Wave Hill Marks 60 Years

Summary

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Podcast Summary: All Of It — "Wave Hill Marks 60 Years"

Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guest: Gabriel de Guzman (Director of Arts & Chief Curator, Wave Hill)
Date: September 8, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode of All Of It celebrates the 60th anniversary of Wave Hill—a beloved public garden and cultural center nestled on the cliffs of Riverdale, overlooking the Hudson River. Host Alison Stewart invites Gabriel de Guzman, Wave Hill’s Director of Arts and Chief Curator, to reflect on the institution’s rich history, its transformation from a private estate to a public treasure, its ongoing role in community life, and upcoming anniversary events. Callers from around New York share their memories and connections to the garden, underscoring its deep and multifaceted impact.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Origins and Founding of Wave Hill

[01:18] Gabriel de Guzman:

• Wave Hill began as a private estate, with the first house built in the 1840s.
• In the 1890s, George Perkins unified two adjoining properties, enhanced the grounds, and built greenhouses.
• The Perkins-Freeman family donated the estate’s 28 acres to the City of New York in 1960.
• In 1965, local Riverdale residents established Wave Hill as a nonprofit cultural institution:

  "In 2025, we're now celebrating our 60th anniversary as a Wave Hill cultural center." (01:34)

Name Origins

[02:38] Gabriel de Guzman:

• The name "Wave Hill" has two main theories:
  • The hill’s wave-shaped appearance when viewed from the river.
  • A more whimsical story: people on the hill waving at boats passing by.

  "I don't think that's accurate, but it’s fun, right?" (03:37)

Wave Hill’s Relationship with the Palisades & Environmental Legacy

[04:37] Gabriel de Guzman:

• Wave Hill’s mission upholds the visual and environmental connection with the Palisades.
• George Perkins played a crucial role in conserving the Palisades, keeping them undeveloped and protected.

  "We are very committed to making sure that the Palisades remain a public park and not developed." (04:48)

Exploring the Estate Houses

[05:28] Gabriel de Guzman:

• Two main historic buildings:
  • Glendor House: Home to the contemporary art gallery, with exhibitions exploring human/nature connections.
  • Wave Hill House: The older, larger building, now housing a café, performance spaces, and event rooms.

  “I encourage people to come visit both houses and experience our programming in different ways.” (06:13)

Community Stories & Personal Memories

Throughout the episode, listeners call in with personal memories and experiences at Wave Hill:

• Craig (NJ): Remembers reading the Sunday Times on benches with panoramic views and the koi pond:

  “It was a well-kept secret. It's very beautiful there...great for events too." (06:50–07:28)

• Jim (Bayville): Directed raptor shows at Wave Hill; appreciated the audience, the natural beauty, and serendipitous falcon sightings:

  "...because it's in the Hudson, right near the Palisades, occasionally we'd get a peregrine falcon flying directly overhead." (07:40–08:15)

• Jane (Brooklyn): Attended gardening classes, particularly on cacti and succulents, which sparked a lifelong passion:

  "I became addicted to them. I love to collect cacti and succulents and we have a lot of them now." (08:25–09:04)

• Lauren (Manhattan): Values Wave Hill’s inclusivity for observant Jewish community members and shares a humorous story about getting locked in after hours and witnessing “a priest and a rabbi” drive off in a golf cart before a wedding.

  “A priest and a rabbi get on a golf cart and drive away...so that’s my memory.” (13:25–14:46)

Renovation and Restoration

[10:02] Gabriel de Guzman:

• Donation to the city left the grounds and greenhouse in disrepair.
• Restoration led by Marco Polo Stefano, Wave Hill’s first director of horticulture, who revitalized the gardens and greenhouses.

