A stirring muse to artists since the 17th century, New York's Hudson Valley encompasses nature's resplendent beauty and unique aspects of American history. Flowing 160 miles from its mouth at New York City's harbor to the state capitol Albany, the Hudson Valley passes incomparable scenic panoramas flecked with fascinating villages and townships. Historic 19th-century mansions, unique museums, wineries, a spirited art scene and rare examples of Dutch Colonial culture comprise the Hudson Valley's memorable character.
Boscobel Restoration
1601 Route 9D
Garrison, NY 10524
845-265-3638
An outstanding Federalist-style manse, Boscobel was built in 1808 for an important Dutch family, the Dyckmans. Now the home and gardens comprise a museum filled with 19th-century Hudson River School paintings, period furniture and decorative pieces by Duncan Phyfe and his contemporaries. The landscaped estate and surrounding buildings include a rose garden, orangery, herb garden, ponds, a woodland hiking trail and dramatic perspectives toward the Hudson River. Concerts and special expositions go on during spring, summer and autumn.
Kaaterskill Falls
Within North-South Lake Campground area
County Route 18
Haines Falls, NY 12436
518-589-5058
An inspiration to painters of the Hudson River School, bilevel Kaaterskill Falls in the Catskill Mountains is the tallest waterfall in the region. It and numerous other natural attractions are situated inside the historic North-South Lake Campground managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. An sweeping trail network winds to colorful Catskill peaks and streams. Visitors may also fish, swim and sail in the park.
Mohonk Mountain House Resort
1000 Mountain Rest Rd.
New Paltz, NY 12561
845-255-1000
This monolithic 1869 highland lodge is a must-visit attraction on the Hudson in New Paltz, NY. As well as deluxe, all-inclusive lodging, guests may pamper themselves with spa treatments, exquisite dining and a legion of outdoorsy activities: hiking, horseback riding, picnicking, lake swimming, sportfishing, tennis, boating and much more. In winter, savor skiing, snowshoeing and additional winter frolics. Mohonk Mountain House receives day visitors at special charge.
Olana
5720 Route 9G
Hudson, NY 12534
518-828-0135
Atop a headland looking across a bow in the Hudson River, Olana constituted the domicile and studio of Hudson River School artist Frederic Edwin Church. Established between 1870 and 1891, the Persian-style hall exhibits Church's own accumulation of paintings, drawings, furniture and ornamental artwork practically as it lay in the 1890s. The wooded, sloping estate, planned by Church, originated as a farm and boasts paved carriage roads, gardens and ponds. Today the home is a State Historic Site.
Sleepy Hollow
Kykuit and Philipsburg Manor Visitor Center
381 N. Broadway (Route 9)
Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591
914-631-8200
Celebrated in Washington Irving's story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," the neighboring towns of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown are home to several historic places. The impressive 19th-century Rockefeller estate Kykuit and Philipsburg Manor, a 17th-century Dutch farm, reveal two distinct eras in Hudson Valley history. Over Route 9 from the two sites, the stone-constructed Old Dutch Church, built in 1685, and adjacent Sleepy Hollow Cemetery appeared conspicuously in Irving's narrative.
