Vanderbilt Riverfront Trail

Length: 2.5 mile loop

Difficulty: Moderate

Blaze: Green and white Hyde Park Trail Marker

Trailhead Location: Parking is at Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site parking lot. Follow loop.

Terrain: Moderate walking on park roads. Some steep hills, views of the Hudson River.

History: It all began here—on the banks of the Hudson River. For centuries, the river sustained the livelihood of Native Americans, European explorers and landowners, African American slaves, and the scions of American industry. These trails traverse time, taking you on a journey from the first waterfront settlements through the Gilded Age of the early twentieth century.

Trail map available here.

Rules & Regulations

• Safety first!

• Trail is open daily sunrise to sunset.

• Bikes are not permitted on any trails at this site.

• Garbage cans are not available. This is a Carry In,Carry Out trail.

• Stay on marked trails only.

• Hunting, trapping, or possession of firearms prohibited.

• No Fires, camping, or swimming.

• Pets must be leashed; You must clean up after your pet.

• Removal or disturbance of flora, fauna, or cultural resources is strictly prohibited.

• Motorized vehicles prohibited.

In Case of Emergency Call 911

Report Safety & Security Issues to [phone]
Report Trail Maintenance Issues to [phone]

Details

Duration

2-3 Hours

Activity

Hiking

Pets Allowed

Yes with Restrictions

Activity Fee

No

Entrance fees may apply, see Fees & Passes information.

Reservations

No

Season

Year Round

Time of Day

Day

The Hyde Park Explorer Podcast

Enjoy these episodes of the Hyde Park Explorer podcast series as you walk the trails.

• Riverfront Park

  
  

  With its source high in the Adirondack Mountains, the Hudson River flows 315 miles to New York Harbor.

  Credit / Author:

  National Park Service

  Audio Transcript

  With its source high in the Adirondack Mountains, the Hudson River flows 315 miles to New York Harbor. The river is named for Englishman Henry Hudson, who explored it in 1609. Countless generations of Native Americans made their homes along the shores of the river, followed by European settlers. All parties recognized that the deep water made for smooth navigation for many miles, and supported enormous populations of fish.

  The Hudson River played a vital role in the establishment of many communities, You could almost say that the town of Hyde Park was built on the backs of the bountiful sturgeon that thrived in the river.

  The number of Atlantic sturgeon that once lived in the Hudson is somewhat hard to imagine, but Chris Bowser, Science Education Coordinator for the Hudson River Estuary Program of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation brings this perspective…

  SOUNDBITE – CHRIS BOWSER: One of the amazing things is the Atlantic sturgeons – these giant fish of the Hudson River – they are born in the fresh water. They spawn off of Hyde Park. Then they’ll return to the ocean to the coastal regions – for several years, up to 15 years, before they reach sexual maturity before they return to the Hudson to spawn. The fact that they take so long to mature means that, when their population stocks dwindled, to get those population numbers back up takes a long, long time.

  Back in the 1890s it was estimated that there were about 6000 female Atlantic sturgeon and about 8000 male atlantic sturgeon in the Hudson River – spawning adults that would come here. In the 1990s – 100 years after that – it was estimated that there were only 270 female sturgeon and about 600 male atlantic sturgeon that were coming to spawn in the Hudson River. You have to think about that for a minute: The entire population of the Hudson River sturgeon was estimated to hinge on these – on less than 1000 individuals - that’s an incredible low number.

  NARRATION: So plentiful and prosperous were the fish and the industry it spawned, Hyde Park sturgeon became known as “Albany Beef”. Yet the bounty would come to an abrupt end…

  SOUNDBITE – CHRIS BOWSER: There’s a lot of different factors that contributed to the decline of sturgeon. Habitat loss, in terms of where they spawn, and where their young live along the shore; water quality effects from decades of industrial usage, and sewage, but it’s hard to escape the fact that we ate a lot of these fish – we, meaning people of the Hudson Valley – sturgeon are delicious, their flesh is delicious, their eggs are valuable as caviar, and for many decades they were harvested for those reasons.

  NARRATION: The sturgeon is now the focus of ongoing research and monitoring...

