Date/Time
Saturday, October 4th, 2025 | 2:30pm - 5:00pm
Where We Will Meet
in front of Westbury House in Old Westbury Gardens
Where The Walk Will End
tbd
About This Walk
Note – this walk is only open to those age 21 and older. You can bring your children with you with full supervision by you. If there are any official photography shoots going on while there, such as for a Wedding or other special event, we ask that you be respectful of their privacy.
We will meet at the Westbury House mansion in Old Westbury Gardens for our group photo, which will be taken at 2:45 pm sharp outside of the mansion. Depending on lighting, this may be in front, back or even on the steps down to the pond. Our walk will promptly run 3-5 pm. (Late comers can always catch up with us along the way)
Depending on weather and people’s interest, some of us may drive over to Hicks Nurseries for their Fall Festival. Others are free to explore NYIT’s campus, including the grounds of the deSeversky Gold Coast Mansion, which is also a short drive away. If you miss our group photo or walk alone, you can still enter the official contest as long as all of it rules are followed. (But it’s much more fun together!) For more info on the contest, click on CONTEST above.
Some Legal Stuff:
Each walker agrees to hold harmless the organizer of the event for any injuries and damages incurred by others and to be fully responsible themselves for the acts of any pets or children they may choose to bring with them. Always be careful when walking and watch for unlevel spots and possible trip hazards on the grounds.
You can reserve a free day pass with your library in advance if available or carpool with others.
Their walled garden is especially gorgeous! Bring comfortable shoes and sunscreen.
As for myself, I have been leading Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalks for 12 years. I also administer the Long Island PhotoWalkers Group on Facebook, which I encourage all of you to join to share your photos and connect with others: Long Island PhotoWalkers | Facebook
There will be an optional, free photo contest with prizes at the Worldwide level. In order to compete within our group, you must be registered for this walk. You may only officially register for one walk.
Please be advised that this walk must start and finish within 2 hours, though times are approximate and may change up to the start of the walk. If you arrive late, you’re welcome to catch up with us along the way, though contest entries MUST have been taken DURING the official walk time. People will be photographing at places of their own choosing within the walk locations as this will be an unstructured walk once the group photo has been taken. Some may choose to drive over to Hicks and some may choose to walk anywhere they can at Old Westbury Gardens that’s open to the public.
Please be respectful of other walkers and of anyone not on our walk who you may encounter wherever you decide to take your photos.
No drones, cigarettes, pets, or alcohol allowed at the Gardens.
It’s time to submit your entries to our contest!October 6th, 2025
Walkers wishing to enter our group’s contest have until 11:59 EST on Oct 24 to submit their entries. You can change your entry after uploading it.
Please click on the CONTEST tab for details. Photo entries will be uploaded to Slickpic by those wishing to compete in the free contest. You can upload up to 5 photos for the regular contest and one for the mobile contest. I will pick the winners of both contests for our group, and those entries will go on to compete at the Worldwide level. To see photos that are already uploaded for each of the walk groups, follow this link: https://photowalk.slickpic.com/albums/Old-Westbury-Gardens-Gilded-Age-Mansion-And-Gardens-Hicks-Nursery-Fall-Festival/?flow
You can upload as many as you wish to share
Last minute infoOctober 3rd, 2025
Here’s a map of Old Westbury Gardens https://www.oldwestburygardens.org/visitor-map/
– Allow 15 min from arrival through the main gates to parking and walk up to Hempstead House if you want to be in our group photo at 2:45.
– We plan to begin our walk at 3 pm sharp unless last minute circumstances dictate otherwise.
– Your walk leaders are Ilene Schuss with Nancy Wildermuth as my assistant. If you’re looking for someone to carpool with to save on admission fees, please post on our discussion thread.
Some last minute reminders:
– Clear your memory cards, charge those batteries and power banks, and bring your library museum pass or membership pass to Westbury Gardens for free admission. For paid admission, you need to purchase your ticket in advance here: https://www.oldwestburygardens.org/plan-your-visit/
You can always arrive early and catch a delicious lunch at their Cafe In the Woods (by the parking lot) at your own expense.
– Wear comfortable walking shoes, travel light and protect yourself from the sun and insects with hats, sunscreen, bug spray.
