A Private “Secrets of the Service Wing” Tour
Saturday, October 18th, 2026, at Old Westbury Gardens, Old Westbury, 10:45 am EST
11:00am – Noon (meet at the entrance to the mansion at 10:45am)
Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568
Cost: $23 per person
STRICT MAXIMUM OF 14 PEOPLE
During this guided tour, we will be introduced to the intensive labor required to create the lifestyle experienced by the Phipps family and their guests. We’ll tour the many rooms that were “behind the scenes” to create the formal dining experiences of the social peers of the Phippses in the early 20th century. We’ll go along the corridors to the butler’s pantry and silver cleaning room and then proceed to the kitchen, scullery, and wine storage rooms located on the ground floor. We will also be able to go past the ropes and walk through the stately dining room to get closer to the art and historic furnishings in this grand space.
Learn more about the Phipps family here: https://www.oldwestburygardens.org/phipps-family-history/
The price of the tour includes admission to Westbury House and Gardens so you are encouraged to explore the grounds before or after the tour.
Because of the tour’s physical demands, it is not recommended for individuals with limited mobility or for children under 8 years old. This tour requires descending a narrow staircase of 17 steps down to the ground floor/basement, so no person (including children and infants) may be lifted or carried throughout the tour.
RSVP to Melissa Struck at struckmelissa@gmail.com with the information below by October 11, 2026. Or mail form with a check payable to “Harvard Club of Long Island” to Melissa Struck, 10 Primrose Court, Garden City, NY 11530. RSVPs will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis and Melissa will create a waitlist if necessary.
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