  SOUNDBITE – CHRIS BOWSER: Consider trimming or eliminating this para Every spring and summer the Hudson River Fisheries Unit of the Estuary Program goes off of Hyde Park and uses huge gill nets to catch adult sturgeon while they’re in the Hudson River, spawning. Part of the reason for doing this is A, get a population estimate; and B, in some cases we tag these fish so we can see where they go after they’re done spawning off of Hyde Park. Because we’re able to track these sturgeon, we can see what their habitat uses are, once we put the puzzle pieces together, we can better manage for the success of the species.

  The ultimate goal of my job: I want the Hudson River to be a place where you can go, catch a sturgeon, and eat it. Just as people have been doing on the banks of the Hudson River for 12,000 years! We are generations away from that. Let’s bring that back.

• River and Rails

  
  

  In the 1860s, Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt, a successful shipping magnate, began buying financially troubled railroads. His New York Central Railroad became the nation’s biggest business by the 1870s.

  Credit / Author:

  National Park Service

  Audio Transcript

  This station, now an independent museum, is here only as a reminder of the past, when passengers boarded or disembarked on their various journeys on the New York Central rail line. Notice the railroad station sign on the end-wall of the building, indicating the distance to New York City and Buffalo.

  While the rail no longer stops in Hyde Park, it’s the perfect location for a trail stop to talk about the family who built and managed the New York Central Railroad - the Vanderbilt family - whose fates and fortunes helped shape the Hyde Park community.

  In the 1860s, Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt, a successful shipping magnate, began buying financially troubled railroads. His New York Central Railroad became the nation’s biggest business by the 1870s. The railroad network extended from the northeast to Chicago, with its terminus, the famed Grand Central Station in Manhattan. The Hudson Line, here on the east bank of the river, is the Central’s passenger line. Across the river, the West Shore Railroad carries freight.

• Water Power

  
  

  Water played a powerful role in shaping the history and commercial growth of Hyde Park.

  Credit / Author:

  National Park Service

  Audio Transcript

  You’re standing near the mouth of Crum Elbow Creek, where it flows into the mighty Hudson River. Water played a powerful role in shaping the history and commercial growth of Hyde Park. Before the railroad was built, this inlet was the site of numerous marine industries—including boatbuilding and boat repair—and, provided a landing for the sturgeon fishing fleet. Hyde Park historian Carney Rhinevault describes the heart of Hyde Park’s industry…

  SOUND BITE CARNEY: Hyde Park was settled by Jacobus Stoutenberg,– His son in law, Richard D’Cotillion, started the first HP business – at Stoutenberg Landing – where the railroad station is now – Hyde Park was named Stoutenberg Landing for the first 80 years of its existence, starting in 1742.

  Richard D’Cotillion had a shipping dock approximately where our train station is now. Local farmers would ship their products – hay barley oats corn milk cheese butter apples cider – down to NYC using the river docks.

  NARRATION: Huge fishing nets were strung along the riverbank to dry or await repair from hauling their catch of sturgeon, while across the road and uphill, a rendering plant processed the fish for market…

  SOUND BITE CARNEY: The sturgeon industry was interesting and historically important. The interesting thing is that HP for some time was known as the “Caviar Capital of America” – it was started by a German immigrant named Meyer – some called him Von Meyer - he had dozens of fishermen that brought sturgeon catches to his home. The fish industry was centered in one home that was across the road from the Riverfront Park where the train station is now, the home is still there. It succeeded for 20 years or so – maybe 30 years – and then the sturgeon disappeared from the river – and the fish factory was converted back to a private home.

  NARRATION: With the completion of the New York Central line railroad in 1851 most of Hyde Park’s waterfront industries closed down. Only a modern marina remains. Even the railroad station is no longer in use, the trains bypassing Hyde Park on their route between Albany and New York City. Yet Crum Elbow Creek continues flowing into the Hudson, its water power withstanding the test of time.

• Lower Gate Lodge

  
  

  Stone buildings such as this Gate Lodge were common formal entryways to grand estates, and complemented the overall design of the property.

  Credit / Author:

  National Park Service

  Audio Transcript

  Stone buildings such as this Gate Lodge were common formal entryways to grand estates, and complemented the overall design of the property. In its time, the lodge was a landmark transition point for locals, marking the boundary between the town of Hyde Park and the Vanderbilt’s private property.

  This was one of three primary entryways to Vanderbilt’s property, each of which served a different mode of transportation. Along with the Bard Rock entry for guests arriving by yacht, and the Upper Gate Lodge for those traveling by automobile, the Lower Gate Lodge provided access for rail passengers. A waiting Vanderbilt automobile would meet the guests as they arrived, and proceed to the home along the eastern fork of the road, a most picturesque path that featured carefully designed landscaping.

