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NEW YORK > ART & CULTURE > TOURS
Guided House and Landscape Tour at Manitoga, Inc.
Description
Manitoga's mission is to preserve the legacy of pioneer designer Russel Wright-his home, landscape, products, archives and philosophy, and share them with professionals and the public. In the 1930s, 40s and 50s, the Russel Wright signature on a set of dinnerware or piece of furniture elicited instant response. At that time, Wright was one of the best known designers in the U.S. At the apex of his career, Wright left New York City and moved his base of operations to Garrison. It was here that he created a unique home and designed landscape. He named it Manitoga, meaning Place of the Great Spirit in Algonquin. Wright shared the Native Americans' respect for the earth.
When Wright first found this property in 1942, it had been damaged by a century of quarrying and lumbering. Over the next three decades, until his death in 1976, he carefully redesigned and re-sculpted Manitoga's 75 acres using native plants, his training as a theater designer and sculptor, and his innovative design ideas. Though the landscape appears natural, it is actually a careful design of native trees, rocks, ferns, mosses, and wild flowers.
Manitoga is the only 20th century modern homesite open to the public in New York, and one of few on the east coast. Wright considered it his most important creative effort. In 1996 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Visitors meet at Manitoga Guide House next to the parking lot located off Route 9D in Garrison, NY. The guide will arrive just before the tour begins.
Tours begin with a 15 minute documentary about Russel Wright's life. Afterward, visitors follow the inner quarry pond trail around to his home and studio. The landscape features views of Dragon Rock, a field of mountain laurel, a moss room, a stone staircase up the hill, and a wood plank bridge over the waterfall.
Tours last approximately 90 minutes and are conducted rain or shine. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and dress appropriately. Visitors need to be able to negotiate uneven ground.
No pets please.
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