It was a spectacular experience. We have long wanted to do the tour. When we saw the advert, we did not waste a moment and booked immediately. It was one of the most beautiful and inspiring properties that we've ever toured. They only open it up every 5-6 years. Don't miss your opportunity whenever it presents itself again. read more

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I highly recommend checking out these gorgeous free gardens. It's a fantastic spot to picnic, read, draw, or meet up with friends. It seems like the extension of an estate nearby, but it's open to the public. It's easy to find when entering in a GPS. You follow what feels like a one way road to the little parking section. This is free too. It's a mostly flat walk. I loved how blue the entrance fountain was. The statues surrounding the gardens are stunning. The best part is the rose garden. Roses weren't really in season when we visited, but there were a few still in bloom and they were gorgeous. We saw someone nearby sketching them. The fountain at the garden has plenty of coy fish to check out. This is a lovely, free spot. read more

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This used to be a great spot to visit and bring out of town guests but things have changed. I brought a friend this morning and forewarned her that it might be closed. We got to the gate and were reading the sign explaining that the grounds were closed for the season when out of nowhere a huge black truck blocked us and was beeping the horn. The gates suddenly opened so the only way we could drive was through the gate. Then the guy in the truck (groundskeeper?) was super aggressive about why we were there since the sign on the gate said YADDO was closed. I told him the only reason why we went through the gate was because HIS TRUCK made it impossible for us to turn around and leave. He had major attitude for zero reason. I told him there was no reason for him to be rude. Not a good look for YADDO. I am disappointed by the experience. I tried to call and email them directly, but they make that difficult too. Sad. Maybe it's time to hire a new groundskeeper with better communication skills. read more

Free and worth a look. Go on a weekday to be able to get a parking space. Go in June or July when roses are in bloom. Nice fountains and sculpture to enjoy even when nothing in bloom. read more

It's still beautiful but they changed their hours it's more unfriendly because they changed their hours. It used to be I could drive in there with my lunch I picked up from a bakery or from McDonald's or if I just wanted to walk and I could enjoy it I could even just sit in my car and enjoy it but now the hours are limited it feels like something has been taken away. It feels like it used to be for the community and now it's just for the community if they're okay with it. I think it's another thing that covid changed and it's not a good change. They gave excuses like they don't want the Garden open because the Rose Garden is not ready and they have volunteers that prepare it awesome I don't have to go near the Rose Garden when the workers are there it is a big beautiful garden there is a Japanese garden there is a paragola I can walk under there are some Pathways I can just sit on the grass enjoy the sunshine and eat some food in front of the fountain but I can't now because they limited their hours. Sometimes on the way home I would drive through there just to see it because it is so beautiful and I can't do it anymore because the gate is closed most of the time. Again this breaks my heart. read more

Yaddo Gardens is a beautiful place, and we've come here for years when in town. This visit, we were sad to see the huge koi that inhabited some of the fountains were all gone and one of the areas that usually has a water display was dry, but the roses were in bloom, and it was still worth the trip. The gate didn't open until 11am, but otherwise no issues getting in or having access. Go slowly on the narrow 2 way access road and park in the small designated parking area. read more

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Let me start with this, we didn't see the garden due to the "full to capacity" signage. The guy at the gate was aggressive with his tone when we pulled up. It was disheartening to experience this since We are visiting family. As we were trying to figure out what to do, he came up to our car again to make it clear we could not wait at the gate where we were parked and there was no other direction after this point! The was no communication about a time of which there would be other availability or where else we could wait if we wanted to proceed with our plans. From this minor yet significant encounter, we will not Be going or recommending this place! read more

Yaddo is a beautiful and free attraction. I stopped in here with a friend while I was visiting downtown Saratoga, this picturesque garden is a mere 8 minute drive from Broadway and was a pleasant addition to our day. As you can imagine, this is an extremely popular spot for engagement and wedding photos since Yaddo's flowers and sculptures are so lovely. I lucked out when I visited in early September, everything was blooming and looking amazing. I had recently acquired a real camera, so I wanted to come here and try photographing flowers. Parking was fairly easy and the lot wasn't too crowded. There is a beautiful estate located on the grounds, but it is used as an artists colony. There are multiple signs warning visitors not to approach the main house. This is a good quick attraction while in Saratoga, I'd budget anywhere from 20-40 mins to spend here. read more

