Boscobel RestorationBuilt between 1804-1806 by Mr. and Mrs. States Morris Dyckman, this Georgian-style mansion was originally in Crugers, N.Y., just north of Croton-on-Hudson. In the 1950s it was sold for $35 to a company hired to tear it down to facilitate construction of a new Veterans Administration Hospital. Instead, a group of concerned residents saved the historic home. It was taken apart piece by piece and reconstructed on a 36-acre site in Garrison, just south of Cold Spring. It contains New York neo-classic furnishings and original Dyckman collections of art and china. Guided tours are offered. The home is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Monday from April through October; from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Monday, November, December and March. Admission is $8 adults, $7 seniors, $5 children, under 6 free.Route 9D, Garrison, N.Y. (845) 265-3638. Delaware and Hudson Canal Historical Society MuseumThis transportation museum is housed in a 1885 Protestant church in High Falls, N.Y. It features canal-related documents, maps, photographs, diaramas, scale models and artifacts on canals and canal operations. Guided tours, lectures and films are offered. The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and Monday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday from Memorial Day through Labor Day. During September and October, the museum is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $5 per family.Mahonk Road, High Falls, N.Y. (845) 868-9311. Foundry School MuseumCollections of the West Point Foundry and the Hudson Valley are housed in this 150-year-old schoolhouse, formerly used by children of the foundry workers. Items from the foundry, including some of the products manufactured there, 19th century paintings, photographs, documents, records and letters are just some of the things visitors to the museum will find. Open March through December, hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 1 to 4 p.m. Thursdays; and 2 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free.63 Chestnut St., Cold Spring, N.Y. (845) 265-4010. The Frances Lehman Loeb Art CenterDesigned by Cesar Pelli and opened to the public in November 1993, the center sits on the campus of Vassar College, internationally known for its fine buildings. Called a "symphony of architecture" by the New York Times, the center houses a new museum, home to one of the finest teaching collections in the nation, as well as the renovated collegiate-gothic building, Taylor-Van Ingen Hall, home of the art department and the art library. The art center is open throughout the year from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; and 1-5 p.m. Sundays. Call before visiting, as the museum is closed on certain national holidays. Admission is Free.124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (845) 437-5237. The Fred J. Johnston MuseumView a treasury of American decorative arts, the private collection of nationally noted antiques dealer Fred J. Johnston (1911-93), elegantly displayed in his former home. The circa 1812 Federal style mansion showcases Johnston's collection of 18th and early 19th century furnishing and decorative arts, mostly American, in eight elegant room settings of his design. Guided house tours are available May-October, Saturday and Sunday 1-4 p.m. Admission is $3. Group tours are available year-round by appointment. The museum is located in Kingston's 1658 Stockade District, a National Historic District.Wall and Main Streets, Kingston, N.Y. (845) 339-0720 http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/kingston/k9.htm The Friends of Historic Kingston MuseumLocated adjacent to the Fred J. Johnston Museum (see above). View exhibits relating to Kingston history, culture, art and architecture in the museum gallery. Enjoy monthly lectures and demonstrations by artisans and craftspeople. The gift shop features regional books and handcrafted gift items. There is no admission fee. The museum is open May-October, Saturday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m.A narrated walking tour of the 1658 Stockade District is offered on the first Saturday of the month, May-October, departing from the museum courtyard at 2 p.m. The walk passes by many 17th and 18th century stone houses still standing within the Stockade District and guides describe the birth of New York State government in Kingston in 1777. Tour cost: $3 per adult, $1 for children under 16. Group tours and school tours can be arranged. Wall and Main Streets, Kingston, N.Y. (845) 339-0720 Harness Racing Museum & Hall of FameDrive a sulky to the finish line in the World's Only3-D Harness Racing Simulator. Fun for the whole family with riveting state-of-the-art exhibits. Call and judge your own race. Three theaters