  “He was really the person that brought everything to life...made it possible for us to open to the public.” (10:02–11:03)

Upcoming Anniversary Events

[11:07, 17:19] Gabriel de Guzman:

• Gardener’s Party (Sept 18): Honors the horticulture team and department's legacy.
• Celebrate Arts in the Garden: Wave Hill at 60 (Sept 20–21): Features:
  • Dance performances by Heidi Latsky Dance Company (3pm each day).
  • Outdoor textile and sculptural installations by Sarah Jimenez (her closing weekend, artist tour on Sun at 1:30pm).
  • “Kids on the Move” family art and movement program (Sunday at 1pm).
• Three new art exhibitions opening (Caroline Garcia, Blanca Imesqua, Magdalena Dukovich).

  “We're very excited about that...presenting art in the context of the garden.” (11:07–19:23)

Intersection Between Nature and Art

[11:51] Gabriel de Guzman:

• Art at Wave Hill is designed to enhance the experience of the garden and deepen reflection on nature and the environment, including issues like climate change.

  “We try to present work that's thought provoking and makes you think about our relationship to nature and what that really means in an expansive way...” (11:51–12:35)

The Family Art Project

[14:55] Christopher (Riverdale):

• Free Saturday morning program making art from natural materials, welcoming and imaginative, fostering family participation.

  “Every week is something completely different...My family has enjoyed so many Saturday mornings there.” (14:55–15:52)

Featured Art: Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree

[16:02] Gabriel de Guzman:

• Participatory project inviting visitors to write wishes on tags and tie them to the tree’s branches.

  "It’s just a way for people to share what they're feeling and what they are hoping for." (16:02–17:12)

Notable Historical Figures

[19:26] Jim/Robert:

• Conductor Arturo Toscanini lived at Wave Hill while leading the NBC Orchestra, and the estate has hosted a variety of legendary cultural figures.

  “[He] was acclaimed to be a conductor that comes along every two or three hundred years. And it's got quite a history.” (19:26–20:36)

The Garden as a Refuge

Final text from a listener (read by Allison, [20:36]):

"Walks to and around Wave Hill became the backyard we left in Georgia. Truly a tonic for the anxiety of the time. Long live Wave Hill." (20:36–20:54)

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Memorable Quotes

• Alison Stewart:

  "If you've been, you know how beautiful it is. If you haven't been, go to our Instagram...it was gorgeous." (00:10)

• Gabriel de Guzman:

  "The arts is there to enhance the experience of the garden...thought provoking and makes you think about our relationship to nature." (11:51)

• Craig (Caller):

  "I'm almost a little nervous about you having us on the show. Hopefully it won't get overpopulated. It was a well kept secret." (07:08)

• Lauren (Caller):

  "One day I found a secluded nook...I saw a priest and a rabbi get on a golf cart...escaping through a wedding party." (13:25–14:46)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:10 — 02:35: History of Wave Hill and its transformation.
• 02:38 — 03:40: Theories behind the estate's name.
• 04:26 — 04:48: Connection to the Palisades and preservation efforts.
• 05:19 — 06:13: Descriptions of the estate houses and what visitors experience.
• 06:43 — 09:04: Listener stories illustrating Wave Hill's role in personal and community life.
• 09:45 — 11:03: Discussing challenges after the estate's donation and subsequent revitalization.
• 11:07 — 19:23: Preview of 60th anniversary events and the unique blending of art and horticulture.
• 14:55 — 15:52: Family Art Project described as a core community activity.
• 16:02 — 17:12: Discussion of Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree project.
• 19:26 — 20:36: Historical note about Toscanini and Wave Hill's cultural legacy.
• 20:36 — 21:23: Listener texts about Wave Hill as essential urban refuge during stressful times.
• 21:23 — 21:38: De Guzman mentions new art exhibitions opening for the anniversary.

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Tone and Style Overview

The episode was marked by warmth, nostalgia, and community spirit, with host Alison Stewart’s friendly engagement and Gabriel de Guzman’s thoughtful, enthusiastic reflections on both the serious and whimsical aspects of Wave Hill’s past, present, and future. The inclusion of audience calls and texts provided poignant, funny, and intimate testimony to the garden’s enduring place in New York City’s cultural and personal landscape.

