Offbeat New York - PepsiCo Sculpture Gardens

Pepsico Headquarters, Purchase 

About thirty miles north of the busy concrete jungle of Manhattan, in a quiet upstate area, is the headquarters of one of the most famous food and beverages companies of the world. Tucked away in a arboraceous area called Purchase is the headquarters of Pepsico and this very place has become one of my favourite offbeat places in New York! Pepsico headquarters is not one of those corporate spaces where you gape at shiny high-rises, but it is a space where you feel close to nature and art at the same time – courtesy their world class sculpture gardens.

The very first look!

When I moved to New York for my internship, one of my professors suggested Donald Kendall Sculpture garden to me and said that it was her favourite place to visit for tranquil hours, back when she used to stay in New York. Till then, I didn’t even know of this place but once I started researching about this place, I just could wait to visit it.

I still don't know what they were but it sure fascinated me.

This unique 160-acre garden space houses a collection of 45 modern sculptures promoting 20^th century structure art which is known for being a fusion of quirky abstract thoughts, earthly elements and cultural features. If you really love art you would be lost in searching these hidden treasures in the vast space. 

The red collection with that classic reflection!

And in case you do not understand art much, you would still lose track of time while enjoying the perfect harmony of Nature’s beauty and Human imagination.

Welcome to my kingdom

The place is called sculpture gardens and not garden for a reason. Apart from the 45 sculptures the area also has a number of distinct lawns, groves, ponds, and fountains, as well as landscaped gardens in the southern side. Every sculpture blends perfectly in the natural setting that is set around it and I just loved spending time at almost all of them.

The subtle play of metal and light

My personal favourite spaces were the mini forest near the totem poles, the pond near the grizzly bear and the harp pond where nature had its own way of displaying its love for music!

And some classic fusion are too!

The best part about this space is that it is offbeat and not well-known like the rest of the visit worthy places of NYC, even though it is just 30 mins by train from Grand Central. Also, I feel this place sure is unique since even after being house of world class structures and being so well maintained, there is absolutely no entry fees.

Totem trio.

And if you are still wondering why the place is called a world class collection of outdoor sculptures, guess what, famous artists like Richard Erdman, Henry Moore, Arnaldo Pomodoro and Alexander Calder (Knew his form of art from Seattle Olympic Sculpture Garden!) So, art lovers for sure you need to visit this place, and nature lovers like me – I think I have given you enough reasons to visit in this post, right?

And they soar...

How to get there?

The best way to reach Pepsico Sculpture Gardens is via train from Grand Central to – Port Chester Station or White plains. By road you can take the NY9A North from Manhattan to reach Purchase.

Time:

Unfortunately, now you can only visit the gardens on weekends from 10:00 AM TO 4:00 PM.

Fire!

Things to remember:

Playing sports and taking pets in the garden is not permitted.

It is a no smoking zone.

The park is huge and you have to walk all the way, so carry water! Bicycles, skateboards, rollerskates are prohibited.

Bye for now!