  The Gate Lodge was also used as a portal for shipments of produce, dairy products and poultry, from the Vanderbilt’s farm; and flowers from their gardens and greenhouses. The goods traveled by the Vanderbilt-owned rail line to supply their needs at whatever residence the family was using.

  The Gate Lodge remains a transition point for you as well. You may choose to continue your walking tour on the Hyde Park Trail System along the Hudson River, or travel uphill to tour the Vanderbilt home.

• Playgrounds of the Wealthy

  
  

  Guests of the Vanderbilts often enjoyed touring the grounds in horse-drawn carriages—a leisurely way to view and explore the landscaping, or, to reach different areas on the property.

  Credit / Author:

  National Park Service

  Audio Transcript

  At this point along the tour, you are making the transition from the town of Hyde Park and its riverfront, to the Vanderbilt Estate. During the time of the Vanderbilts, the paved road straight ahead was used to transport guests who arrived at Hyde Park by rail. An automobile or carriage brought guests from the train along this artistically-landscaped scenic route to the mansion.

  The trail to the left follows what once was a carriage road. Guests of the Vanderbilts often enjoyed touring the grounds in horse-drawn carriages—a leisurely way to view and explore the landscaping, or, to reach different areas on the property.

  While carriages no longer ferry guests about the grounds, the carriage road parallels two still-vital thoroughfares–the Hudson River and the New York Central Rail Line, the latter once controlled by the Vanderbilt family. Hyde Park native and President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt once quipped that Frederick Vanderbilt used to rattle the change in his pocket every time he heard the train go by.

  As you walk this section of the trail, you may see traffic on both river and rail, much as the Vanderbilt’s did in their day.

• Bard Rock and The Mooring Hook

  
  

  During the time of Frederick Vanderbilt, Bard Rock became a landing for launch craft that ferried passengers from yachts anchored mid-river to the Vanderbilt dock.

  Credit / Author:

  National Park Service

  Audio Transcript

  The historic roots of Hyde Park began to take hold when residents of the New York colony were offered patents, or, large parcels of land, to create settlements in the valley between Albany and New York City. Peter Fauconnier, a businessman and government land surveyor, was granted a 3,600-acre patent in 1705, in the area that is now Dutchess County. He named the land Hyde Park, in honor of Sir Edward Hyde, Governor of the Colony of New York, who granted the patent. We learn more about the early days of Hyde Park from Supervisory Park Ranger, Allan Dailey…

  SOUND BITE ALLAN DAILEY: The first property was built by John Bard as a farmhouse in 1772 when he intended to retire from his work as a physician, and become a farmer. And that house was built on the other side of what is now Route 9, the Albany Post Road. It was directly across from what is the exit to the Vanderbilt property. He had over 3000 acres of land, and the Vanderbilt property was 670 acres–so it kept getting pared down. I think the most interesting thing about Bard is that he was the first person who began to develop the property, but didn’t see it for its scenic beauty–for him it was farmland and river access–it was commercial property.

  NARRATION: You’re standing at the site of his early development – the place known as Bard Rock.

  SOUND BITE ALLAN DAILEY: Bard Rock was very important to John Bard. It was easily accessible to people who wanted to ship goods down to New York so they could bring boats right up to the edge and not have to worry about ferrying things out to the other boats–so that was his interest in having a landing there–that’s why the site is named after Bard Rock, after John used it, commercially.

  NARRATION: During the time of Frederick Vanderbilt, Bard Rock became a landing for launch craft that ferried passengers from yachts anchored mid-river to the Vanderbilt dock. The launches tied off to this mooring hook, which was part of the Vanderbilt’s boat house. The hook is all that remains today. Wealthy scions of industry spent fortunes on elegant watercraft, and the Vanderbilts’ own yacht–the Vedette–at just under 200 feet in length–also had to be moored in the deep water of the Hudson River, directly across from where you stand. It often took Frederick, Louise, and their guests on extensive journeys. Allan Dailey … SOUND BITE/ALLAN DAILEY: Well, first of all, the yachts were much larger than we would think of most yachts being today. We know that Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt would sometimes be on their yacht for over a month—probably spent more time on their yacht than other people of their class did at the time. So these were homes that traveled, and you could live on them for extended periods of time. They had dining rooms with 18 port holes, marble fireplaces–beautiful wood work interiors, bathrooms, electricity, every convenience you had in your house, you had in your yacht. They could have staff up to 50 people on these. These were ocean worthy; they could goal the way to Europe, although usually they would take an ocean liner and meet their yacht and go yachting along the coast of Spain, Southern Europe in the summer time…and, they would go to Central America. NARRATION: Vanderbilt wealth came from transportation, so it seemed only fitting that yachting would be a favorite leisure pastime of the Vanderbilts. Allan Dailey… SOUND BITE/ALLAN DAILEY: Mr. Vanderbilt loved yachting–he even was involved in building the one of the ships that won the America’s Cup. $500,000 is what he paid for the VIDETTE, and it was built in Copenhagen. People spend the money on cars now in a way the Vanderbilts spent money on boats.

