About The Pocantico Center

(pronounced: po-KAN-tih-kō)

THE POCANTICO CENTER

200 Lake Road
Tarrytown, New York 10591
Map Location

Once home to the Rockefeller family, The Pocantico Center’s verdant campus in the scenic hills of the Hudson Valley has been host to some of the most influential leaders, thinkers, and creative minds of the last century. A thoughtfully designed and curated retreat just 20 miles north of Manhattan, Pocantico offers guests an immersive experience of unrivaled beauty, with breathtaking gardens and grounds, historic architecture, and a renowned art collection in which to find inspiration and respite.

Today, The Pocantico Center is the community-facing extension of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund’s philanthropic mission to advance social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. Through a robust slate of programming—including conferences for nonprofit and policy leaders, artist residencies, tours, performances and exhibitions, and educational programs for the community—Pocantico continues to bring together people from near and far to learn, share, and imagine a better future.

Land Acknowledgement

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund acknowledges the exclusions and erasures of many Indigenous peoples, including those on whose land our institution is located. The Pocantico Center rests in Lenapehoking, unceded land of the native Lenape people, which spreads from northern Delaware to the lower Hudson River Valley. “Pocantico” is an Algonquin word meaning “stream between two hills,” referring to a nine-mile-long tributary that flows from Echo Lake to the Hudson River.

We honor the Lenape—past, present, and future—in gratitude and appreciation for their stewardship of this land for generations.

History

In the late 19th century, John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil, began to dominate the area. As early as 1893, Rockefeller purchased several local properties, including the future site of the Rockefeller family home, Kykuit. After construction on Kykuit was completed in 1913, Rockefeller and his son, John D. Rockefeller Jr., continued to expand the site throughout the early 20th century to accommodate their growing family, ultimately acquiring approximately 4,000 acres.

Beginning in 1979, Junior’s sons Nelson, Laurance, and David Rockefeller each bequeathed their shares of the family estate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Under a special arrangement with the Trust, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund has operated these properties since 1994. In 2006, the RBF initiated long-range planning to chart the future direction of the property and its programs. The RBF board of trustees adopted the name "The Pocantico Center," as well as the mission, vision, and principles for the site set forth in The Promise of Pocantico in June 2008.

Learn more about the historic Rockefeller family home at The Pocantico Center.