tell the fascinating history of America's first sport. Changing art exhibits. Group tours, conference and private party facilities available. Gist shop with everything for the horse lover. Fully handicap accessible. Open daily 10am - 6pm. Visitor Information Center.240 Main Street, Goshen NY 10924 (845) 294-6330 www.harnessmuseum.com Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the HighlandsHoused in the 1830 home of David Crawford, this museum features 19th century furnishings and decorative arts. It is also the home to a collection from the Hudson River School of Painting. Nineteenth century toys and dolls, ship models of Hudson River crafts, local historical archives, photographs and artifacts are also found here. The museum contains a 3,000 volume library on local and state history. Prints, crafts, reproductions and gift items are offered for sale. Guided tours, lectures, films, concerts and educational programs for adults and children are scheduled. The museum is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays, other times by appointment. Admission is $2.189 Montgomery St., Newburgh, N.Y. (845) 561-2585. Historical Society of the TarrytownsA history museum that features: native American artifacts; items from the area's early Dutch settlers; Revolutionary War artifacts, featuring a display on the capture of British Major John Andre, the soldier who obtained the plans for West Point from spy Benedict Arnold; a display on American writer Washington Irving, who lived in Tarrytown and made that area, which he dubbed "Sleepy Hollow" and the entire Hudson Valley famous through his works; firearms; jewelry; clothing; and items from World War I and II. Guided tours and lectures are offered. The museum is free and open from 2-4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through Saturdays.1 Grove St., Tarrytown, N.Y. (914) 631-8374. Hudson River Maritime MuseumThis regional maritime museum is located on the water in an historic district of Kingston. It features maritime history of the Hudson River including the great steamboats, tug boats, and ice boats. The 1898 steam tug "Mathilda" and the 1915 Rondout Lighthouse can be seen. The museum focuses on the river's place in commerce and industry as well as lighthouses. Annual shad festival in May. Haunted lighthouse in October. Visiting vessels range from replica historic ships to modern Coast Guard ships. Including historic photos, paintings, models, and original boat artifacts, Thomas Cornell & The Cornell Steamship Company is the featured exhibit for 2001. Lighthouse boat tours are given daily for visitors and school groups. The museum is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. mid-May through October. Admission is $4.1 Rondout Landing, Kingston, N.Y. (845) 338-0071. http://www.ulster.net/~hrmm The Hudson River Museum of WestchesterDiscover the Hudson River's unique place in American life. Changing exhibits explain how this major waterway helped to settle the northeast. Art collections give visitors a glimpse of life in this historic region. Living exhibits offer the curious a look at some of the creatures that inhabit the river while the museum's spacious galleries show off American art and design of the past century along with work by today's artists. The Hudson River Museum offers a continuous and changing schedule of lectures, seminars, workshops and exhibits. The Museum Cafe offers reasonably priced meals and a spectacular view of the Hudson River and the Palisades, while the Museum Shop and Craft Gallery offer beautiful and unusual objects and designs for all ages and pocketbooks.Trevor Mansion, a 19th century estate built in 1876 sits adjacent to the museum. A prime example of Victorian style, the mansion boasts restored interiors that showcase an important collection of American and European fine and decorative art. Andrus Planetarium, located inside the museum, is the only public planetarium in Westchester County. Come and explore the vast reaches of outer space as you've never seen them before.
By car, exit the Saw Mill River Parkway at Executive Boulevard and take
this road until it ends; turn left on North Broadway to the light; then
right on Odell Avenue to the end; left on Warburton Avenue just over a mile;
entrance to parking lot on the right at museum sign.
Museum hours: May through September: Wednesday-Sunday, 12-5 p.m., Friday, 12-9 p.m.; October through April: Wednesday-Sunday, 12-5 p.m.
Admission to the museum is $3 for adults and $1.50 for children 12 and under
and senior citizens. Admission to Andrus Planetarium is $4 for adults and
$2 for children 12 and under and senior citizens. Discounts for groups and special
Museum/Planetarium admission packages are available. Guided tours of the
galleries and Trevor Mansion are available by appointment.