• Inspirational Views

  
  

  It is a view that has been immortalized in countless paintings and photographs. Some are the works of famous artists, while others were created by everyday people wishing to capture the moment that this dramatic landscape inspired them.

  Credit / Author:

  National Park Service

  Audio Transcript

  The iconic scene before you is captured in a popular Currier and Ives lithograph. Starting at your left, you will see the Shaupeneak Ridge…the Hudson River…Esopus Island, the seminary of Mount St. Alphonsus, and, rising in the distance, the Catskill Mountains.

  It is a view that has been immortalized in countless paintings and photographs. Some are the works of famous artists, while others were created by everyday people wishing to capture the moment that this dramatic landscape inspired them. The most notable style of American landscape art is known as the work of the Hudson River School, fostered by British artist Thomas Cole in 1825, as he traveled by steamship up the Hudson River to paint the first landscapes of New York State. Cole’s work was a celebration of spectacular scenery. Art of the Hudson River School depicted America as its early settlers were discovering and exploring the vast lands, and through the prolific work of Cole and others, it helped people learn to place a value on the American wilderness.

  Later artists, including Cole’s protégé Frederic Edwin Church, shared this respect and awe for nature with American writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Art and literature together helped initiate the preservation movement, which led to the creation of national parks.

  Take a few moments and immerse yourself in this captivating view of the Hudson Valley, and join so many before you who have been moved by nature’s canvas.

• The Vanderbilt Home

  
  

  The house, completed in 1898, was the centerpiece of an estate that encompassed 700 acres and included approximately 50 other structures.

  Credit / Author:

  National Park Service

  Audio Transcript

  You are standing before one of the finest examples of Beaux-Arts residential architecture in America, a home for Frederick William Vanderbilt and his wife, Louise. Frederick, a third generation Vanderbilt, built his stately home on one of the most prized and historic properties on the banks of the Hudson River. Three different homes once stood on this exact spot where the house stands today, and later on the tour stop you will learn why this was a preferred location.

  The house, completed in 1898, was the centerpiece of an estate that encompassed 700 acres and included approximately 50 other structures. The property was first developed over two centuries ago, with early ownership including some of the founding fathers of Hyde Park. National Park Service Supervisory Park Ranger Allan Dailey introduces you to the last landowners of this storied estate…

  SOUND BITE ALLAN DAILEY: Frederick and Louise were latecomers to the town of Hyde Park. There had been estates, in Hyde Park, for a couple of centuries before they arrived, so the idea of there being wealthy people in their midst of the town certainly was not new to the residents of the town. But, Frederick and Louise, like other members, like the Newbolds, and the Rogers, and the Roosevelts, participated in providing a better life for the people of the town. But also, the estate was open to the residents of the town and their children, and they could come and use the estate, like we use it today, as a park.

  NARRATION: This building is a monument to an age when wealthy American industrialists sought to express their worth through structures that would stand the test of time, reminding the world of their accomplishments long after their passing. Frederick Vanderbilt and his siblings, heirs to vast family fortunes, became known as inexhaustible house builders. Frederick chose the firm of McKim, Mead & White, to create this residence. Note the hallmarks of Beaux-Arts design–strict classicism, perfect symmetry, heavy ornamentation–the perfectly balanced façade - all around the house. Allan Dailey…

  SOUND BITE ALLAN DAILEY: A lot of the workers who worked on the house were immigrants, who were leaving Europe–where fortunes were on the decline, and buildings like that weren’t being built anymore, and they were bringing their craft with them, and they were getting their foot in the door, building houses that were heavily modeled after European architecture and style and decoration.