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Conclusion

This special anniversary episode highlights how Wave Hill, through thoughtful stewardship and creative programming, continues to weave together history, landscape, art, and community—providing joy, solace, and inspiration for generations of New Yorkers and visitors alike.

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Transcript

[Allison]

Wave Hill is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. The public garden and cultural center encompasses 28 acres of land in Riverdale set upon cliffs overlooking the Hudson River. If you've been, you know how beautiful it is. If you haven't been, go to our Instagram of nyc. I just put up some pictures that I took a couple of weekends ago. It was gorgeous. But before Wave Hill formed as we know it, the land was part of an estate owned by the Perkins family. Theodore Roosevelt and Mark Twain were once tenants. The two houses and 28 acres now encompassing Wave Hill were donated to the city for public use in the 1960s. Gabriel de Guzman is Wave Hill's Director of arts and chief curator. He's here to tell us more about the history of Wave Hill as It marks its 60th anniversary anniversary and also to preview an upcoming anniversary event called Celebrate Arts in the Garden. Wave Hill at 60. It's happening on September 20th and 21st. Welcome to the show.

[Gabriel de Guzman]

Thank you so much, Allison. It's really wonderful to be here.

[Allison]

Tell us how the garden and the museum as we know it was founded.

[Gabriel de Guzman]

So as you mentioned, it was originally a private estate. Several affluent families have lived on the site. The first house. House was built in the 1840s, actually. And then at one point, it was two different properties. And then in the 1890s, the Perkins family, George Perkins, bought the two adjoining properties and joint and unified them through landscaping and renovating the houses and. And building a greenhouse. Building greenhouses and gardens for the estate. And then in the Perkins family, the Perkins Freeman family decided to donate the property to the city of New York in 1960. What happened is in 1965, members of the Riverdale community came together to establish Wave Hill as a nonprofit cultural institution. So in 2025, we're now celebrating our 60th year, 60th anniversary as. As a Wave Hill cultural Center.

[Allison]

How did it get the name Wave Hill?

[Gabriel de Guzman]

So there are a couple of theories about that. What I. The one, the sort of most simple answer and the one that everyone thinks is the more likely answer is that the shape we are on a hill. And it's been said that the shape of the hill as you see it from the river, because when Wave Hill was established as an estate, people were traveling up and down the river. That was how you would get here. And the shape of the hill looks like a wave. However, also it's also been said that it's called Wave Hill because when people would travel by in boats and pass through, people would stand on the hill. And wave at the people in the boats. And so that's how we got the nickname Wave Hill. I don't think that's accurate, but.

[Host/Producer]

Oh, I like that one version, though, I have to say.

[Gabriel de Guzman]

But it's fun, right?

[Host/Producer]

Listeners, have you ever been to Wave Hill? What's your favorite part about a trip to the space? Call or text us now at 212-433-W, NYC 212-433-9692. Or if you're from Riverdale, what does Wave Hill mean to your community? Call or te us now with your Wave Hill memories and stories. Our phone number is 212433, WNYC 212-433-9692. We got a text right here. My husband grew up in Riverdale and introduced me to Wave Hill. When we were dating, we would go there to sit in the park and he would teach me how to meditate. The marriage didn't last, but I still meditate and think of Wave Hill whenever. I do love that.

[Allison]

You know, Wave Hill overlooks the Hudson.

[Host/Producer]

River and the Palisades, Right. New Jersey. How important is the connection between the Palisades and Wave Hill, even though they're separated by a river?

[Gabriel de Guzman]

It is really important. Part of our mission is to not only celebrate the artistry and legacy of the gardens, but we are also.

[Jim]

Are.