Hudson Valley Children's MuseumSituated in picturesque Nyack, this new museum offers 5,000 square feet of space for children to roam and explore, all while getting an education in topics ranging from physics to geography. An Early Childhood space is featured for younger children to play while their older siblings have fun being educated. The museum, located at 21 Burd St., is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays; and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $4.21 Burd St., Nyack, N.Y. (845) 358-2191. Huguenot Historical SocietyHuguenot Street, known as "the oldest street in America with its original houses," has stone houses constructed between 1692 and 1894, as well as a fort and reconstructed 1717 French church and a burying ground. A National Historic Landmark District, the site also features a museum shop, library and picnic facilities. In addition, there is a Federal Mansion dating to 1814 and a early stone house with a family cemetery off-site. Guided tours are available from the Visitors Center (located in the DuBois Fort), May - October, Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4p.m. Groups by appointment.Operated by the Huguenot Historical Society.18 Broadhead Avenue, New Paltz, NY 12561. (845) 255-1660. http://www.hhs-newpaltz.org John Jay HomesteadThis Federal-style farmhouse was the home of John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and one of New York's governors. It's present appearance dates back to 1801 and features decorative arts and furnishings of five generations of the Jay family. The Homestead offers lectures, concerts, tours and rotating exhibits. Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesay through Saturday and noon to 5 on Sundays, April through Labor Day. Call for seasonal hours the rest of the year.Route 22, Katonah, N.Y. (914) 232-5651. Klyne Esopus Historical Society MuseumThe Klyne Esopus Historical Society Museum is the official local history museum of the Township of Esopus in Ulster County. Housed in an 1827 Old Dutch Church, it has a collection of permanent exhibits covering the history of the town from about 10,000 BC to the present. Each season, KEHSM also provides special exhibits focusing on particular subjects. Associated with the museum is a sizeable genealogical/historical library covering the town and much of Ulster County. The entire facility is open May through October, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 1-4 p.m. and by appointment. Admission is free but donations are accepted.764 Route 9W, Ulster Park, N.Y. (845) 338-8109. KykuitThis house and gardens only recently opened to the public was the home to four generations of the Rockefeller family. Tours include the house, gardens and coach barn and are available by reservation only. To make a reservation for the 2 1/2 hour tour, call between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Kykuit is open from mid-April to November. Cost is $18 for adults and $16 for senior citizens and students.Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. (914) 631-9491. LyndhurstThis 1838 Gothic Revival mansion was designed by Alexander Jackson Davis and owned after 1880 by railroad magnate Jay Gould. The mansion, located just off of Route 9, features 19th and 20th century decorative arts, furnishings and toys. Tours, educational programs and a gift shop are all offered. Open daily mid-April through October. Special tours and weekend events are offered at selected times November through March.635 S. Broadway, Tarrytown, N.Y. (914) 631-4481. Mid-Hudson Children's MuseumOver 50 hands-on activity stations, including Scholastic's The Magic School Bus, interactive video screen, freeze frame, imagine-nation, IBM's working models of Leonardo da Vinci inventions, mural depicting people, places and products of the Hudson River Valley, Texaco's science sampler, art activity center, interactive banking, health center, puppet theater and geography. Also, workshops, performances, educational group tours, playgroups, birthday parties. Open daily except Monday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (open select Monday holidays), $3 per person; members and kids under 2 years admitted free.Located in South Hills Mall (between Kmart and the food court), 838 South Road (Rt. 9), Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 12601. (845) 297-5938 Museum of the Hudson HighlandsA little further north of West Point sits the Museum of the Hudson Highlands. Preserved fishes, reptiles and amphibians as well as live animals are featured. The museum also contains Indian artifacts and geological specimens indigenous to the Hudson Valley and an ichthology collection from Hudson River tributaries. Hiking trails, interpretive and live animal exhibits, a Tall Grass Prairie and a regional artists' gallery are also found at this varied and interesting museum. An evening film/lecture series, community special events and a summer environmental workshop for children are some of its other features. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 12 noon-5 p.m. Admission is $2.Kenridge Farm, Route 9W South, Cornwall, N.Y. (845) 534-7781. Olana State Historic SiteOlana is the Persian-style residence and picturesque landscape designed by Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900), among the most important of America's Hudson River School painters. Designed as a three-dimensional work of art, Olana was created between 1860 and 1900. Church landscaped the grounds to provide a foreground for the panoramic views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains. The richly stenciled and furnished interior rooms remain as the artist left them. His exotically furnished studio is one the few that remain from the period.The house museum is open Wednesday-Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The visitor center and museum shop are open daily 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. The daily number of visitors is limited, so reservations are encouraged. Group tour reservations (12 or more) are required and accepted Wednesday-Friday mornings. An admission fee is charged. Grounds are open 8 a.m.-sunset. Located on Rt. 9G, one mile below the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, near Hudson, N.Y. (518) 828-0135. Philipsburg Manor, Upper MillsThis early 18th century farm was owned by the Philipse family and includes a Dutch-style manor house, barn and a restored gristmill. Tours and demonstrations are offered. Open daily, except Tuesdays, March through December.Route #9, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. (914) 631-8200. Roosevelt National Historic SiteVal-Kill: Home of Eleanor Roosevelt from 1945 to 1962. Contains her original and replacement furnishings, preserved as if she's expected home at any moment. Guided tours and an introductory movie are offered on this free visit. The site is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May through October. Val-Kill is open weekends only during the months of November, December, March and April.Route 9G, Hyde Park, N.Y. (845) 229-9115.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Library is FDR's presidential library, containing
some of his personal papers, government records, photographs, movies,
archives, video tapes, gifts from heads of state, campaign items, personal and
family memorabilia and much more. The library also contains a 100-seat
auditorium, museum object reproductions, slides, prints, posters and books for
sale. The library is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A combined ticket gains
entry into the library as well as the Roosevelt home. Admission is $4 for
adults, $1 for seniors, and children under 16 are free.
