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Mid-Hudson Valley Attractions
Take the Trolley
After your visit to Dia:Beacon, hop aboard Beacon's Main Street Trolley (Fri-Sun) for a spin through town and check out the city's self-described "Renaissance on the Hudson." The trolley makes several stops along Main Street (hop on and off all afternoon for $2), but be sure to check out the charming East End antiques district and the contemporary galleries that dot Main Street. Highlights include Collaborative Concepts (348 Main), Concentric Gallery (174 Main), and the brand-new Hudson Beach Glass, housed in a restored firehouse at 162 Main St. Note: If the trolley isn't running during your visit, it's just a 1-mile drive to downtown.
Hyde Park Discounts & National Parks Passes
With the purchase of admission to both the Vanderbilt estate and Roosevelt home, library, and museum, a third visit, to either of the Roosevelt retreats, Val-Kill or Top Cottage, is free.
These historic sites in Hyde Park belong to the extensive network of national parks. Several new discount passes are available to visitors, including the National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Annual Pass, $80 (individuals; good for 1 yr.), and Interagency Senior Pass, $10 (for seniors only; lifetime membership). Older passes, including National Parks Passes, Golden Eagle, Golden Eagle Hologram, Golden Access, and Golden Age Passports, will continue to be honored according to the provisions of the pass. All park passes, good for free entry to any Vanderbilt-Roosevelt historic site tour, can be purchased at the national park sites in Hyde Park. For more information, see www.nps.gov or http://store.usgs.gov/pass.
Walk Across the Hudson
Claiming to be the longest pedestrian bridge in the world, the landmark 1888 Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge (tel. 845/454-9649; www.walkway.org), now known as "Walkway Over the Hudson," had its grand reopening in October 2009. The 6,767-foot (1.25-mile) bridge, the longest in the world when it was inaugurated, is now a "linear park," open to walkers, cyclists, joggers, and people with disabilities, connecting to rail trails and parks on both sides of the river. It stretches from Poughkeepsie, on the east side of the Hudson, to the town of Lloyd on the west side.
Especially for Kids
Kids will love the Rhinebeck Aerodrome, with its vintage airplanes and cool air shows. In Kingston, families can take a Hudson River cruise out to the lighthouse or hop aboard a vintage trolley car. Some of the great estates have extraordinary grounds and gardens with trails through the property; check out the Vanderbilt Mansion, Staatsburgh, and Montgomery Place. And finally, as an educational supplement to history classes, take the kids to Washington's Headquarters in Newburgh and the FDR Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park.
Wine Trails & Farmers' Markets
The Hudson Valley, the nation's oldest winemaking region, is today home to about three dozen wineries. Though few of the area's wineries have yet attained national followings, a number of them offer tours and tastings, and several are blessed with outstandingly scenic locations. If you'd like to visit a winery or two during your stay, all you have to do is follow the trail -- either the Dutchess Wine Trail (tel. 845/266-5372; www.dutchesswinetrail.com), on the east side of the Hudson, or the Shawangunk Wine Trail (tel. 845/255-2494; www.shawangunkwinetrail.com), on the west side of the river. More than a dozen are open to regular visits. The following is merely a selection of my favorites: The Dutchess (Country) Trail consists of Cascade Mountain Winery, 835 Cascade Mountain Rd., Amenia (tel. 845/373-9021), which has a lovely setting and a very nice little restaurant with outdoor seating; Clinton Vineyards, Schultzville Road, Clinton Corners (tel. 845/266-5372), makers of a pretty nice white, a Seyval blanc; Alison Wines & Vineyards, 231 Pitcher Lane, Red Hook (tel. 845/758-6335), with a garden shop, baked goods, and cut-your-own Christmas trees on the premises; and Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, 26 Wing Rd., Millbrook (tel. 800/662-WINE), the largest and one of the best of the lot. Millbrook makes an excellent pinot noir reserve, offers a full tour, features art exhibits and live music on Saturday nights in summer, and is worth the visit for the views over the rolling hillsides and horse farms alone.
Several of the nine family-owned wineries of the Shawangunk Trail, all sandwiched between the Shawangunk Mountains and the Hudson River in Ulster County, are easily visited on a Hudson Valley trip. Among them are Brotherhood Winery, 35 North St., Washingtonville (tel. 845/496-9101), the oldest winery in the United States, in operation since 1839. Though the winery doesn't grow its own grapes (instead importing them from Long Island, the Finger Lakes, and California), its grounds constitute a well-stocked campus, with vast underground vaulted cellars and a whole host of shops and activities on-site. Claiming to be the oldest continuously operating vineyard in the U.S. is Benmarl Wine Company, 156 Highland Ave., Marlboro-on-Hudson (tel. 845/236-4265; www.benmarl.com), a small, family-owned independent with awe-inspiring views from a hilltop location on the west side of the Hudson (btwn Newburgh and New Paltz). It also offers a small gallery of the owner's illustrations and artwork; Mark Miller was one of the best-known magazine illustrators in the world in the 1940s and 1950s. Schedules for winery tours and tastings vary, though most are open to visitors throughout the Memorial Day-to-Labor Day season; for current hours and events, check the trail websites or pick up a brochure at any tourism information outlet.
