Lasdon Park and Arboretum facts for kids
Lasdon Park and Arboretum is a large public park and garden area in Somers, New York. It covers about 234 acres (95 hectares). You can visit it every day for free!
The park has beautiful gardens and a special area called an arboretum. An arboretum is like a living museum for trees and plants. The Lasdon family bought this land in 1939. They loved plants and brought many unique trees to their property. Later, in 1986, Westchester County bought the land to create this public park.
The park features forests, open grassy fields, and fancy gardens. You can find flowers and shrubs from all over the world here. There's even a special Chinese Friendship Pavilion. This pavilion was a gift from the People’s Republic of China to the people of Westchester County.
Exploring the Lasdon Arboretum
The arboretum part of Lasdon Park is about 30 acres (12 hectares). It has different sections, each with its own special plants.
Plant Collections and Gardens
- Arboretum Highlights: This area includes forests, open meadows, and formal gardens. You'll see trees, shrubs, and flowers from many places. There are big collections of lilac and pine trees. You can also find a large azalea garden, a grove of yellow magnolia trees, and a flowering tree grove. A pond and more woodlands surround the arboretum.
- Azalea Garden: This garden is full of hundreds of colorful azaleas. They come in shades of red, white, pink, purple, and yellow. Small ponds and waterfalls make this area extra peaceful.
- Dwarf Conifer Collection: Here, you can see many types of small evergreen trees. These include dwarf pine, spruce, fir, and cypress trees.
- Magnolia Trees: The park has different kinds of magnolia trees. Some are rare yellow types. These were first grown at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in the 1950s.
- Famous and Historic Tree Trail: This trail features trees that remind us of important events and famous Americans. At each stop, you can read about a historical person or event. The original tree was a part of that history.
- William and Mildred Lasdon Memorial Garden: This beautiful garden is about 1 acre (0.4 hectares). It has a special entrance court with fragrant plants. There's also a formal garden with neat boxwood hedges, heather, and colorful flowers. A fountain sits in the center. Another part of this garden is a "synoptic garden." It has hundreds of shrubs, with names for every letter of the alphabet!
- Mildred D. Lasdon Bird and Nature Sanctuary: This peaceful area is 22 acres (8.9 hectares). It's a safe place for birds and other wildlife.
- Chinese Friendship Pavilion and Cultural Garden: This pavilion was a gift from Jingzhou, China. Jingzhou is a "Sister City" to Westchester County. The pavilion is in a young Chinese-style garden. This garden has plants like bamboo and Kousa dogwood trees. It also features a pond and a stone pathway.
- American Chestnut Trees: Since 1992, a special grove of rare American chestnut trees was found here. Westchester County is working with The American Chestnut Foundation. Their goal is to grow chestnut trees that can resist a common disease. The park also collects chestnuts from around the United States. These are used for ongoing research into tree genetics.
- Dogwood Trees: The park has over 80 different dogwood trees from around the world. These trees are part of a research project. Scientists are working to find ways to fight diseases that affect dogwood trees.
Westchester County Veterans Museum & Memorials
Lasdon Park is also home to the Westchester County Veterans Museum. This museum shows photos, historical papers, and items from Westchester County residents. These are people who served in the United States armed forces. The exhibits cover wars from the Revolutionary War to today. There is no charge to enter the museum.
Besides the museum, there are four memorials at the park. These honor Westchester residents who served in the military:
- Merchant Marine Memorial: Honors those who served in the Merchant Marine.
- Trail of Honor: This trail has 12 stone monuments. Each one shows the bust (head and shoulders sculpture) of a combat soldier. They represent soldiers from the American Revolution through Operation Desert Storm.
- Korean War Memorial: A memorial dedicated to those who served in the Korean War.
- Westchester Vietnam Veterans Memorial: This is a sculpture with three large bronze statues. They show a soldier carrying a wounded friend, with a nurse reaching out to help them. Nearby, a flagpole stands on a base. This base has the names of Westchester County servicemen and eight women nurses who died in Vietnam.