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt is a national historic site on the
grounds of the presidential library. It was the Hudson River home of the
former president and contains its original furnishings, ancestral portraits,
naval prints and other memorabilia. There are several outbuildings, as well as
a rose garden and the gravesites of the former president and first lady. The
home is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays from
Nov. 6 to Mid-May. St. Paul's National Historic Site and Bill of Rights MuseumFree guided tours of the restored colonial St. Paul's Church, the Village Green and historic churchyard cemetery are offered in this historic area which helped to establish an early foundation for the first amendment freedoms of religion, speech, press and assembly. Call for information on tours and times.897 S. Columbus Ave., Mount Vernon, N.Y. (914) 667-4116. The Southeast MuseumThe Southeast Museum is located on Main Street, Brewster, in one of Putnam County's largest landmark buildings, the 1896 Old Town Hall. Established in 1963, the Southeast Museum offers exhibits on the history of the Brewster area including 19th century daily life, the early American Circus, the Harlem Line Railroad, the Tilly Foster Iron Mine, the Borden Milk Factory, and the Croton Water System. In addition, the museum presents various changing history exhibits. Open April through December: Tuesdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Wednesdays and Saturdays 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Other times by appointment. Suggested donation $2.00.67 Main Street, Brewster, N.Y. (845) 279-7500 www.southeastmuseum.org Stony Point Battlefield State Historic SiteA military museum is located on the site of the Americans' raid on the former British stronghold by Brigadier General Anthony Wayne on July 16, 1779. It features Revolutionary War equipment and artifacts as well as an 1826 lighthouse, an outdoor walking tour and picnic areas. The site is open mid-April through October, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free.Route 9W, Stony Point, N.Y. (845) 786-2521. Storm King Art CenterThis art museum and sculpture park is situated near Storm King Mountain in Cornwall. The art museum and 200-acre outdoor sculpture park feature the works of 20th century American and European sculptors. It is open from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, April through mid-November. Admission is $9 adults, $7 seniors, $5 students.Old Pleasant Hill Road, Mountainville, N.Y. (845) 534-3115. www.skac.org SunnysideAuthor Washington Irving once occupied this 1835 Romantic/Dutch Colonial Revival style estate, featuring a fully furnished and restored house, icehouse, gardens and wooded footpaths. Tours, an orientation film, demonstrations and a gift shop are featured on the estate, located just off of Route 9. Sunnyside is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March through December, but closed Tuesdays.West Sunnyside Lane, Tarrytown, N.Y. (914) 631-8200. Tarrytown LighthouseOpen by appointment, this lighthous was built in 1882 off the shores of Kingsland Point Park in Sleep Hollow. It began operation in 1883. Tours are scheduled throughout the year.Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. (914) 593-2600. Thomas Cole FoundationThe 1815 Cedar Grove home and studio of Thomas Cole, founder of the Hudson River School of Painting, is found in Catskill, N.Y. Paintings relating to the development of the Hudson River School are displayed as well as some of Cole's own works on loan. The museum features changing exhibits of the works of 19th century American artists and is open July through Labor Day, 11 to 4 Wednesday through Saturday, 1 to 5 on Sunday. Hours also are available by appointment from Labor Day through June. No admission charge.218 Spring St., Catskill, N.Y. (518) 943-6533. Tuthilltown Grist MillThis National Historic Site features a mini-museum and country store at the mill, which has produced stone ground flour since 1788. Found on the Albany Post Road in Gardiner, the museum is open Wednesday through Sunday.Gardiner, N.Y. (845) 255-5695. Union Church of Pocantico HillsWorks of Marc Chagall and Henri Matisse, two modern-day masters, are featured in the spectacular stained glass windows at this beautiful church, open weekdays (except Tuesdays) from 11 to 5, Saturday from 10 to 5 and Sunday from 2 to 5. The church is closed January through March. Group tours are available with an appointment.Route 448 off of Route 9, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. (914) 631-8200. Van Cortlandt ManorThis post-Revolutionary War estate