The planted area consists of a front border bounded by a seating wall and low fence behind which lies a naturalistic garden.
From the entrance gate near the park cafe, a winding pathway offers a serene walk in the woods amid the skyscrapers of midtown Manhattan.
The largest public garden on the east side of Midtown Manhattan.
Named After Katharine Hepburn,
Turtle Bay Resident
In 1997, before the park’s reconstruction was complete, the community dedicated the newly created garden to actress Katharine Hepburn in recognition of her neighborly efforts to preserve the trees and charming character of Turtle Bay.
Park architect George Vellonakis designed the naturalistic garden, preserving the park’s original sycamore trees and creating a lower canopy of birch trees, dogwoods and viburnums.
Friends of DHP have since added a wide diversity of shrubs and underplantings, including native species. Because of the northern exposure and lack of sun, the garden is planted with shade-tolerant perennials. In spring, thousands of bulbs burst into bloom, going dormant as the tree canopy fills over with leaves.
A bench from Ms. Hepburn’s Fenwick estate, Old Saybrook, CT., and stepping stones bearing “Hepburnisms” (quotations) and tributes to her Oscar-winning films were later additions inspired by Millie Margiotta of our Garden Committee.
In 1997, the Turtle Bay community and NYC Parks Department dedicated the Plaza’s garden to actress Katharine Hepburn as a tribute to her commitment to neighborhood preservation and love of nature.
Katherine Hepburn’s (1907-2003) lifelong love of flowers and commitment to preserving the charming character of the Turtle Bay neighborhood is marked by signage at the garden’s entrance gate in Hammarskjold Plaza and the path pavers bearing quotes from the 4-time Oscar winner. The actress moved to 244 East 49th Street with her husband Ludlow Ogden Smith in 1932, first renting at $100 per month and in 1937, purchasing the property for $29,700. She joined the Turtle Bay Association in 1957 and fought for more than 30 years to preserve the neighborhood’s charming character, successfully blocking the construction of skyscrapers on midblocks through a zoning change that only permitted high-rise towers on avenues.
Hepburn’s love of nature and wildflowers were rooted in her West Hartford childhood.
On Sunday afternoons her family traveled the Berkshire hills west of the Connecticut River looking for Lily of the Valley, Bloodroot, Columbine, or Pink Lady’s Slipper. When she moved to her New York townhouse, she transplanted wildflowers from the family’s Hartford home to her backyard plot in the historic Turtle Bay Gardens.The actress also painted and flowers were her favorite subject.
Greatest Female Star of Classic Hollywood Cinema
Katharine Hepburn was born on May 12, 1907, in Hartford, Connecticut.
She graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1928 and made her professional debut the same year in a minor role in a Baltimore stock company production of Czarina. By 1932 she was a star on Broadway, followed in the same year by her screen debut opposite John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement. On Broadway Hepburn originated the Tracy Lord role in The Philadelphia Story (1939) before taking it to Hollywood a year later. Hepburn won numerous honors for her acting. She was nominated for twelve Academy Awards and won four Oscars for best actress. Hepburn was considered a trailblazer and role model for women’s empowerment in style, attitude, and autonomy.
What to do at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza Park
Katharine Hepburn Garden
A naturalistic garden with original sycamore trees
Sculptural Exhibits
An ever-changing display of impressive sculptural works
Special Events
Fun and important events for everyone
Greenmarket
Every Wednesday from 8am to 3 pm
YES, I support the care and beautification of
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza
and the Katharine Hepburn Garden
Membership makes you a vital part of the “green community.”
We give the park a voice, and the greater our numbers, the stronger our voice. Whether you contribute $10 or $10,000, your support matters. Healthy parks make healthy neighborhoods.