"Elegance, gardens, and dogs." Old Westbury Gardens uses those three words to describe the world Jay Phipps promised to recreate when he courted Dita Grace, the Englishwoman who became his wife. The phrase comes from the Gardens' description of a new book, Old Westbury Gardens: Days of Grace on Long Island. The book tells how Phipps built the estate to win her over by recreating the life she had known in Sussex. As the Gardens tells it, "She said 'Yes' and the rest is Old Westbury Gardens."
On every open day from April through October, visitors can see the elegance and the gardens. Dogs are rarer. The Gardens' visitor rules allow only ADA service animals, except on designated Dog Weekends. The fall Dog Days Weekend runs October 24 and 25. The regular season ends a week later, on October 31. Most of this October's calendar points back to the estate's origin story. The dog weekend, the book launch, and a staged reading in Westbury House's Red Ballroom all fit in the final weeks of the season. Each has rules about tickets and timing that matter more now than they did in June.
The Weekend the Dogs Come Back
During the fall Dog Days Weekend, leashed dogs may walk the grounds with their owners. Regular admission applies. The main event is the Fall Dog Parade & Costume Contest on Sunday, October 25, from 3 to 5 p.m. The Gardens calls it "a fun and anticipated yearly event."
The contest is simple, but the logistics are strict:
- Registration: Costume entries must register at the map stand by 2 p.m., an hour before the contest starts at 3 p.m.
- Prize categories: Best Overall, Prettiest, Most Handsome, Most Original, Best Person & Dog, and Funniest.
- Tickets: Entry is included with admission, but tickets must be bought in advance. No entry tickets will be sold at the gate.
- Members and library-pass holders: No reservation is needed.
- Where dogs can go: Leashed dogs are allowed throughout the gardens except in the Walled Garden.
The Walled Garden is the one area dogs can't enter, so plan your walk around it. The no-onsite-tickets rule matters even more. A household that decides that Sunday morning to bring the dog has to buy tickets online before leaving home.
A Book That Puts the House Back at the Center
The dogs come late in the month. The month opens with the book behind that "elegance, gardens, and dogs" line. On October 6, architectural historian Clive Aslet and photographer Dylan Thomas will discuss Old Westbury Gardens: Days of Grace on Long Island, published this year by Triglyph Books. Aslet has written more than thirty books, including The American Country House. Thomas began his career as an assistant to Lord Snowdon. New York interior designer Thammanoune Kannalikham will moderate.
The evening runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m. It opens with sparkling wine and light hors d'oeuvres, and the authors sign books afterward. Tickets are $75 per person or $125 per couple, and a streaming link costs $25. The Friends of Old Westbury Gardens and the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art are hosting.
The same day, from noon to 2 p.m., the Gardens holds its second annual Mary S. Phipps Luncheon for Education. This year's program celebrates the new book and supports the Gardens' educational programs.
You can also see the house differently this year. The 2026 update to the Secrets of the Service Wing Tour lets visitors walk through the formal Dining Room instead of viewing it from behind a rope. The tour also covers the service rooms and goes down 17 steps. In September, Newsday listed the tour at $30, $28 for ages 62 and older, and $18 for ages 7 to 17, with general admission included. The Gardens' official calendar listed tours on September 27, 28, and 30, so check it for any October dates before you plan around one.
On October 24, the evening before the dog parade, Westbury House hosts a world-premiere staged reading of Quite Contrary, a Secret Garden by Aly Kantor in the Red Ballroom. It runs from 6 to 9 p.m., and tickets are $10.
The Rest of October, Date by Date
Most other events this month take place on the grounds, and several come with admission. October 17 is the busiest day, with three events between late morning and evening.
| Date | Event | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3–31 | Scarecrow Garden Exhibit | Open hours | Included with admission |
| Oct 3 | Storybook Stroll: Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak | 10:30–11:30 a.m. | Included with admission |
| Oct 4 | Rockville Drive at Café in the Woods | 1–4 p.m. | Café seating requires a café purchase |
| Oct 14 | Embroidery Class, adults and ages 12+ | 4–6 p.m. | $30; preregistration required |
| Oct 15 | Stargazers with the Astronomical Society of Long Island | 6:40–9 p.m. | Free |
| Oct 17 | "Find Your Art" Tour & Workshop | 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | $20 child, $27 adult |
| Oct 17 | 4th Annual Korean Culture Day | 2–4 p.m. | Included with admission |
| Oct 17 | Poetica Musica: The Song of the Cello | 8–9:30 p.m. | $30; $25 members, 62+, students |
A few details stand out. The Storybook Stroll uses a new route that starts at the map stand by the parking lot and ends with a story and a craft at the Thatched Cottage. At the Scarecrow Garden, visitors can vote for a Crowd Favorite through October 31. Korean Culture Day includes Korean food tastings, traditional and K-Pop dance, and music. According to the Long Island Press, last year's event drew more than 600 people, a useful guide to how full the grounds may be that afternoon. In the "Find Your Art" workshop, participants collect natural objects on the grounds and turn them into art. Members get 20 percent off the workshop and embroidery fees.
Some of the month is already booked. The Afternoon Tea and Tour dates on October 7, 8, 14, and 15 are all marked sold out on the Gardens' calendar. Nonmembers pay $65.
How Late-Season Tickets Work
The same ticket rule that applies to the dog parade applies all season. Everyone except members and library-pass holders must buy tickets online in advance. General admission is $22. Visitors 62 and older and full-time students with ID pay $20, ages 7 to 17 pay $12, and children 6 and under get in free. A ticket covers both the gardens and Westbury House, and members get in free.
October changes one part of that policy. All ticket sales are final. If you can't come on your date, the Gardens will honor an unscanned ticket on another general admission date, but only until the operating season ends. A missed ticket in May had all summer to be used. A missed ticket for October 25 has six days left: the season ends October 31, and the Gardens is closed on Tuesdays.
Three more details shape the month:
- The Gardens will be closed to the public on Sunday, October 11, for a private event. Library passes for that date will be honored on October 10 or 12.
- Final admission to the gardens is 4 p.m. for nonmembers and 5 p.m. for members. Final entry to Westbury House is 5 p.m. The house closes at 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and 5:15 p.m. on weekends.
- All visitors enter at 71 Old Westbury Road.
The 4 p.m. cutoff matters on dog parade day. The contest runs until 5 p.m., but nonmembers must arrive by 4 p.m., and costume entries must register by 2 p.m.
What Comes After October 31
If you missed the Lego show, it has already closed. Sean Kenney's Nature Connects Made with LEGO Bricks brought 17 large sculptures to the grounds and ran through September 7, according to the Long Island Herald.
The dates after the regular season are less certain. In September, Newsday reported that the Gardens planned to open on select weekends in November and December. The Long Island Press reported the same plan when the season opened in March. As of early October, the Gardens' official November calendar lists no events or opening dates. Last year's fall program included trick-or-treating and a Halloween puppet show, but neither appears on the 2026 schedule. Based on what the Gardens has published so far, October 24 and 25 is the last scheduled weekend of 2026 when dogs can walk the grounds Phipps laid out with them in mind.
Estates like this one are part of why Gold Coast homes look the way they do, and keeping that history alive takes ongoing work. Gwen Levy serves on the Roslyn Landmark Society Board of Trustees and has spent her life in greater Roslyn, close to the North Shore's historic estates. If you'd like to talk about a home with its own history, or what it takes to care for one, let's connect.