is known for its elegant antique furnishings and gardens and was home of the Van Cortlandt family, prominent in New York state politics. Tours, special events and demonstrations are offered. Located just off of Route 9, the estate is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Tuesdays, from April through December. Call for special events information.South Riverside Avenue, Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. (914) 631-8200. Vanderbilt Mansion and Historic SiteThe Beaux-Arts style mansion was built in the late 1800s, featuring furnishings, tapestries, rugs and porcelains from that era. The grounds also feature a coachhouse, formal garden and a magnificent view of the Hudson River. Guided tours are given. The mansion is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from April through October. November through March it's open 9 to 5 Thursdays through Mondays (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Admission is $2 adults, children under 16 are free.Route 9, Hyde Park, N.Y. (845) 229-9115. Van Wyck Homestead MuseumThis 1732 home of the Van Wyck family, Dutch settlers to the area, is located at the site of the headquarters for the supply depot for General Washington's army from 1776 through 1783. It houses artifacts of the early Dutch settlers, Revolutionary War items, archeology finds, archives and farming items. Guided tours, lectures and an education program for children and adults are offered as well as a summer archeology research program and an annual Dutch spring weekend in May. The museum is open Memorial Day through Labor Day from 1 to 5 Saturdays and Sundays, other times by appointment. Admission is $2.Route 9, Fishkill, N.Y. (845) 896-9560. Washington's Headquarters MuseumsWashington Headquarters State Historic Site: in Newburgh is the former home of Jonathan Hasbrouck, used by General George Washington as his headquarters at the end of the Revolutionary War in 1782 and 1783. It features period furnishings, firearms, documents and military artifacts of the war, items relating to the region, portraits of George and Martha Washington as well as an exhibit depicting the Americans' defense of the Highlands from the British. Guided tours, lectures, films, concerts, special programs and demonstrations all are offered. The museum is open mid-April through October from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Tours by advance reservation only from November through March. No charge but donations are accepted.84 Liberty St., Newburgh, N.Y. (845) 562-1195.
Washington's Headquarters Museum: is the former farmhouse of Elijah
Miller in North White Plains. Gen. Washington won the Battle of White Plains
while stationed here. The museum contains authentic furnishings and colonial
artifacts. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Special programs
are offered on weekends. Admission is free. West PointThe United States Military Academy at West Point is open daily to the public. The nation's oldest service academy, graduates include Grant, Lee, Pershing, MacArthur, Eisenhower and Schwarzkopf. A military museum and visitors center/gift shop are two of the many attractions on this beautiful campus. The restored Fort Putnam, used by the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, is found on the campus grounds. Visitors to the museum, open from 10:30 to 4:15 p.m., will see a history of military events and personalities, a collection of weapons, artifacts, paintings, American and European uniforms and much, much more. Guided bus tours are comfortable, convenient and offer the first-time visitor a wealth of military and historic facts and trivia, while making stops at some of the campus' most famous spots. Trophy Point offers a spectacular Hudson River view, and is home to some of the links of the Great Chain, strung across the river during the Revolutionary War to keep the British from advancing further north on the Hudson. West Point is also home to Eisenhower Hall, a performing arts center featuring top stars, national touring companies, music, drama, dance and lectures. For information on tickets and upcoming shows, call (845) 938-4159.Highland Falls, N.Y. (845) 938-3590. Constitution Island, located off of West Point, features the 1800
Victorian home of writers Susan and Anna Warner and is the site of
Revolutionary War fort ruins. The home contains Warner family collections,
period furniture, art, china and glass. The island is open May through
September by reservation only. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and
students and $2 for children under 5.  Return to the Hudson
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