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Cultural Overview
Three
cultural landmarks can be found just east of the hamlet.
The Katonah Museum of Art features rotating collections
of fascinating exhibitions in its two galleries, a tranquil
sculpture garden and an interactive learning center for
children. It has received national attention since it's
founding as The Katonah Gallery in 1954 under auspices
of the Katonah Village Improvement Society. The John Jay
Homestead State Historic Site brings American political
and social history to life with guided tours through the
Federal-style retirement residence of the first Chief
Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Caramoor Center for
Music and the Arts was the 100-acre estate of Lucie and
Walter Rosen, who established the International Music
Festival now celebrating over 59 seasons. The gardens
and House Museum are also open to the public. Katonah's
cultural attractions draw visitors from near and far.
Caramoor
149
Girdle Ridge Road
Katonah NY 10536.
Box Office: 914-232-1252
General Information: 914-232-5035
Tours and Afternoon Tea: 914-232-5035 ext. 221
Garden Guild: 914-232-1253
This Katonah landmark is home to the Caramoor
International Music Festival, metropolitan New York's
largest annual outdoor summer music festival. Every summer
amidst its 90 acres of fragrant gardens, sparkling fountains
and towering trees, Caramoor's two outdoor theatres resonate
with the magnificent sounds created by the world's finest
classical and jazz musicians. Pre-concert picnics are
encouraged. From September through May, concerts move
indoors to the Music Room, a magnificent, intimate, acoustically-perfect
recital hall. In this space, concertgoers are surrounded
by part of the astonishing collection of fine and decorative
art that Walter and Lucie Rosen, Caramoor's founders,
amassed in the 1920s and 30s. Family concerts are given
in the spring and fall in the Diane Moss Education Center,
located on the grounds of Caramoor.
There
are other treats in store for visitors. Caramoor possesses
an extraordinary collection of Renaissance and Eastern
art which is housed in its House Museum, a large, rambling
Mediterranean-style palazzo, furnished with treasures
from abroad. Twenty rooms re open to the public. Tours
are given from May through December and at other times
by appointment, Wednesdays-Fridays, and Sundays 1-4 p.m.,with
the last tour at 4 p.m. Afternoon Tea is offered on Thursday
and Friday afternoons, May through December, in combination
with Museum tours. Depending on the day, a recital may
be included in the package. Reservations are a must. Caramoor's
gardens are also worth a visit. Nine unusual gardens,
including the Marjorie Carr Sense Circle (for sight-impaired
individuals), Sunken Garden, Woodland Garden, Butterfly
Garden, Tapestry Hedge, and Cloister Garden provide an
exquisite setting for this internationally-known venue.
Guided tours of the grounds are by appointment.
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John Jay Homestead
P.O.
Box 832, 400 Route 22
Katonah, NY 10536.
914-232-5651
In
the early part of the nineteenth century, retired statesman
John Jay and his family lived in a 'modest mansion' on
a large estate set among the Bedford Hills in northern
Westchester County. Tours of the homestead focus on John
Jay's 27 years of diplomatic, legislative and judicial
service to his state and nation and the subsequent years
in retirement at Bedford with his family.
Today
this gracious home, surrounded by 54 acres of woodland,
meadows and gardens, is a New York State historic site
and is open for tours Wednesday through Sunday from mid-April
to the end of October. Public programs and activities
are also offered throughout the year and a calendar of
events is available by sending a self-addressed, stamped
envelope to the site at the address above. Group and school
tours are by reservation only.
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Katonah
Museum of Art
Rt. 22 at Jay Street
Katonah, NY
914-232-9555
Rarely
does a small suburban town house a nationally recognized
art museum, especially one like the Katonah Museum of
Art, whose commitment to quality and innovation is well
known. Since its founding in 1953, the museum has offered
rare and otherwise unavailable artistic programs through
its exhibitions and educational services. Education programs
for visitors of all ages "bring art to life." The Museum
offers lectures, symposia, workshops, and trips. Over
100 area schools participate in on-site tours and demonstrations
by visiting artists. The museum has no permanent collection,
allowing it to originate five to eight shows a year which
address a wide variety of art periods and styles.
A
special feature of the museum is its beautiful outdoor
Sculpture Garden situated among 80 foot Norway spruce
trees. This site is host to jazz concerts in the summer,
community festivals, and other special events. The Museum
is open year round. Tours are given at 2:30 p.m. daily.
The museum is accessible to the handicapped. Admission
is $3. Closed Mondays
Click
here for The Katohah Museum of Art's Web site.
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Katonah Village Library
For
more information please
call 914-232-3508
For
over 100 years, the Katonah Village Library, located in
the Historic District, has been a center for cultural
activity in Northern Westchester. It serves over 10,000
people per year as a reference center for this part of
the county.
The
collection contains over 60,000 items. Special services
include a meeting room for use by community groups, large
print books, over 200 periodicals with back files of five
years, microfilms of the New York Times from 1960, and
local papers from 1900. There is a collection of over
1500 recordings, a photocopy machine, business reference
tools, the complete CLS New York State Statutes, and a
microcomputer for public use. The library sponsors an
annual winter concert and poetry series as well as public
lectures. There is a book discussion group and a special
collection of art and nutrition books. Services to the
homebound are provided. The Children's Room has a full
calendar of programs for ages 2 through 12, with story
hours, craft programs, visiting guests, and films. The
library is open every day but Sunday. Telephone reference
service is available. On December 10, 1880 the first Library
and Reading Room was opened with 400 books donated by
The Katonah Village Improvement Society then known
as the Katonah Village Improvement Association. The K.V.I.
S. and the Library have remained intimately tied ever
since.
The
Katonah Historical Museum
For
more information please
call 914-232-9457 or 914-232-4320
The
Katonah Historical Museum is located in the Katonah Village
Library, in the White Room beneath the Libraryıs cupola.
The museum unveiled its first exhibit, a display of photographs,
which make up the Katonah Historical District, on October
13, 1984, during the celebration of the listing of the
District on the National Register of Historic Places.
Since this first exhibit, the museum has continued its
mission of stimulating interest in local history. The
volunteer staff of the Historical Museum also maintains
permanent displays in the Library's lower level hallway
concerning the moving of Katonah. There is an accurate
diorama of a house on the move from Old Katonah to New
Katonah (the model is a couple of feet tall -- the actual
building is two blocks away.) The Katonah Historical Museum
is open on Saturdays when there is an exhibit. An independent
organization, the museum is administered and staffed by
volunteers and supported solely by the generosity of its
members.
Recreation
and Parks
For more information please contact
the Bedford Recreation Department at: 914-666-7004
Katonah
as well as each hamlet in the town of Bedford, has an
active park for year round activities and day camp in
the summer. Sports and recreational activities for all
ages are sponsored through out the year at various locations.
Program information is mailed to all residents four times
a year and is also available at the recreation department
or the Town of Bedford website. Katonah Memorial Park
on North Street has facilities for swimming, baseball,
soccer, basketball and tennis. In addition to the town
parks, there are numerous natural areas available for
hiking, nature study and picnicking.
Additional
information on Westchester County parks is available at
the county's website www.westchestergov.com/parks
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