Nestled within the forested hills of the Tyringham Valley, Ashintully Gardens blends formal and informal gardens in an intimate setting with a multigenerational history.

In the early 20th century, Robb and Grace de Peyster Tytus purchased 1,000 acres of land. They built a Georgian-style mansion dubbed the Marble Palace—a name local residents supplied because of the way the pure white sand used for the stucco reflected the sunlight—on the brow of a hill. Two subsequent generations of the Tytus-McLennan family occupied the home. When contemporary classical composer John McLennan assumed ownership, he devoted 30 years to creating the gardens, an effort that paralleled his musical output and earned the Hunnewell Medal from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in 1997.

In summer and fall, follow a half-mile woodland trail to the ruins of the Marble Palace, the Doric columns remain a rugged reminder of its past, looking north over the valley. Traipse along footbridges and grassy terraces that link the various parts of the garden, and find a moment of serenity amidst the natural features, a stream, native deciduous trees, a rounded knoll, and rising flanking meadows, and stunning constructed elements like urns, columns, and statuary.

From the Mass Turnpike (Exit 10), take US-20 South, bear right onto MA-102, and immediately left onto Tyringham Rd. Follow for approximately 6.5 mi., passing through Tyringham Center (the road then becomes Main Road), until you come to the intersection with Sodom Road. Turn left and park on the lawn off of the road as directed by signs. Overflow parking is available on the lawn past the red barn.