The Hudson Valley in New York State offers the beauty of nature and many hundreds of years of history. It includes such lovely towns like New Paltz, Catskill. Hudson, Hyde Park and many more.
It was artist Thomas Cole who put American art on the map of the world. He created a unique style of painting that was typically American. He laid the foundation of the Hudson River School of Art. His home Cedar Grove is located in the town of Catskill and became a museum in 2001 to celebrate his life.
About 150 of his paintings are on display at his home and it is a registered National Historic Site. It hosts exhibitions, lectures about the Hudson River School and other programs.
The Vanderbilt Mansion also a National Historic Site is located in Hyde Park in a delightful setting among woodlands and gardens with great views of the Catskill Mountains and rivers. This 54-room mansion is a wonderful example of Beaux-Arts architecture.
The terraced Italian Gardens are a delight to see. To visit you must book a guided tour.
Teatown Lake Reservation in Westchester County has 1000 acres of beautiful nature reserve with lakes, rare native plants, wildlife and 15 miles of trails. Today it also includes Vernay Lake and Shadow Lake with waterfalls, hardwood swamps, meadows, mixed forests, hemlock forests, and laurel groves.
Take in the beauty of Wildflower Island which is accessible on Open Gate Days and by guided tour.
The reservation has an Education Center that runs many different programs and offers outreach activities with the local community and schools. The Nature Center has an outdoor exhibit with 230 species of wildflowers, an outdoor classroom, a maple sugar house, the Wildflower Woods, a butterfly and bee garden, a sensory garden for the kids, and a raptor loop with owls, hawks, kestrels, and an eagle.
Fall Views Park in Cohoes is home to the amazing Cohoes Falls. Here you can find four acres of falls, rivers and walking trails. Visitors can enjoy picnics or fishing trips. There are panels that inform visitors of the historical, educational and geological significance of the falls and park.
For those who want some exercise, you can walk down a staircase to the bottom of the falls.
The Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art offers exhibitions and programs that promote the understanding of contemporary art. The center organizes temporary and long-term exhibits and installations that support both emerging and established artists.
The center also provides space for artists to create and organizes lectures and discussions.
SUNY Poly’s Children’s Museum of Science and Technology or CMOST in Troy is a children’s science museum where adults cannot enter unless accompanied by a child. The museum has a wide range of exhibits that include a digital planetarium and over 100 live animals.
All of the exhibits are interactive and children can try their hand at construction, learn how machines work, build some homes, learn about Hudson River wildlife and so much more.
Edward Hopper House Art Center in Nyack is the charming home of renowned American painter Edward Hopper. In 1971 it was turned into an art center.
Hopper’s birthplace has been preserved along with this memorabilia and documents. The center organizes various exhibits of art in all media, shows art-related movies and hosts popular concerts in the garden. Knowledgeable docents offer tours of the center.
The Saugerties Lighthouse in Saugerties was built in 1835 to facilitate navigation on the Hudson River. Today it is a living museum. The lighthouse tower offers amazing views of the river and surroundings. The lighthouse has been converted into a renowned and charming bed and breakfast which is just perfect for a romantic getaway.
The Hudson Beach Glass Gallery is a wonderful place to see beautiful glass objects in all different colors. The studio is fascination where you can see four artists who founded the studio in 1987 at work. You can also try making your own Christmas ornaments taking one of their courses and seeing the demonstrations. The studio is located in Beacon and housed in a former icehouse.
The Troy Waterfront Farmers’ Market is the place to be on a Saturday morning. You can smell fresh bread and food and take samples as you walk among the stalls and listen to live music. Here you’ll find more than 70 growers, bakers, chefs and artisans who display their wares.
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is located in Hyde Park. Here you can see exhibits with memorabilia of the 32nd President of the U.S. and his family including models, prints, paintings, gifts to the state, gifts from the American people and family heirlooms. An interactive experience is offered to see what life was like at the Oval Office Desk.
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt National Historic Site offers a tour of the Roosevelt country home, Top Cottage. This is where Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt retired to and where they entertained many famous guests from politicians to members of royalty. You will step back in time and see how the cottage was in the early 1800s and learn how early technology helped Roosevelt live with his disability and continue to serve as President.
The Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site is Val-Kill and the only National Historic Site dedicated to a First Lady. This is where Eleanor moved after the death of her husband in 1945 and remained here until her death in 1962. In 1984 it was declared a Historic Site. You can tour the house and enjoy the gardens.
The Storm King Art Center in New Windsor is recognized worldwide for its great art and sculpture set on a five-hundred-acre farm that consists of fields, hills, and woodlands.
As you wander the trails you can see more than 100 sculptures surrounded by nature.
If you wish you can also cycle the trails. In the Museum Building, you’ll find smaller sculptures and artwork.
Innisfree Garden in Millbrook was founded by Walter Beck who had a fascination with Asian art. It is landscaped in Chinese and Japanese design.
Here you’ll find gardens, streams, waterfalls, terraces, walls, rocks, and plants. The gardens are self-guided.
The Motorcyclepedia Museum in Newburgh is home to more than 500 motorcycles from 1897 to the present. Galleries include Harley-Davidson, Indian Timelines and many other motorcycles. There is also a tribute to performing motorcycles with displays like the Wall of Death from the Kamikaze Pit Lenger of Germany.
The Wilderstein Historic Site features a 19th century Queen Anne style country house on the Hudson River in Rhinebeck. It sits on 40 acres of woodland bluff overlooking the river. The lovely flowers and gardens have been arranged in the American Romantic style with gazebos and garden seats.
There are carriage drives, walks, and trails. You can tour the house with 15,000 cataloged objects, thousands of photographs, books and other items dating from 1540 to 1991.
Opus 40 in Saugerties is a 6.5-acre sculpture park that was created by Harvey Fite in 1939. It was built on the site of s bluestone quarry and features lots of pieces of bluestone. Ramps and terraces rise up out of the ground and surround pools, trees, fountains, and sculptures. Visitors can head sixteen feet below to the epicenter of the main sculpture. It is open from Memorial Day through to the end of October and by appointment off season.
The Trevor Zoo is the only zoo in the U.S. that is located at a working high school. The students of Millbrook School are all encouraged to learn about and look after the animals.
There are more than 180 exotic and indigenous animals. You can see red pandas, red wolves, and bobcats among other wildlife.
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