Wave Hill keeps its Riverdale gardens open after dark on Friday, Nov. 13, for one evening built around owls. Nighthunters: An Evening Owl Adventure runs from 5 to 8:30 p.m. and has three parts: a sunset nature walk on the grounds above the Hudson, a live owl program with falconers indoors, and a round of bird trivia to close the night.

The schedule

  • 5 to 6 p.m., sunset nature walk. New York City naturalists Gabriel Willow and Ryan Mandelbaum lead a walk as the sun goes down, watching daytime animals settle in and nocturnal ones come out.
  • 6:15 to 7:15 p.m., live owls. Falconers Brian and Teddy Bradley bring live owls of different shapes and sizes into Wave Hill House. According to Wave Hill, the owls fly low over the audience, close enough to feel the air off their wings, while the falconers explain how the birds are built and how they hunt. Cameras are welcome.
  • 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., bird trivia. Mandelbaum runs the quiz and Willow emcees. Bring a team, or join one at the event.

Tickets and the fine print

Tickets are $65, or $50 for Wave Hill members, and include admission to the grounds. Wave Hill encourages registering in advance; day-of tickets depend on availability. The grounds are open only to ticket holders that evening, and the café and shop close at 4:30 p.m.

Dinner boxes can be pre-ordered from the Wave Hill café and picked up on Nov. 13 between 4:30 and 5 p.m.; members get 10 percent off café purchases. Bad weather cancels only the walk. The owl program and the trivia are indoors and go ahead regardless.

Wave Hill House is wheelchair accessible, with a ground-level entrance at the front of the building that has a power-assist door, and an all-gender, ADA-compliant restroom on the ground floor. The walk follows mixed paths with changes in elevation, and Wave Hill lends a limited number of walking sticks.

Also at Wave Hill this fall

The night falls inside a busy stretch on the calendar:

  • Family Art Project: Day of the Dead, Saturday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 1, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Garden Highlights Walk, Sunday, Nov. 1, 1 to 1:45 p.m.
  • Afternoon tea on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m., including Nov. 3 and Nov. 5.
  • Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center Stage Band, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2 to 3 p.m., a performance made with exhibiting artists Angel Nevarez and Valerie Tevere.

Three exhibitions are on view: Dots and Loops, with Jen Chen-su Huang, Rita Maas and Audra Wolowiec, through Jan. 3, 2027; Angel Nevarez and Valerie Tevere's As far as the ear can hear, through Nov. 29; and Melanie Elyse Brewster's A Metaphysical Quest for the Deepest Backbend, through Nov. 29.

Plan your visit

Wave Hill is a public garden and cultural center at 4900 Independence Avenue in Riverdale, the Bronx, open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and closed Mondays. Questions about Nighthunters go to information@wavehill.org or 718-549-3200, extension 251.

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