Farmers' markets and pick-your-own farm stands are everywhere in this beautiful, bucolic region. There are dozens and dozens, so here are just a few: Mead Orchards and Farm Stand, 25 Scism Rd., Tivoli (9 miles north of Rhinebeck; tel. 914/756-5641), with pick-your-own apples and pumpkins; Greig Farm, Pitcher Lane, Red Hook (tel. 914/758-1234), which has pick-your-own fruits and vegetables and a farm market; Millbrook Farmers' Market, Franklin Avenue at Front Street, Millbrook village, every Saturday from 9am to 1pm; and Tarrytown Farmers' Market, Patriot's Park, Route 9, Tarrytown (tel. 914/923-4837). Ask around and locals will come up with many more.
14 Results
- Library/University
Culinary Institute of America
The nation's oldest culinary arts school and only residential college in the world dedicated to culinary training, the CIA (chefs, not spies) and its lovely 150-acre riverside campus (a former Jesuit seminary) are open for tours (not to mention culinary "boot camps" for serious…East Side of the Hudson
- Museum
Dia:Beacon
In a 1929 Nabisco box-printing factory on the banks of the Hudson, the Dia Art Foundation, has created the world's largest contemporary-art museum, an institution that adheres to the foundation's single-minded purpose. The museum houses Dia's rarely seen permanent collection of…East Side of the Hudson - Historic Site
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site (Val-Kill Cottage) & Top Cottage
Both Eleanor Roosevelt -- who like her husband grew up in the Hudson River Valley -- and FDR maintained serene and simple private country retreats away from Springwood. When FDR was away, and after his death, Eleanor -- one of the most admired and influential women in American…East Side of the Hudson - Museum
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum/FDR Home (Springwood)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the four-term president of the United States who was faced with not only the Great Depression and World War II, but living with polio, loved the Hudson River Valley. FDR designed his own presidential library, the nation's first, while still in his second…East Side of the Hudson - Museum
Fred J. Johnston Museum
Opposite the Old Dutch Church is the Fred J. Johnston Museum, an 1812 Federal-style house with an excellent collection of American decorative arts. - Museum
Hudson River Maritime Museum
Kingston's historic waterfront area, the Rondout, reached its pinnacle in the days of the D & H Canal in the early 19th century, but declined with the advent of the railroad. Today, it's a nicely revitalized commercial area with a burgeoning number of restaurants and bars. It is… - Historic Site
Locust Grove (Samuel Morse Historic Site)
Locust Grove, a 150-acre estate and Tuscan-style villa, was purchased by Samuel Morse, painter-turned-inventor. The 19th-century artist invented the electric telegraph and Morse code and made a fortune that his paintings -- though respected -- never brought him. Morse purchased the…East Side of the Hudson - Historic Site
Montgomery Place Historic Estate
Note: Main house currently closed for restoration but expected to reopen in 2010. Montgomery Place is one of the most lovingly sited and best preserved estates along the Hudson. This 434-acre, early-19th-century country Federal-style home enjoys splendid lawns and gardens and…East Side of the Hudson - Museum
Old Rhinebeck Aerodome
Chief among Rhinebeck's attractions is the Old Rhinebeck Aerodome, a museum of antique airplanes with 30 annual air shows. Among the gems here are a 1909 Bleriot, which is the oldest regularly flying airplane in the Western Hemisphere; the Fokker DR-I Triplane, arguably the most… - Landmark
Senate House
Chief among the historic landmarks is the Senate House, which housed the first New York State Senate in 1777 after the adoption of the first constitution, until British troops burned Kingston later that same year. The Senate House Museum contains Colonial artifacts and the paintings… - Historic Site
Staatsburgh (Mills Mansion)
One of the most opulent and elegant of the Hudson River estates, Staatsburgh, an 1896, 65-room Beaux Arts mansion on 1,600 acres (now the Mills-Norrie State Park), was the country home of Ogden and Ruth Livingston Mills. Mrs. Mills, a member of the prominent Livingston clan,…East Side of the Hudson - Historic Site
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site
One of the finest and most intact of the lavish estates built by wealthy 19th-century industrialists along the Hudson, Frederick William Vanderbilt's 54-room country palace in Hyde Park, built in 1898, is a no-holds-barred gem. One of the first steel-framed houses in the U.S., at…East Side of the Hudson - Historic Site
Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site