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I've driven by Yaddo so many times and finally visited the grounds yesterday. Absolutely lovely space; beautiful gardens and property. The house is an artist/musician retreat that is closed to the public....but they do have tours from time to time. I'd love to see the house at some point. The only issues that detract from the overall experience of entering such a zen place are: - the sound/hum of the Northway (it's located literally right off the highway just up the street from the track) and... -one of the fountains/ponds - with the koi - looked like it needed some attention. Water was extremely murky. Still...a beautiful place to visit. read more

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I found these gardens most intriguing. I was lucky to visit on a day the gardeners were maintaining the roses, perennials, and generally cleaning up. The women and men cultivating the gardens filled my head with stories one would never find in an article. Not exactly gossip...but certainly details about the gardens over the years. The original gardens were a gift from philanthropist Spencer Trask to his wife and poet Katrina Trask in 1899. They both worked on the design and creation with landscape architects. However, the unique value of these gardens today is they have stimulated some of the greatest creative minds of the 20th century. People talk about walking hallowed halls of learning institutions...well these are hallowed grounds of artistic people. The fifty-five-room mansion is a corporation created and operated for the benefit of artists to come, drop worries, and create. To quote the brochure: "Over the years such notable artists as Milton Avery, James Baldwin, Leonard Bernstein, Truman Capote, Aaron Copland, Patricia Highsmith, Langton Hughes, Ulysses Kay, Flannery O'Connor, Sylvia Plath, Katherine Anne Porter, Clyfford Still, and William Carlos Williams have worked at Yaddo." An application procedure is found at Yaddo.org, and welcomes artists to apply from backgrounds in choreography, film, literature, musical composition, painting, performance art, photography, printmaking, sculpture and video. Only the gardens are open to the public at no cost to visit. You might see an occasional woodchuck, as I did, scurrying away when I walked the path of the rock/water garden. The mansion and surrounding buildings are where the artists create and practice. Thus, the mansion is not open for viewing as it's busy. Currently it is under major renovation with scaffolding surrounding its stone exterior. However, there are quite a few large buildings close to the mansion that house various creative endeavors. I was able to learn one such building I could see on the other side of a fence was for choreography and film. It was a restful two hours walking, sitting, learning, existing in this space called Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, NY. read more

This came as a total surprise, as we had no idea this existed until recommended by the hotel where we were staying in Clifton Park near Saratoga Springs, NY This is a writers retreat area - where writers (upon approval) can stay and write as a respite. Many famous writers have done this. For the regular people, it's a garden, with fountains, and a very nice place to just walk and think and imagine. TOTALLY enjoyable, if you are in the frame of mind to do so. Of course, if you have an appointment in two hours, or are watching the time for some reason, this will come across as a bother. Think totally tv movie trying to make you wonder about your life and priorities. Really enjoyable... oh wait, it's 12 minutes till my appointment, never mind! read more

I'm visiting from out of the area for the July 4th holiday (2022) and had this venue on my bucket list of places to visit as they have some of the nicest rose gardens in the Northeast. The venue mainly serves as a retreat for aspiring artists to work in an environment without outside interruption. We arrived at Yaddo through the main entrance gate off Union St (next door to the racetrack). As we approached the area closer to the gardens, the second gate was locked. I observed a bunch of cars parked and waiting to get in. I talked to several people who said they were there for a wedding ceremony, and concerned the wedding ceremony might not be able to be held there. The party had received approval to host a short ceremony there and were were frantic because there was no one there to unlock the gate. The gates are suppose to open at 9am until 5pm including weekends. First, I feel bad for the party who were suppose to be hosting an event there. I don't know how it ended but I'd like to offer some perspective here. Yaddo serves as a tourist venue and willingly accepts donations from the community at large. If they tout themselves as part of the community resource, they should deliver to ensure community interests KEPT ALIVE. I also don't understand the purpose of the inside gate leading to the gardens given there's already a main gate off Union Street. I suggest Yaddo hone in on finer management skillsets to keep the community including tourists satisfied. Anything short of that is unacceptable. read more

