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Accessibility visitor in wheelchair

Accessibility

Welcome to Wave Hill!

Your visit, and your ability to have a full experience of Wave Hill's gardens and programs, is important to us.

The indoor spaces of Wave Hill, including Wave Hill House, the Perkins Visitor Center and Glyndor Gallery, are accessible to all our visitors. Mainly due to the topography of the gardens, some areas of the gardens are less accessible; they are indicated on our seasonal Map & Guide.

If you would like to ask about the accessibility of a space in the gardens, or at a program, we'd like to hear from you.

Visitor Services

Parking
Wave Hill offers limited wheelchair-accessible parking onsite. Please be sure to present your access license plate or valid government-issued permit at our Front Entrance.

Wheelchairs
Manual wheelchairs are available on request at the Perkins Visitor Center, free of charge, on a first-come, first-served basis. (Sorry, we are unable to take advance reservations).

Mobility Assistance Vehicles
Wave Hill operates Mobility Assistance Vehicles, staffed by a Wave Hill driver, to help those with mobility issues get from one location on the grounds to another. (These vehicles are not able to travel to all locations due to the geography.) They are available on request at the Front Entrance, on a first-come, first served basis. Please note these vehicles are reserved for visitors requesting assistance accessing the gardens.

Personal Care Attendants
Attendants who accompany visitors with severe disabilities will not be charged admission to the grounds.

Service Animal Policy
To ensure a safe and welcoming experience for all our visitors, we ask that you become familiar with our service animal policy, developed in accordance with ADA guidelines, before you plan your next visit. Your service animal is your sole responsibility. Should your animal’s behavior not comply with our policy, we will ask that your animal be removed from the grounds. You will be welcome to visit without your service animal, however.

When you arrive, Wave Hill staff may ask you whether your service animal is required because of a disability, as well as what work or task your animal has been trained to perform.

The American Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service animal as “dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.”

Under the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents using these devices. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls. To protect the gardens and for the ease of other visitors and staff, retractable leashes are not permitted.

  • Your service animal must be under your control at all times during your visit.
  • Your dog may not sit on benches, chairs or other seats.
  • Your service animal must be housebroken and limit relief to paved areas in the garden.
    Any waste must be properly disposed of in one of our outdoor trash receptacles.
  • Disruptive or aggressive behavior that in any way interferes with the ability of other visitors
    to enjoy Wave Hill’s tranquil setting will not permitted.
  • If your service animal causes any damage during your visit, you will be charged for that damage.

If you have any questions about our Service Animal Policy, or other accessible-related matters, please contact our Visitor Services staff at 718.549.3200 x326.

Enjoy your visit, and please do not hesitate to communicate any special needs you may have to staff at the Front Entrance or Perkins Visitor Center.