Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts
Caramoor is an 81-acre historic estate in Katonah, New York, with five performance settings, from the tented Venetian Theater to the open lawn of Friends Field. Parking is free and mostly on grass, and in the summer season a free shuttle runs between Katonah's Metro-North station and the grounds before and after concerts. Some paths are unpaved with historic steps, so ask about golf-cart transport if you need level access.
Before you go
- Capacity
- Venetian Theater 1,400; Friends Field 1,000; Sunken Garden 400
- Indoor or outdoor
- Both: a tented theater, an open lawn and a partly covered courtyard outdoors, and the Music Room indoors
- Official site
- caramoor.org
- Next festival here
- Caramoor Summer Music Festival, Expected June-August 2027
Worth knowing before you go
- Most parking is on grass, and Friends Field itself is all grass.
- Some routes have woodchip paths and historic steps, and the Rosen House is only partly wheelchair accessible.
- The station is 3.5 miles away, so check the free shuttle runs for your performance; it serves summer afternoon and evening concerts.
- Outdoor settings mean weather and insects shape the evening; the grounds are open 10am to 4pm outside performances.
- The venue box office opens two hours before a performance.
Festivals here
Venue basics: Free parking, mostly on grass · Train plus free shuttle at summer concerts · Partly wheelchair accessible.
Is it for you
Choose it if
- You want an outdoor concert with room to picnic on a historic estate.
- You are coming by train from New York and want a shuttle at the other end at a summer concert.
- You need assistive listening or a quiet space to step away to.
Think twice if
- You need paved, level routes everywhere: some walkways are unpaved with historic steps, Friends Field is all grass and the Rosen House is only partly accessible.
- You are planning to camp on site: we don't yet have confirmed information about camping here.
- You are after a big single-stage crowd: the largest setting holds 1,400.
Getting there and parking
Caramoor is at 149 Girdle Ridge Road in Katonah, about 3.5 miles from the Katonah Metro-North station. In the summer season a free shuttle runs between the station and the grounds before and after afternoon and evening concerts, and taxis serve the station as well. Driving directions are on the venue's site.
Parking is free and readily available. Most of it is on grass lawns; the paved lots are kept mainly for accessible parking, and staff can bring a golf cart to take you to the venue entrance.
The grounds are open daily from 10am to 4pm, though staffing and bathrooms are not guaranteed outside events. The main box office is open Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, and the box office at each venue opens two hours before a performance.
Accessibility
Caramoor provides accessible parking, entrances and seating, accessible restroom stalls during events, complimentary wheelchairs and golf-cart transport on request. Assistive listening devices are available for many Venetian Theater performances, service animals are welcome, and there is a public quiet and sensory space.
Some areas have unpaved walkways, grass, woodchip paths and historic steps, and are harder to get around. The Rosen House is only partly wheelchair accessible, Friends Field is entirely grass, and there is no companion or single-user restroom.
Confirm your specific needs with the venue before you travel (caramoor.org).
Camping
We don't yet have confirmed information about camping at Caramoor. The venue's own pages are the place to check: caramoor.org.
Food, water and what you can bring
Picnicking is part of a visit to the grounds, and covered drinks are allowed in several of the spaces.
At summer concerts the hospitality service sells wine, cocktails, beer and alcohol-free drinks, and responsible drinking is allowed.
Sound and sensory
Programming spans chamber music, outdoor orchestra and opera, jazz, roots and sound art, so the sound level depends on what you have booked. Assistive listening devices are offered at many Venetian Theater concerts, and for selected concerts Garden Listening lets you hear the broadcast on Friends Field without seeing the stage.
Outdoors, the lawns, woodchip paths, weather, insects and uneven ground shape how comfortable an evening is. The grounds include a sensory garden and, in season, the Sonic Innovations sound-art installations, and there is a dedicated quiet space for a break from the music, cooling off, nursing or privacy.
Concert content and late-evening sound vary between programs, so check what you have booked, especially with children.
Recently at Caramoor
Solo Piano with Conor Hanick | July 16
From the venue · Jun 30, 2026
A Message from Isaac Mizrahi
From the venue · Jun 12, 2026
Experience Outdoor Concerts This Summer at Caramoor
From the venue · Jun 11, 2026
Quick answers
Is parking free at Caramoor?
Yes. Parking is free and mostly on grass lawns, with the paved lots kept mainly for accessible parking. Staff can bring a golf cart to take you to the venue entrance.
Can I get to Caramoor by train?
Yes. Take Metro-North to Katonah, about 3.5 miles away. Before and after summer afternoon and evening concerts a free shuttle runs between the station and the grounds, and taxis serve the station too.
Is Caramoor wheelchair accessible?
Partly. There is accessible parking, entrances, seating and restroom stalls, complimentary wheelchairs and golf-cart transport, but some walkways are unpaved with historic steps, Friends Field is all grass and the Rosen House is only partly accessible.
Can I camp at Caramoor?
We don't yet have confirmed information about camping at Caramoor. The venue's visitor pages at caramoor.org are the place to check.
Can I bring a picnic?
Picnicking is part of a visit to the grounds. Covered drinks are allowed in several spaces, and wine, beer, cocktails and alcohol-free drinks are sold at summer concerts.
Is there somewhere quiet to take a break?
Yes. A dedicated quiet space is available for a break from the music, cooling off, nursing or privacy, with children's books and rocking chairs.
How big is Caramoor?
The estate covers 81 acres with five performance settings. The Venetian Theater holds 1,400, Friends Field 1,000 and the Sunken Garden 400, depending on the setup.
Which festival is held at Caramoor?
The Caramoor Summer Music Festival, held here since the first festival in 1945 and 1946. Caramoor also runs jazz, American Roots, opera and chamber music programs through the year.
A little history
Walter and Lucie Rosen established the foundation and inaugurated the first Caramoor Festival in 1945 and 1946. The Venetian Theater opened in 1958 with Marian Anderson. Jazz programming began in 1994, American Roots in 2011 and the Sonic Innovations sound-art series in 2014, and the revitalised Friends Field was completed in 2021.
Over that time the estate grew from the Rosen family home into a nonprofit music and arts center, adding performance spaces, restoring the Rosen House Music Room and placing sound art across the grounds.