[Gabriel de Guzman]

Committed to preserving the views. And George Perkins was instrumental in the preservation of the Palisades and keeping it from getting developed. So it's part of our history and part of our legacy as well. So it, you know, we are very committed to, you know, making sure that the, the Palisades remain a public park and not developed.

[Host/Producer]

Tell us more about the two estate homes that make up part of the space. What will someone experience when they go to Way Hill and enter the buildings?

[Gabriel de Guzman]

Yeah, so one of the two. There are two buildings that were former homes. Glendor, Glendor House, which houses now currently houses the gallery. We have a dedicated contemporary art gallery space where we present exhibitions mostly that are looking at our human connections to the natural world and exploring those ideas. And then the other house is just called Wave Hill House. And that is actually the older of the two historic homes. And it's larger. It had been expanded over the decades when it was in a state. And then that houses the cafe. It also has spaces for performances and different rooms that we, we use for other kinds of programming. And it also gets rented out for different events and that kind of thing. But so, yeah, I encourage people to come and visit both houses, both buildings, obviously, and experience our programming in different ways.

[Allison]

Let's talk to Craig, who's calling in from New Jersey. Hi, Craig, thanks for calling all of it. You're on the air.

[Craig]

How you doing? I grew up in Riverdale and I know Wave Hill very well. It's probably one of the best views of the Palisades you'll ever have. A woman I used to live with, we used to go there on Sundays and read the Sunday Times there on some of the benches overlooking right on the wall. And they have a beautiful koi pond where you can feed the fish there. And I'm almost a little nervous about you having us on the show. Hopefully it won't get overpopulated. It was a well kept secret. It's very beautiful there, though. I highly recommend it. It's. And it's great for events too, for having private dinners and stuff. It's wonderful.

[Allison]

Thank you. Thanks so much for joining us. Let's talk to Bill from Bayville. Hey, Bill, thanks for calling, all of it. You're on the air.

[Jim]

Hi.

[Allison]

Hey, Jim. I'm sorry, Jim. Sorry, Jim.

[Jim]

Thanks. That's okay. No, no problem. I wanted to let you know I used to work for a wildlife organization. We used to do Raptor and we used. We went to Wade Hill four or five years in a row with our birds of prey. And we had outside shows. The audiences were great. It was an absolutely gorgeous venue. And not only did we show the audiences some of our birds of prey, but because it's in the Hudson, right near the Palisades, occasionally we'd get a peregrine falcon or something like that flying directly overhead. It was an absolutely beautiful place to go. And they even took care of us by giving us a free lunch.

[Christopher]

It was great.

[Allison]

Jim, thank you so much for calling. And Jane is calling us from Brooklyn. Hi, Jane, thanks for calling, all of it.

[Jane]

Thank you. I used to live in Yonkers, right on the Riverdale line, and we would take our kids to Wave Hill when they were growing up and they went to school in the Riverdale area and they went to Wave Hill. The school took the kids to Wave Hill because it was such a fabulous place and they had wonderful garden classes. And I took this amazing class called Cacti and Other Succulents. And I learned an enormous amount about the plants and I became, you know, addicted to them. I love to collect cacti and succulents and we have a lot of them now.

[Allison]

Love it. Thanks so much for calling. We're celebrating the 60th anniversary of Wave Hill in Riverdale. My guest is Gabriel de Guzman, director of arts and chief curator at Wave Hill. You can enjoy Late Wave Hill's latest anniversary event, celebrate Arts in the Garden, Wave Hill at 60, happening later this month, the weekend of September 20th and 21st. We're also hearing for you, have you ever been to Wave Hill? What's your favorite part about the space? Or maybe you're from Riverdale? What does Wave Hill mean to your community? 212-433-WNYC 212-433-9692. You can call us or text us at that number. I do want to talk a little bit about, about the history because even.

[Host/Producer]

Though the Perkins and Freeman family donated.

[Allison]

28 acres of land, it fell on.

[Host/Producer]

Hard times like a lot of New York.