General George Washington established his military headquarters on the banks of the Hudson in Newburgh in 1782 and 1783, during the final years of the Revolutionary War. He, his wife, Martha, and his principal aides and their servants occupied a 1750 farmhouse donated to the army by…West Side of the Hudson - Landmark
Wilderstein
An elegant 19th-century Queen Anne mansion once occupied by Daisy Suckley, FDR's distant cousin and close confidant. The house, which features a five-story tower, massive veranda, and reams of family documents and belongings, has ongoing renovation, but is fascinating for the…
More About Mid-Hudson Valley Attractions
Mid-Hudson Valley Shopping
In the Mid-Hudson Valley, Beacon, Red Hook, and Rhinebeck are the best towns for antiquing. Each has a couple of streets lined with good and interesting shops. In Beacon, now home to an exploding roster of antiques shops, gift stores, and galleries, Relic, 484 Main St. (tel. 845/440-0248), is the place for vintage housewares. Beacon Hill Antiques (474 Main St.; tel. 845/831-4577) peddles fine antiques while Past Tense Antiques, across the street at 457 Main (tel. 845/838-4255), offers well-priced antique and vintage pieces. Hoffman's Barn Sale in Red Hook, 19 Old Farm Rd. (tel. 845/758-5668), is an old barn with thousands of old, used, and antique items of varying quality. A particularly fine store in Rhinebeck is Asher House Antiques, 6380 Mill St. (tel. 845/876-1796), which deals in both elegant and country-rustic English and French pieces. Behind the Beekman Arms Hotel on Mill Street is the Beekman Arms Antique Market, with several dealers in an old barn (tel. 845/876-3477). Rhinebeck hosts the Rhinebeck Antiques Fair, with three big shows annually featuring more than 200 dealers at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Route 9 (tel. 845/876-1989; www.rhinebeckantiquesfair.com). In Hyde Park the Hyde Park Antiques Center, 4192 Albany Post Rd. (tel. 845/229-8200), has 45 dealers and is open daily.
Those with a specific interest in arts and crafts should pick up the free Explore Dutchess County Crafts and Arts Trail brochure (available at many hotels, shops, and tourist information offices), which details more than two dozen craft shops and galleries on the east side of the Hudson, as well as craft shows.
Paper Trail, 6423 Montgomery St. (tel. 845/876-8050; www.papertrailrhinebeck.com) is a splendid paper-goods and gift emporium in Rhinebeck with a terrific stock of unique and custom stationery, cards, wrapping paper, jewelry, books and much more. A surprisingly good wine shop -- in a strip mall without much else going on -- is Liquorama Wine Cellars, Hyde Park Mall, Route 9 (tel. 845/229-8177), with a number of coveted international wines and older vintages in stock.
Mid-Hudson Valley Nightlife
The spectacular Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, on the campus of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson (tel. 845/758-7900; www.bard.edu/fishercenter), is the work of the innovative architect Frank Gehry (designer of the Guggenheim Bilbao and Disney auditorium in L.A.). This distinctive and intimate theater, which seats just 900 in the main hall, has featured performances by Elvis Costello, Merce Cunningham, the American Symphony Orchestra, and Ballet Hispanico, but it remains primarily a teaching space. If any public performances are scheduled, it's very much worth the trek. Poughkeepsie's legendary Bardavon Opera House, 35 Market St. (tel. 845/473-2072; www.bardavon.org), which has hosted a variety of classical music, opera, and other musical and theatrical performances since 1869, is one of the top spots in the valley. Programs include music, dance, film, and theater; the schedule ranges from the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and Itzhak Perlman to Lily Tomlin and screenings of King Kong.
Beacon, basking in the attention of the Dia:Beacon Art Center, has initiated a program called "Second Saturdays," where trolleys pick up passengers at the train station and ferry them down Main Street, where art galleries and shops stay open until 9pm on the second Saturday of every month and a number of bars and restaurants feature live music. For more information on scheduling, call tel. 845/838-4243. Newburgh and Kingston's revitalized waterfronts are loaded with bars and restaurants. Both have become real scenes in the past couple of years. A Newburgh-Beacon commuter ferry is in the works, which will make it very easy to cross the Hudson and check out the restaurants and bars of either side. Rhinebeck has a number of congenial local bars, but its cool local art-house theater, Upstate Films, 6415 Montgomery St. (tel. 845/876-2515; www.upstatefilms.org), is unique in these parts. One of the last of its kind, the 1950s-era Hyde Park Drive-In Movie Theater, Route 9 (across from the FDR presidential library and Springwood; tel. 845/229-4738), schedules first-run movies in summer ($7 adults, $4 children ages 4-11; Tues is $5 night).