It's​ a beautiful and interesting place marred by the use of unnatural dye added to the garden water features that were intended, I believe, to mimic and call to mind the beauty of nature not instead be a garish and insensitive lacking in ascetic contrast to that beauty. Sure algae can be unsightly in ponds, ​pools and other water features but algae produces 70% of the oxygen on the planet so maybe learn to work with it rather than creating artificial ugliness in water displays that could be enjoyed. read more

I've been to the Yaddo gardens many times and it's always a pleasure to visit this wonderful place. From Spring to Fall, this flowers of various kinds are blooming and you'll often find couples of all ages exploring the grounds or just hanging out for a picnic in a lovely setting. The mansion is used by artists for lodging while here and is usually off limits to visitors but it makes a nice backdrop for photos. Many wedding parties come here for photographs due to the magnificent scenery that can be found here most of the year. The fountains, flowers, statues, little waterfalls in a rocky stream, meandering paths, benches, grassy areas, wooded shady spots, all combine to make this a great place to check out. read more

Through the use of the cartoony tourist map and sharp eyes, I found the entrance to Yaddo Rose Gardens. Located past the Saratoga Horse Racing track and the Saratoga Harness Racing Museum on Union Ave. when coming from the direction of Broadway, the sign to the Yaddo Rose Gardens is not particularly big nor too attractive. As we entered into a lonely road to seemingly nowhere, there are very few signs that tell us what to do. As we made our way uphill, we found a small parking lot for visitors. There aren't that many parking spaces, but there was a space for us. Unfortunately, somebody parked where they were not supposed to park and covered up a sign telling us where to enter the gardens. We ended up walking around the grassy field to reach a big water fountain pool. There were no fishes in this pool at the time. Too bad there wasn't anywhere to sit to enjoy the view as we came to the Yaddo Rose Garden before sunset. Across the pool was a huge mansion and there are signs staked down on the grass that inform visitors not to pass the sign and disturb the guests, typically writers who need inspiration, wealthy, famous people, etc, who rent out this mansion to nurture their creative juices. Continuing on, I see a lot of big, flat-leafed plants that looked awesome. Behind these plants is a formal visitor's Yaddo Rose Gardens pamphlet stand, a good indicator that we came to the right place. As I checked out the pamphlet, the Yaddo Rose garden is made possible by donations, making me feel lucky this place is free for me. Guided tours are available for a nominal fee. At 11AM Sat-Sun from mid-June to Labor day and also on Tuesdays during racing season. As I walk into the main garden, there were flowers planted on both sides with many flower petals along the path, as if a flower girl sprinkled them all there. In the middle is a large-sized water fountain full of what looks like Koi fish swimming around. The other side of the garden is basically symmetrical to the side I came from. As I looked up the long stretch of flat-stepped stairs near the water fountain in the middle, there was a lovely internationally married couple in their wedding attire, posing for wedding pictures with their entire bridal party and relatives tagging along. As I learned from one of the party members, everybody came from a different part of the world to participate in this wedding. I understand why they would choose this place for pictures, because the flowers are beautiful. On the top floor, there are a lot of white columns. After I walk up the stairs to the second level, I had to either go right or left to take the side steps up to the highest level. While I was standing in the middle of the top floor near the sundial, enjoying the beautiful view of the Rose Garden below, I saw a bit of animal nature. A medium sized hawk swooped in with his/her talons and almost grabbed a bird on the ground not too far from where my husband was standing on the top floor. When the hawk failed catch his/her prey, the hawk perched up on a tree branch looking at us humans, watching our every move. The hawk was an amazing and scary sight to see. As we walk past the long stretch of columns, which have rose bushes in between each column, we enter the very back of Yaddo Rose Gardens, the furthest south, which is where all the beauty ends and gritty nature begins. Walking across a plank used as a bridge, we walked past a strange, knotted-up, clump of tree branch, and continued into this forest area. Even though on the map, this area is mapped into four rose beds, I did not see any flowers. Not only this, insects are everywhere and probably delighted to see humans for a meal. In the middle of the four fields, there is a dried up circular pool with a huge rock in the middle. It is supposed to be a water fountain. The sign says not to climb on the rock. I wonder where all the water went because this pool is very deep (maybe 3ft?) After a big circle, we end up back at the top where all the white columns were. I see an elderly couple walking together as exercise. When I go down the stairs back to the water fountain where the Koi fish are, I head past it to see a statue in an open patch of the forest. After taking a picture, I take the forest trail alongside the path I came in from and I ended up walking through the muddy truck path for employees. I don't think we were supposed to walk there, but at the end of the road was the parking lot. As I entered the parking lot, I saw the car that was blocking the entrance sign moved and that's when we realized there was a path over there all along. Yaddo Rose Gardens is pretty, but the area is not huge. The highlights are certainly the vast ground level roses gardens and the top floor white columns. Other than that, there isn't much to see. The sight of these flowers are pretty amazing though. read more