[Allison]

How much work needed to be done to revitalize the.

[Host/Producer]

Donated the donated land into what is Wave Hill now?

[Gabriel de Guzman]

Yeah, my understanding is that quite a bit the, the, the main greenhouse had fallen into disrepair, so that had to be renovated. And then the, the grounds and a lot of the, the gardens, you know, had, had kind of gone fallow and they needed to reestablish the gardens and replant them. So our first horticulture director of horticulture, Marco Polo Stefano, was really the, the person that, you know, brought everything to life, you know, so to speak, and met and managed all of that. And re. Establishing Wave Hill, the gardens and the greenhouses and really brought us, made it possible for us to open to the public and provide the programming that we provide.

[Allison]

And I understand you're hosting an event to celebrate him.

[Gabriel de Guzman]

Yeah, so while we're hosting the, we're hosting a gardener's party on the 18th that is celebrating, you know, our horticulture team and the history of our horticulture department. And then on the 20th and 21st, we're celebrating the arts at Wave Hill, which is my department. And we're very excited about that. And we have a number of events and programs around around the arts and presenting art in the context of the garden.

[Allison]

Tell me a little bit more about that intersection between nature and art and the work you do.

[Gabriel de Guzman]

Yeah, so the, the work, the way that we present art at Wave Hill is to really, the arts is there to enhance the experience of the garden. And really we try to present work that's thought provoking and makes you think about our relationship to nature and what that really means in an expansive way, how we can, you know, improve our relationship to the environment. Sometimes our, our exhibitions look at climate change, our effect, the effects of the human impacts on the environment. And we also present work inside the gallery, but also outdoors on the grounds. So we're hoping that those artworks outside will, you know, complement the visitors experience of the garden and really get them to, to notice and look, observe more deeply at the natural surroundings and our relationship to it.

[Host/Producer]

Let's say a few more calls. Laura is calling in from Manhattan.

[Allison]

Hi Laura, thank you for taking the.

[Host/Producer]

Time to call, all of it.

[Lauren]

Hi, are you speaking to me? Lauren in Manhattan?

[Allison]

Lauren, I'm sorry. Go for it, Lauren.

[Gabriel de Guzman]

Oh, no worries.

[Lauren]

Hi, I'm from Swight and Dieval, which is the southern tip of Riverdale. And I have a few, few things to say with a funny thing at the end. I just want to say I'm really grateful for Wave Hill. It's one of the few things that puts our sort of sleepy corner of the Bronx on the map and gets people to come there and see how great it is. Wave Hill also does a huge service to my community. They work with people who are Shabbat observant by allowing us to prepay and enter on the Sabbath even though we can't use money. I went on my first day with my husband Rafael at Wave Hill. So shout out to Rafael, I love you. And then my funny story is that one day I found like a little no secluded nook to read a book under a tree behind the mansion. And I lost track of time and realized that Wave Hill had closed. And somehow I missed any announcements. I hadn't seen any staff and I needed to exit. So I rounded the corner and I saw a priest and a rabbi get on a golf cart. I'm not even kidding. A priest and a rabbi get on a golf cart and drive away. And I did not know what was going on until I realized that a wedding was about to take place and they were officiating and driving to the wedding. And in order to exit Wade Hill, I had to surreptitiously sneak out of the grounds through the wedding party and like escape without being seen. So that's my memory.

[Allison]

Thank you so much for calling in.

[Host/Producer]

Let's talk to Christopher from Riverdale. Hi Christopher, thanks for calling, all of it.

[Christopher]

Hi, thanks so much for taking my call. Yeah, I live in Riverdale, a short slash, not medium walk to Wave Hill. We've been members there for years. And I just want to put a plug in for the family art project that's on Saturday mornings. We've been going, we haven't been in a little while, but especially when my kids were younger, totally Free program, free admission. And every Saturday morning I think they've been doing it for more than 30 years. It's making art out of natural materials. I don't know where they come up with all these ideas, but every week is something completely different. They're using ferns and bark and seeds and acorns and different kinds of things. And it's totally free and it's always abundance of materials. It's so welcoming. My family has enjoyed so many Saturday mornings there. I'm so grateful for Wave Hill.

