Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park
Photographs of Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park, located in Canandaigua, New York.
Hubby and I toured Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park last week when we were in the Finger Lakes. The 50 acre site features beautiful formal and informal gardens, a historic mansion, the Lord & Burnham greenhouse complex and beautiful views of Canandaigua Lake. Sonnenberg’s magnificent Queen Anne style mansion, the former summer home of Frederick Ferris and Mary Clark Thompson, was built in 1887. The surrounding gardens were developed between 1902 and 1920 and reflect a variety of styles, including Victorian, Italian, Colonial, and Japanese influences. This according to the NYS Parks Website More information can be found at Sonnenberg.org.
Admission to the park is $12 for adults, $10 for AAA members and seniors, children 4-12 are $1, military and students with id (over 13) is $6. Hours are 9:30am. – 4:30pm from May 1 – October 31, Extended Summer Hours: 9:30 am – 5:30pm. Memorial Day – Labor Day There are also events listed throughout the year on the events page.
I took a lot of photographs Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park. Like 100 or so. I decided to break this up into two posts, today will be the gardens and park. The mansion and mansion garden photographs are coming soon!
After we paid our admission we immediately saw the display gardens. That is the wine tasting building at the end there.
Immediately across from those gardens are the greenhouses and conservator, a Lord & Burnham conservatory complex, built between 1903 and 1915.
The complex includes a domed Palm House, with other glass houses featuring orchids, cacti, and tropical plants.
We entered the first greenhouse from the back.
That is a “pansy lily” according to the lady working in the greenhouse. She said it is one of the few lilies with a scent.
They are a plant rescue center! I had never heard of such a thing, but it makes sense.
These succulents are beautiful!
More succulents.
There was a large section of cactus.
I have no idea what this flower is, but it was coming off some cactus plant.
And then things took a turn for the tropical.
The greenhouses flowed one into the other into the other with the types of plants changing in each greenhouse.
There was a selection of scented flowers that didn’t look like anything, so I didn’t take a photo.
And the end greenhouse was pretty cleared out.
We exited the greenhouses to a path that led to the lawns.
The leaves were just beginning to change.
There were a number of trees that formed arches like this, large enough for cars to drive under!
Feet had worn many paths in between the foliage over the years. This path led to the mansion.
We went in the fall and the gardens were spectacular. I can’t imagine how beautiful they much be in the summer!
Next up: the mansion and mansion gardens!
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