The Hudson Valley has a significant place in US history. Whether you are from the area or visiting, taking a tour of this historic area is a must. Discover the past by touring the locations listed below.
1. Kykuit: The Rockefeller Estate
Kykuit is a preeminent Hudson Valley landmark. For architecture, remarkable gardens, art, history, and spectacular scenery, a trip to Kykuit is simply amazing.
This hilltop paradise was home to four generations of the Rockefeller family, beginning with the philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil. His business acumen made him, in his day, the richest man in America. Now a historic site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, this extraordinary landmark has been continuously and meticulously maintained for more than 100 years.
2. Washington Irving's Sunnyside
A visit to Sunnyside is an enchanted adventure in a romantic landscape and a much-loved riverside home that has been charming visitors for generations.
Hear about Washington Irving's storied past and how he came to be America's first internationally famous author, best remembered now for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and other short stories. His characters, from Brom Bones and Ichabod Crane to the mysterious Headless Horseman and the comic Rip Van Winkle, are icons in American culture. Even Johnny Depp has added to their global renown.
A gently curved path leads to gorgeous views of the Hudson River and reveals the allure of Sunnyside's unique design, its intimate setting, its bucolic grounds, and its association with a beloved man of letters.
Washington Irving, the extraordinary author of American folkloric tales, such as, Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow lived in the Hudson Valley in the mid-19th century. If you've enjoyed his stories over the years, a stop by his home will give you insight into this author's life.
3. Philipsburg Manor
Wander along a picturesque woodland path and enter the year 1750.
Philipsburg Manor was a thriving farming, milling, and trading center owned by the Philipses, a family of Anglo-Dutch merchants. They rented land to tenant farmers of diverse European backgrounds and relied on a community of 23 enslaved Africans to operate the complex.
Visit here to participate in hands-on activities of the 18th century and learn the riveting yet little-known story of enslavement in the colonial north.
Step into the working gristmill, where, surrounded by the sound of rushing water and the creaking of wooden gears, you learn about the skills of Caesar, the enslaved African miller. A colonial bateau tied to the wharf reflects the flourishing river trade and the skills of Diamond, an enslaved riverboat pilot.
Tour the 300-year-old manor house. Its dairy, kitchens, bedchambers, warehouse rooms and parlor attest to its significance as a place of work, business, trade, leisure, and repose. Period artifacts and touchable reproductions give you an understanding of the people who lived and worked here.
4. Van Cortlandt Manor
At Van Cortlandt Manor, explore the stone manor house and brick ferry house, wander through the heritage gardens, and stroll down a quiet country road along the Croton River.
There, you'll experience the domestic life of a patriot family living in the years just after the American Revolution - the New Nation period.
Enter the manor house and see an extraordinary collection of furnishings from the colonial and federal periods in their original setting. Downstairs hear about one of the largest and best-equipped colonial kitchens in America and see samples of 18th-century medicines and foodways.
At the Ferry House, built before 1750, find a rural tavern that offered food, drink, and lodging to travelers along the Albany Post Road. Pause if you wish to see an extensive collection of Hudson Valley vernacular furnishings.
As you walk through the gardens, you'll find a sampling of medicinal, ornamental and culinary plants.
The Van Cortlandt's Manor and house museum are both worth the visit. The Manor is filled with colonial furnishings. On site is the Ferry House which in the 1750s was a popular tavern. Interactive themes and activities change throughout the year. The House Museum is actually located in the Bronx, and "is the oldest surviving building in New York City's borough of The Bronx."
5. Union Church of Pocantico Hills
The Van Cortlandt's Manor and house museum are both worth the visit. The Manor is filled with colonial furnishings. On site is the Ferry House which in the 1750s was a popular tavern. Interactive themes and activities change throughout the year. The House Museum is actually located in the Bronx, and "is the oldest surviving building in New York City's borough of The Bronx."
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