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Experience the breathtaking beauty of our lavish plantings on this 90-minute tour which will take you to the most stunning flowers and gorgeous plants in the gardens. In the summer, lush foliage will transport you to a world of tranquility.

Throughout this horticulture and historical tour of Untermyer Gardens, you will learn about its rich history and the seasonal beauty of the grounds. We will discuss monumental architecture -- with an emphasis on Samuel Untermyer and his wife Minnie, and their place in early 20th century history -- as well as elements of garden design in general, plants in bloom, and stunning plant combinations.

The tour will also take you through the estate's three owners, emphasizing its world-famous heyday during the Untermyer years, its decline after 1940, and the remarkable restoration efforts that have been ongoing from 2011 to the present day.

So, come join us for an educational and engaging tour that is sure to leave you with a newfound appreciation for this magnificent estate.

If it's Congress that makes the laws, why are presidential executive orders now more important than ever? In this lecture, Jess Velona explores how we've arrived at this spot. We'll consider some of the most famous, and infamous, executive orders in our history, from the Emancipation Proclamation, FDR's internment of Japanese Americans and Truman's seizure of steel mills to LBJ's affirmative action. Next, we'll address the many controversial new Trump executive orders, from tariffs and immigration to mass layoffs of federal workers and punishing law firms. Finally, Jess will address the legal and judicial pushback that has emerged, and how Congress should also reclaim its power by writing laws that limit presidential discretion.

From a lord’s horse tripping over a pig to a pope choking on a fly, medieval deaths often make it into the manuscript record because of sheer weirdness. This lecture will examine some of the remarkable accounts of medieval people encountering their ends in curious and shocking ways. How did these odd deaths occur, how were they interpreted by contemporaries, and what do they mean for our understanding of medieval history? Just in time for Halloween, join us as we explore some of the stranger ways that medieval people shuffled off this mortal coil.

A focused look at two nationally followed cases—the Idaho Student Murders and the death of Officer John O’Keefe/the Karen Read case—to show how modern forensic science works in real investigations. Participants explore disciplines used in both investigations, including DNA, digital evidence, toxicology, trace evidence, and scene reconstruction, to learn how scientific findings shape investigative conclusions—and why those conclusions are sometimes contested.

Senator and social scientist, New Dealer and neoconservative, and the only man to serve in high posts for four consecutive presidents - Daniel Patrick Moynihan had a storied and yet controversial public career. In this lecture, Jess Velona, who helped run Moynihan's Senate office in New York City and later briefly lived with Moynihan in his Washington home, will mix personal memories with an account of Moynihan's significant impact on American politics. Jess will show how the same man who stirred outrage in the 1960's for the Moynihan Report labeling the black family "a tangle of pathology" later persuaded Richard Nixon to propose a guaranteed minimum income for all Americans; how his defiant stand in support of Israel and democratic values at the U.N. helped propel him to the U.S. Senate; and how in the 1980s he returned to his New Deal roots and became a fierce critic of the excesses of the Reagan era. Through it all, he kept thinking and publishing, leading another Senator to tell Jess, "Senator Moynihan has written more books than most Senators have read."

Come explore the old and the new at South Street Seaport, featuring the largest concentration of restored early 19th-century commercial buildings in the city, and the Pier 17 entertainment center. Ginny will guide you through the evolution of the neighborhood with stops at the 18th- and 19th-century buildings, sharing stories and vintage photographs of a bustling commercial district, ending with spectacular views of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Originally invented as a card game, the tarot deck has long since transformed into an allegorical, otherworldly way of reading and interpreting circumstances and souls. Join us as we learn some games, explore central arcana figures like the Fool and the High Priestess, and adore the beauty of the earliest surviving hand-painted cards from the courts of Renaissance Italy!

Discover the life, music, and lasting legacy of the true architect of rock and roll. We will explore how Chuck Berry fused country, blues, and rhythm and blues music to create the definitive sound of a generation. Through vintage performance clips and audio recordings, we will trace his journey from a St. Louis cosmetology student to a global superstar. Learn the stories behind timeless anthems like "Johnny B. Goode" and "Maybellene," analyze his iconic "duckwalk" showmanship, and examine how his innovative guitar riffs shaped the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and everyone who followed.

Although the American celebration of Christmas blends traditions rooted in ancient times and Euro-Asian lands, it wasn’t declared a federal holiday until 1870. The American holiday season as we now know it evolved during the 19th and early 20th century, largely due to works of authors, artists and songwriters – the majority of whom had distinct ties to Westchester County. This program traces the evolution of the traditions while introducing the Westchester holiday “image makers” and their impact on the holiday observances. A sampler of celebrations at Westchester’s historic sites will also be highlighted.

Have you ever dreamed of experiencing the festive atmosphere of European Christmas markets? Save the airfare! Instead, we invite you to join Nancy as she shares her first-hand knowledge of delightful pre-Christmas traditions in German-speaking countries. Come taste a sampling of traditional Christmas market foods and learn about the artisanal wooden and glass decorations sold at the markets. Practice the German names for these specialties and a few basic German phrases to have in your back pocket if you go to a Christmas market.

No knowledge of German is necessary for this class.

We’ve looked at the lavish containers that held the relic bones of medieval saints, but this lecture will explore the ideas behind these holy objects. From reformer John Calvin’s quip that the Virgin Mary lactated more than a cow since since so much of her “authentic” holy breast milk survived, to the dream appearance of one saint asking to be stolen from her current shrine, to the repurposing of executed criminals’ remains to bring renown to a local church, medieval relics captivate and challenge our conception of the holy in the Middle Ages. Join us as we admire the stunning gilded and gem-encrusted containers that enclose relics, and learn the equally fascinating stories behind manifested miracles, occasionally dubious origins, and mysterious heists.