  NARRATION: Walk now to the west façade to see why each subsequent land owners chose to build their homes on this same spot…and listen to Allan Dailey tell more about Vanderbilt’s home on the Hudson…

  SOUND BITE ALLAN DAILEY: The house itself, it had electricity–they produced in on the property – they had hot and cold running water–they had a water tower across the estate from the mansion–they had telephone, telegraph, tickertape machines, central heat - any amenity – any technology that was available–was employed. These are people who made their money in technology–these are people who embraced technology in their day to day lives. We know that in the earliest days townspeople would stand at the edge of the wall and watch the lights go on and off, so it was kind of a show.

  NARRATION: One look from the west portico, and you can see why this was the premier building site. The Hudson River below, and beyond, the expanse of hills leading up to the distant Catskill Mountains made this a favorite gathering place for Vanderbilt and his guests to relax and simply enjoy the view that today remains unequalled among Hudson Valley panoramas.

• Romantic Landscape

  
  

  Hyde Park is thought to be the country’s oldest surviving romantic landscape.

  Credit / Author:

  National Park Service

  Audio Transcript

  “Romantic” is a term applied to landscape that is meant to look natural, not designed, although it is easy to see how guests of the Vanderbilts fell in love with the estate’s lawns and gardens–even before they saw the mansion that hid behind the artfully planted and pruned foliage.

  Hyde Park is thought to be the country’s oldest surviving romantic landscape. Its roots extend deep in time–perhaps as far back as the late 1700s. A most notable planting is the tree to your–the Gingko. This rare specimen, planted well over 200 years ago, is described in more detail by National Park Service Chief of National Resource Management for the Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Site, Dave Hayes…

  SOUNDBITE DAVE HAYES: This gingko is one of the largest gingkoes in North America by most big tree standards–it was planted sometime between 1795 and 1835–we don’t know exactly when it was planted.

  The interesting thing about gingko trees in general is that it’s an ancient kind of tree. They’re known as a living fossil because there are fossil records of gingko leaves that look exactly like gingko leaves today. And it’s very resistant to disease, it’s very resistant to pests, and that made it a pretty nice landscape tree for land owners who wanted to have a landscape tree that would last. And if you look at this tree you’ll notice that for a 200 year old tree it’s in pretty good shape.

  NARRATOR: Dave Hayes directs your attention to other noteworthy tree species…

  SOUNDBITE DAVE HAYES: As you are standing by the gingko tree with your back toward the mansion, look to the down the lawn and you’ll see a large tree with a weeping shape to it, and it’s got a couple of hemlock trees, conifer trees by either side of it–that is a weeping beech–there are about 45 different species of trees on the estate.

  NARRATOR: The plantings also delivered an additional aesthetic benefit…

  SOUNDBITE DAVE HAYES: We know that this landscape was designed–it was not just random. And these plantings were often put in place to give you a certain view as you walked along a path, to make a feature hidden until just the right moment when you’d come around a curve and then ‘boom’–there would be the mansion suddenly come up. And each of these estate owners had some interest in horticulture.

  NARRATION: In 1940, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a Hyde Park native and self-proclaimed tree farmer , was so impressed with the collection and condition of the estate’s trees that he influenced Congress to enter the property into the National Park Service. The NPS has honored the legacy of the land by working to keep the landscape as close to its original state as possible, including replacing a dead tree with the same species and variety. You could say they’re working to keep the romance alive.

• The Formal Garden

  
  

  The gardens are characterized by their “tiered” multiple levels, partitioned by walls of evergreen or masonry, to create garden rooms where specific types of plants are grown.
  Audio Transcript

  Whether slumbering under winter snow, budding with the promise of spring, flush with summer’s profusion, or retiring into fall’s glory, each season in the Garden has its own distinct beauty. Walk, and share its story…

  When the Vanderbilts purchased this property in 1895, the Gardeners Cottage and Tool House, both to your left, were already in place. At one time, a glass carnation house connected these buildings. Among the Vanderbilts’ many additions was an expansion of the existing garden. They hired New York City landscape designer James L. Greenleaf, for the task.

  The gardens are characterized by their “tiered” multiple levels, partitioned by walls of evergreen or masonry, to create garden rooms where specific types of plants are grown. Start by looking all around you.

  The top level contains the “annual” beds, plants that only live for one season. There are over 6000 annuals that must be planted each year.

