Ardsley offers several distinct reasons to visit: parks with specific sports facilities, the South County Trailway as a paved multi-use route, and memorial sites that highlight different chapters of local history. When planning, it helps to consider whether outdoor recreation or local history should be the main focus.

Parks with Different Features

Pascone Park is located at the corner of Ashford Avenue and McCormick Drive. Four tennis courts and a skate park cater to two clearly distinct sporting interests. The Roll of Honor is also located in the same park: it contains 300 names of Ardsley residents who served in World War II. This places sports facilities and a local memorial at the same named location.

McDowell Park offers a different sporting focus. It is located on Heatherdell Road near the Sprain Parkway and has four baseball fields as well as a basketball area. McDowell focuses on baseball and basketball, while Pascone Park focuses on tennis and skateboarding. If you have a particular sport in mind when choosing a park, you can weigh these differences.

The South County Trailway and Railroad History

The South County Trailway offers a different kind of recreation from the sports facilities in individual parks: the paved multi-use path is 14 miles long and runs from Yonkers to Elmsford. If you want to include cycling or walking in your trip, you can make the Trailway a focus of its own. A historic commemorative marker for Ardsley station is installed at the entrance to the trail from Elm Street. The route and the station’s history thus come together at a specific point.

The former rail connection is also part of the history of today’s Trailway. The Old Put rail line, now the South County Trailway, connected Ardsley with New York City and the valleys of the Saw Mill River and Putnam for more than 75 years. The Woodlands flag stop was on the Old Putnam Line Railroad. Woodlands Lake was a popular excursion destination for German American and Irish American families. These historical connections add former transportation links and excursion destinations to the Trailway’s present-day significance.

Memorial Sites and Local History

The Great Hunger Memorial offers a different historical perspective: the sculpture depicts a six-member Irish family arriving in America after fleeing the potato famine in Ireland. The memorial to Ardsley residents who served in World War II and the depiction of Irish flight and arrival thus stand side by side as distinct perspectives.

The Ardsley Historical Society hosts public programs on local history and welcomes everyone. Another annual tradition is the Memorial Day parade and ceremony, sponsored each year by Post #458 and the Village of Ardsley. If you want to plan your stay around a program or this event, check the specific event date in advance.

Explore more destinations: Rye, Mt Kisco, Peekskill, Mount Vernon, Briarcliff Manor, Yonkers, Elmsford, White Plains

For the broader travel overview: Westchester.