[Host/Producer]

Thank you so much for calling. It was interesting when I was there, Gabriel, Yoko Ono had an exhibition, a Tree. Would you explain to people what that was about?

[Gabriel de Guzman]

Yeah. So we have Yoko Ono's Wish Tree currently on view on the grounds. And it's a participatory project. It's a conceptual art piece by Yoko Ono. And there's a prompt that just tells people to make a wish, write it on one of these white tags that we have with a pencil and then tie it to one of the limbs of the tree. And it's a project that she started about 20 years ago and she. It's really about, you know, engaging people and, and this idea of the tree as what happens is it sort of fills up with these white tags that look like the tree is like blossoming with wishes in a way. And you know, it's just a way for people to share what they're feeling and, and what they are hoping for.

[Host/Producer]

Tell us a little bit more about what's going to happen on the 60th anniversary on September 20th and 21st.

[Gabriel de Guzman]

So we have a number of exciting programs on both the 20th and the 21st at 3pm we'll have a dance performance by Heidi Latsky Dance Company that is an integrated dance company that has disabled and non disabled dancers. And they will be performing as if they're like living sculptures in a way. And they sort of come to life and do these movements periodically. And so the audience is meant to observe them. And then these movements will sort of surprise them or startle them even. And it's sort of about this act of looking and thinking about physical difference and, and our perceptions of difference. And then we have a major outdoor installation by Sarah Jimenez that we commissioned brightly colored textile works that are hanging from some of our trees as well as ceramic and metal sculptures on the grounds. That is the closing weekend of her, her project. It's been up all summer and Sarah will be here and be leading a tour of her installation on Sunday the 21st at 1:30 and then we also have a program for families called Kids on the Move. And that will be on Sunday at 1, I believe. And that will be led by an educator who will. It's for families with young children to observe art installations and, and real and natural and, and nature and the surroundings and kind of create gestures and movements around their observations of, of nature and of art.

[Allison]

Let's take one more call if we have time. Robert is calling in from Washington Heights. Hi Robert, thank you for calling all of it.

[Jim]

Oh terrific. Just a little bit of history. All of the TV networks had full sized symphony orchestras. And in the 1940s and 50s, Arturo Toscanini was the conductor of the NBC Orchestra. And I believe, I'm not 100% sure who did the renting, but the one of the houses at Wave Hill was given to the Toscanini family to live in and I'm assuming that it was NBC or RCA that rented it for him. And it was very exciting. I mean his daughter was married to Volodymyr Horovitz. And every famous living composer and great artist of the 20th century came to Wave Hill to visit Pascagnini, who was acclaimed to be a conductor that comes along every two or three hundred years. And it's got quite a history.

[Allison]

Thank you so much for sharing that with us. I'm going to read this final text for you, Gabriel. It says we moved to a one bedroom in Riverdale Sputon from Atlanta area just a few months before the COVID pandemic hit. And walks to and around Wave Hill became the backyard we left in Georgia. Truly a tonic for the anxiety of the time. Long live Wave Hill. That's a good way. That's a good way to end this segment. Once again, Wave hill is turning 60. We've been spending our time with Gabriel de Guzman, Director of arts and chief curator at Wave Hill. And thank you to all our callers. Our lines were full. Thank you so much for calling in. This should really make you feel good that that many people wanted to get on the air and talk about Wave Hill.

[Gabriel de Guzman]

Thank you so much. And please come and see our exhibitions that are opening on the 20th and 21st as well. We have three new shows. I just wanted to plug that. Caroline Garcia, Blanca Imesqua and Magdalena Dukovich are opening shows.

[Allison]

Thanks so much.

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