– Dress for the warm weather expected. It can get pretty hot inside the walled garden, where many may choose to spend a lot of time.
– Bring water as there are no places apart from the Cafe to get water.
– No drones, cigarettes, pets, or alcohol allowed at the Gardens.
Hours of Operation:
Old Westbury Gardens 10 am – 6 pm.
Westbury House closed for lunch 1:00pm – 1:30pm.
Final admissions to the grounds: 4:00pm for non-members, 5:00pm for members.
Final admissions into Westbury House: 5:00pm, and it will close at 5:15pm.
There are restrooms by Cafe in the Woods and also inside Hempstead House, so plan accordingly.
Please be respectful of others, especially any professional wedding photography shoots in progress. We will not have a permit, so do not bring special equipment, just your camera and maybe a tripod and extra batteries and memory cards just in case.
We ask that everyone stay out of the flower beds and avoid photo-bombing others to the extent possible.
________________________________________________________________________________
Hicks Nurseries Fall Festival open 8 am – 6 pm
– Check out their site for activities and offerings.
– Expect lots to be going on that day with plenty of families, pets, etc. who will be moving around.
– Where possible, ask permission before photographing others,
– Be mindful of kids that may be particularly unpredictable in their movements around the place when you take your photos so as to avoid bumping into them.
– Expect a pretty full parking lot that day!
– There is an overlook for the hay maze (to photograph those going through it without having to pay admission).
– In addition to Fall decorations and produce, there is a room dedicated to Christmas, including some amazing trees and ornaments for sale. Please be careful making your way through (you will be responsible for any breakage you may cause.)
Refreshments available (at your own cost) that day at Hicks:
– Country Kitchen 8 am – 6 pm
-Hicks Food Truck 10 am – 5 pm
There are rest rooms and a water fountain in the back of the store.
Entrance to Old Westbury GardensOctober 3rd, 2025
If you don’t have a library museum pass or an active membership to Old Westbury Gardens, you will need to purchase a ticket here in advance: https://www.oldwestburygardens.org/plan-your-visit/
General Admission: $18
Ages 62 or older: $15
Full-time Students with valid ID: $15
No refunds, purchase in advance
RSVPs thus far – as of October 3, 2025October 3rd, 2025
Hi,
Between the event on Facebook (as part of the Long Island Photowalkers) and here, we currently have 9 registered to be able to compete in our contest, myself, plus another 4 who will be walking but not competing.
That makes 14 in all, plus there are several maybes on my Facebook Group.
So you all have an excellent chance of winning our group’s contest. Plenty of room for more to join us – I hope you help spread the word to others so they do!
You are welcome to join our walk group on FacebookSeptember 27th, 2025
Hi,
I invite all of you to join the group I have on Facebook: Long Island PhotoWalkers
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LBeachNYGlobalPhotoWalk2013
It’s a great place to help you all stay in touch before, during and after the walk and to have a place to share your photos, even if not submitted to the official contest.
Once you join that group, you will see the event specifically tied to our walk. I hope to see all of you there – many of you already are!
Free shuttle from Parking Lot at Old Westbury Gardens for those who need itSeptember 25th, 2025
For those of you who need it, you can call the general number for Old Westbury Gardens when you arrive to request them to send a free shuttle down to the parking lot to transport you to the Mansion. They have limited availability of the space on their small cart, so please only do so if you need to and allow extra time in case there’s a wait to get a cart.
If you are coming to our walk, we invite you to join us on our Facebook group to get to know the other walkers and share your photos.
Here’s the link to our fun group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LBeachNYGlobalPhotoWalk2013
Thank you Ilene for stepping up to lead this. I had a great time and you really arranged some great weather too.
I registered…went on the walk …I can’t send my photos in….Why…..HELP
It was my pleasure leading the walk with so many nice people participating. That means YOU!
At this point, we have contest entries from the following people:
Theresa Oropallo
Jane Tujak
Bill Brickner
Leo Tujak
Dennis Weiss
If anyone else wishes to compete, or if you want to change which photos you have entered, you have till 11:59 am on October 24, 2025 to do so. I will judge the contest anytime between then and Oct 29. Good luck to all!