  The next level down is home to the “perennials”, plants that come back the following year. Their flowering schedule assures that there is always color in this garden.

  The lowest level is the rose garden. Typically, there are more than 1800 rose bushes–including “vintage” roses, varieties that may have been present in the original garden.

• Tending the Garden

  
  

  A garden of such beauty doesn’t happen by chance, and it doesn’t prosper alone. This is how caring hands came together to restore life to the once-weary Vanderbilt Gardens.

  Credit / Author:

  National Park Service

  Audio Transcript

  We invite you to tour and explore the garden on your own, and as you look—listen—as we share its special story.

  A garden of such beauty doesn’t happen by chance, and it doesn’t prosper alone. This is how caring hands came together to restore life to the once-weary Vanderbilt Gardens.

  In 1940, the family of Frederick Vanderbilt donated his estate to the National Park Service. With the expense of World War Two, government funds and manpower needed to maintain the elaborate gardens were unavailable. These once carefully tended beds became overgrown; the structures and pathways fell into disrepair. What was once a living legacy bearing witness to Hyde Park and American history was in danger of disappearing all together.

  SOUNDBITE, MARGIE DELAFIELD: The Garden Association was formed in 1984 following an idea that some local women had about restoring the gardens. And the Park Service decided to give it a try and see what happened.

  NARRATION: Margie Delafield is the current President of the Frederick W. Vanderbilt Garden Association. She recalls the partnership that was formed with the National Park Service to restore these gardens to their original magnificence, and credits her predecessor, Marian Asher, with the vision and drive to begin the process.

  SOUNDBITE, MARIAN ASHER: There was no organization–there was just three people–those three people–talked about how nice it would be if there was a garden inside the walls. We met on a very cold February evening with a horticulturalist with our idea, and managed to persuade him that he should help us to begin this–and that’s how it began.

  This was 1984. And by the end of the summer, we were no longer three people, we were eight or nine people. And by the time the next spring arrived and we began planting some plants, there were 32 of us. So it just grew, and that was when it really became an organization.

  NARRATION: With much of the major structural restoration complete, the spring of 1985 welcomed the first planting of the annual beds since 1938. The following year saw the replanting of perennials. Roses soon followed. And ever since, the gardens have flourished, as they did under the care of Vanderbilt’s gardeners. Marian Asher…

  SOUNDBITE, MARIAN ASHER: We had to prove ourselves–we really had to prove ourselves–and I always felt that no one really thought it would happen, that we would succeed, but it just kept going along, year after year and it just sort of happened.

  NARRATION: While the elaborate greenhouse and palm house complexes are no longer in existence, their inventories survived, and became the basis for a more accurate restoration of the garden. Margie Delafield explains…

  SOUND BITE, MARGIE DELAFIELD: Because we’re a volunteer organization—Managing a public garden—an important public garden at a National Park. We want to make sure that the decision we make are driven by research and that they’re accurate and what we’re creating is a historically accurate heirloom garden.

  This new research is going to eventually mean that the visitor is going to have an experience similar to what they would have had in the 1930s when the Vanderbilts were still using the house in Hyde Park. But every time we can bring back things that actually were in the garden, it’s just really exciting.

  NARRATION: And, because garden work knows all seasons, approximately 150 volunteers still meet each week to plant, weed, trim, mow grass and work on fundraising projects. Volunteers like Anita Whalen…

  SOUNDBITE: ANITA: I have been with the garden about eight years now. Number of hours? I think this year my name was added to the thousand hour plaque.

  NARRATION: …and founding member, Marian Asher…

  SOUNDBITE: MARIAN: I’m a founding member of the organization probably 4000 or 5000 hours–I don’t know. Quite a few.

  NARRATION: There’s Don Bernard, a new volunteer…

  SOUNDBITE: DON: I wasn’t a gardener, but I am now. I engage in a lot of conversations with visitors they’re very amazed at the amount of work that’s done by the people who do it. When they find out it’s all great volunteers.

  NARRATION: Or JoAnn Wheate, who’s been volunteering since 1990.

  SOUNDBITE, JOANN: I think gardeners, when they find a project, they will just stay with it. We’re tenacious, we’re nurturers, we just band together against all odds or something. And that’s how the association has lived for 25 years.

  NARRATION: And through their work in the Vanderbilt Garden, the Association has blossomed as well, into a model for the beauty of the volunteer spirit.