the lifestyle of the former residents of the mansion. It features some of the original furnishings, paintings, sculptures, and woodwork owned by the Trevor Family. The mansion is one of the most important early Gilded Age residences open to the public.
Location: 511 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10701
Sherwood House
The Sherwood House Museum was built in 1740 and is one of the few remaining examples of a pre-Revolutionary War farmhouse. The historic farmhouse is owned and maintained by the Yonkers Historical Society and is listed as a National Historic Landmark. The historical organization continues to preserve the heritage site, and visitors can see the museum during spring and summer.
Location: 340 Tuckahoe Road, Yonkers, NY 10710
Tibbetts Brook Park
Tibbetts Brook Park is a 161-acre park with an aquatic complex in place. Children and adults can play on the spray playground, in-pool basketball, and volleyball or lounge on the lazy river. The park is now seen as a haven in the middle of the city, a relaxing sanctuary from the busy city life. The park also has woodlands, playing fields, and an open outdoor space that holds special events.
Location: 355 Midland Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10704
Van Der Donck Park
The Van der Donck Park is part of several renovation projects in Downtown Yonkers. Residents frequent the park for their routine leisure strolls or dine in the restaurants around it. The quaint park is not as popular as Untermyer Gardens or Tibbetts Brook Park but is as charming as its peaceful nature.
Location: 41 Dock Street, Yonkers, NY 10701
Old Croton Aqueduct Trail
The Old Croton Aqueduct Trail is an out-and-back trail that runs along Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park. The trail is primarily used for walking and running, but parts of the trail are used and suitable for biking, horseback riding, and birdwatching. Owners can bring their dogs with them but must be on a leash. Visitors can take the trail anytime as it is open year-round but are advised to purchase a detailed map and brochure by the Friends of Old Croton Aqueduct that shows the exact route.
Empire City Casino
Empire City Casino is one of the state’s largest entertainment and gaming destinations. The casino is located on the Yonkers Raceway, a local landmark where fans and visitors can watch live horseracing. Along with thrilling race courses, visitors can try their luck at the casino’s slots and have a fun night trip at the Empire City Casino. As a big-name casino, visitors are assured that there is good food in the area, namely Big Kitchen International Food Court for fancier meals or the Chophouse for their scrumptious steaks.
Location: 810 Yonkers Ave, Yonkers, NY 10704
Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers Raceway, founded in the 1900s, is a one-half-mile standardbred harness racing dirt track and slots racino located on Yonkers Avenue. Yonkers Raceway is a local landmark for horseracing fans to watch live races and see their bet win a leg.
The track was also the site of the 1941 USA Cross Country Championships.
Location: 810 Yonkers Ave, Yonkers, NY 10704
Ridge Hill
Ridge Hill is an open-air, mixed-use retail and lifestyle center with many retail outlets, restaurants, and a play area for children. Formerly known as Westchester’s Ridge Hill, the center opened its doors to the public in 2011. It now sees millions of local and international visitors each year. The center is set around a town square with ponds and beaches and is nearby the LEGOLAND Discovery Center, an indoor family-friendly theme park.
Location: 1 Ridge Hill Boulevard, Yonkers, NY 10710
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema – Yonkers
The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Yonkers is a movie theater that frequently shows classic Hollywood movies alongside newly released movies. The theater has served the community for a long time, and residents have grown with it. Other than the timely selection of movies, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Yonkers is known for its spectacular selection of beer and movie snacks that just make residents keep coming back.
Location: 2548 Central Park Ave, Yonkers, NY 10710
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester is the ultimate LEGO playground. The theme park has multiple family attractions and activities, like Little Play Squad, Merlin’s Apprentice, a 4D Cinema, and DUPLO Village, and even explore MINILAND, a miniature city replicated with 1.5 million LEGO blocks.
Location: 39 Fitzgerald Street, Yonkers, NY 10710
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana
New York is known for its New York-style pizza that came from the Neapolitan-style pizza of the Italian immigrants. This famous style of pizza can be tried in one of the oldest pizzerias in the city, Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana. Like business owners back in the day, Frank Pepe lived above the pizzeria with his family, and the whole family worked downstairs in the pizzeria. A lot has happened since the pizzeria was established in 1925, from a niche ethnic dish to becoming a staple in the American dining scene. Today, Frank Pepe’s family continues his legacy through handmade pizza baked in a coal-fired brick pizza oven. First-timers often recommend their original “Tomato Pie” or the popular “White Clam Pizza.”
Location: 1955 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10710
How to get there
Visitors can get to Yonkers by plane, train, and car. The nearest airports to Yonkers are Westchester County Airport, LaGuardia Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and the Newark Liberty International Airport. The main train station serving the city is the Yonkers Train Stations, served by Metro-North Railroad’s Hudson Line and several Amtrak services.
Private cars can get to Yonkers through Bronx River Parkway, Cross County Parkway, New York State Thruway, Saw Mill River Parkway, and Sprain Brook Parkway. To get around Yonkers, Westchester County’s Bee-Line Bus System has bus routes within Yonkers to other Westchester communities and New York City.
Our Top Hotel Picks for Yonkers NY
Yonkers NY Travel and Tour Packages
Searching for the best hotels, resorts, and affordable flights in the nearby Cities? Check out our list of cheap Yonkers, NY hotels and resorts via Agoda, Booking, or you may also see available Airbnb properties in the city.
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