Day Trip: Hammond Museum

One of my favorite museums within an hour’s drive of the Highlands is the Hammond Museum in North Salem. Its well-curated exhibits and Japanese-style gardens will beckon you to return. 

The museum and gardens were created in 1958 by artist and philanthropist Natalie Hays Hammond, whose former home is adjacent to the museum. Her vision of creating an authentic stroll garden and venue for increased understanding between Western and Eastern cultures was enhanced by her own world travel, artistic study and acquisition of wealth as the daughter of a diplomat. 

The garden’s unique design of stones, water, pine and bamboo, which appear along the winding paths across 4 acres, is calming. There are seasonal plantings and sitting areas for meditation.

As it happens, the museum’s current exhibit, Caught Looking, commemorates a former Beacon photographer, Dale Leifeste, who died in 2023. Leifeste was a fan of Japanese culture and taught workshops at Hammond and curated an international show. He and his wife, Rieko Fujinami, lived in Beacon for more than 10 years and he had a well-received exhibit at the former River Winds Gallery in 2012 in the early days of Second Saturday.

The exhibit, which continues through Aug. 25, includes a spotlight display of rare yatate, or Japanese writing implements, from the collection of Roland Flexnor. The Guild Hall has Making a Good Impression: Art on Paper from Japan, China and Korea, through Nov. 17.

While the Hammond is known for its art exhibits, it hosts many events, such as the ritualistic moon viewing and tea ceremony, and workshops on traditional brush-and-ink painting, mindfulness through creativity, stone setting and rock placement in the garden and sound baths.

You can reach the museum by a fast route (Interstate 84 east to 684 to Exit 7) or a slow route (Route 301 toward Carmel and some scenic backroads). I recommend taking it slow, which allows you to drive through backroads to the nearby Katonah Museum of Art, a perfect companion to the Hammond with its relatively small size, two larger exhibit halls and intimate space. An outdoor sitting area complements the modern structure. 

The current exhibit in Katonah, Jonathan Becker: Lost Time, highlights the work of the photographer. One gallery has black-and-white portraits and the other color images of cultural icons from the 1960s to 1990s, many taken for Vanity Fair and Vogue. They can also be viewed as a tribute to his mentor, Brassai, the Parisian portraitist. 

Lost Time continues through Jan. 26. The museum includes a makeshift photobooth and offers photography classes, social afternoons and artist conversations. On Sundays, a food vendor sets up in the garden. On other days, you will find an excellent Indian meal at Jaipore on Route 22 in Brewster, on the roads between the Hammond and Katonah museums.

The Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden, at 28 Deveau Road in North Salem, is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday. See hammondmuseum.org or call 914-669-5033. Admission is $12, or $8 for seniors, students and veterans.

The Katonah Museum of Art, at 134 Jay St., is open from noon to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. See katonahmuseum.org or call 914-232-9555. Admission is $15, or $9 for seniors, students and persons with disabilities, $6 for children and teens, and free for veterans.

Jaipore Royal Indian Cuisine, at 280 Route 22 in Brewster, is open daily for lunch and dinner except Tuesday. See jaiporenyc.com or call 845-277-3569.