        
 Naumkeag Garden Tour Property Description | 48 acres | Established 1959 | Naumkeag was the summer "cottage" of the Choate family who began summering in Berkshire County in the 1870s. Designed by McKim, Mead & White in 1885, this forty-four-room, shingle-style house is filled with original furniture, ceramics, and artwork collected from America, Europe, and the Far East. Joseph Hodges Choate (1832-1917) was a prominent New York attorney. Between 1899 and 1905, he served in England as U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James. Naumkeag is famous for its eight acres of terraced gardens and landscaped grounds surrounded by forty acres of woodland, meadow, and pasture that stretch to the Housatonic River Valley. The gardens and landscaped grounds, first designed in the late 1880s by Nathan Barrett, were transformed and expanded between 1926 and 1956 by Fletcher Steele and Mabel Choate. Separate garden "rooms" include the Afternoon Garden, Tree Peony Terrace, Rose Garden, Evergreen Garden, Chinese Garden, Arborvitae Walk, and Linden Walk. Perhaps the most famous feature of the landscape is Steele's Blue Steps, a series of deep blue fountain pools flanked by four flights of stairs climbing up a gentle hillside and overhung by birch trees. |
| | Facilities | The Naumkeag gift shop sells books on the historic firm of McKim, Mead & White, Naumkeag' s famous architects, and Fletcher Steele, the landscape architect who worked with Mabel Choate to design and plant Naumkeag's gardens. In addition, visitors can buy post cards and blue and white porcelain. Trustees of Reservations members receive a 10% discount on all merchandise in the gift shop. Public restrooms available. Weddings, receptions, small business events may be arranged on a limited basis. For more information, e-mail or call 413/298-8146. |
| | Tours | Tour a famous Berkshire country estate in a spectacular setting with delightful gardens by celebrated landscape architect Fletcher Steele. Guided house tours offered May 24 – Columbus Day | 10am – 5pm. Last tour departs at 4pm. House & Garden, Members: FREE. Nonmembers: adult $10, child (6-12) $3. Garden only, Members: FREE. Nonmembers: adult $12, child (6-12) $3. Group house tours for 15 or more receive a discount; call 413/298-8146. |
| | Special Events | | Naumkeag hosts an annual Garden Party in July, Farm Day in August, and a range of other special events. Consult the Events Calendar for details. |
| | Literature | Self-guided landscape tour brochure provided with admission to house and/or gardens. Souvenir full color guidebook available for sale in gift shop. Both may be mail ordered in advance of your visit. Click here to read "A Touch of Nonsense: Miss Choate and Her 'Horticultural Mentor' Cultivate Wit & Whimsy at Naumkeag" from the Spring 2007 issue of SpecialPlaces magazine. |
| | Property Acquisition History | | Original acreage a bequest, with endowment, of Miss Mabel Choate in 1959. Additional land given by J. Graham and Margaret Parsons in 1985. |
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Telephone:
413-298-3239 3000 E-mail:
westregion@ttor.org When to Visit:
Open Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day, daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Allow a minimum of 1 hour for the garden, 2 hours if also taking house tour. Admission Fees & Permits:
Trustees Members: free. Nonmembers: house & gardens - adult $12, child (6-12) $3. Pre-booked groups of 15 or more receive a discount; call for details. Admission includes a garden audio tour. Regulations / Advisories:
Photography is not permitted inside the house.House available by guided tour only. How to Get There:
From the Mass Pike (I-90), take Exit 2 and head west on Route 102 toward Stockbridge. At the intersection of Routes 7 and 102 at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge center, take a right onto Pine Street. Bear left onto Prospect Hill Road and follow for .5 mi. to entrance and parking on left. Special arrangements necessary for group tour buses. Road Map:
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