This is a great place to be in summertime if you like to garden. Or just need a place to relax and stroll around a beautiful place. The roses are so, so pretty. Spend about a half-hour walking the grounds and you will feel refreshed. It's free to visit the garden on a self-tour and they're open from 8 a.m. to dusk. They have guided tours during the summertime on weekends for $5. The mansion is an artists retreat and is off limits to the public except for special occasions (fundraisers). www.yaddo.org You can volunteer to take care of the garden or give tours during the summertime. Some people even get married here. The not so great thing here is the Northway traffic serenade. read more

I've been enchanted with Yaddo since I was a little girl when our family would spend summers in Saratoga for the races. I've never been inside the main house, which would be an incredible sight to see I'm sure, but I have had the chance to enter the gardener's house which I fell in love with. Of course the gardens are beautiful when the roses are open. The fountain has always been my favorite part. It's always reminded me of something out of a fairy tale. Although I can't see myself spending longer than an hour here maybe to take pictures, I enjoy it every time. I also like the fact that it's somewhat hard to find and off the beaten path...it helps maintain its mystique. read more

We happened to be driving through Saratoga Springs as a pit stop on the way home to Buffalo from the Adirondacks. One of my friends suggested we check out Yaddo gardens. After reading about it online, I was interested, but disappointed there wasn't much information or pictures about the gardens, or visiting on their web site. From what I figured out when I got there, it's free and so is parking (although limited). We completely missed the entrance off the thruway because it is set back on Union Ave. Regardless, it's a very beautiful site. It isn't very big though and we didn't spend much time there. In the beginning there's a couple of water fountains with sculptures, and one with a coi swimming in it. It's design is based on an Italian villa which explains why it reminded me of the getty villa in LA (check it out if you're ever in Los Angeles (it's way better). I think Yaddo gardens is an ideal place to have a picnic on the lawn next to the mansion (although don't go too far because you can't go pasta certain point!) and then going someplace else in the area for other activities. The pergola covered in myriads of rose bushes was beautiful leading to another walkway with rocks, a water fountain and tiny stream. Overall I found it relaxing, but it is near the thruway so sometimes you can hear loud traffic which adds to the experience. I'd love to check out the mansion, I think they should do tours. read more

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Beautiful place for a picnic or a walk. The fountains weren't on yet when we visited, but the grounds are just gorgeous. Such a pleasant surprise read more

My 10 yr. old niece learned about this place in school and was so excited to go. we got there and must have missed the signage, but walked up to the house for "artists in residence" just to ask directions and one of the artists told us to get off private property. I thought that was uncalled for given i was with a child. won't be going back here anytime soon. read more

If you were to get yourself an artist's residency at Yaddo, now *that* would be a five-star situation. For the rest of us who will just tour the gardens, I would say it is a nice place to be for less than an hour if you are already in the vicinity. It is not a stellar specimen of a botanical garden, but it has some statuary with the four seasons represented and some nice roses and other flora. Some friends and I enjoyed a stop here-- in the spirit of looking at a roadside attraction on a trip upstate-- and it was fine; a good photo-op. Had I made a special trip just to see the gardens I would have been very disappointed. Plus, with all of the posted signs they act like you could possibly be shot of you tarried onto the grass, getting too close to the home. read more

It's beautiful here. A hidden garden. Very peaceful and gorgeous once everything is in bloom. I recommend coming here when you want to get outdoors and don't want to be around the crowds at the other main parks read more