*** 5,500th review ***…read more I don't know what took me so long to check out the Hudson River Museum. The views, alone, would be reason enough to visit. I was initially drawn to the impressive dollhouse, but there are also so many other cool paintings, sculptures, and photographs here. The museum building itself is very bright and welcoming. Check out the courtyard, too, where there were some lawn games over the summer. We also explored the education center, which seems to have an ongoing activities for kids. Next time I visit, I'll check out the planetarium!

Mark Twain called the late 19th century the "Gilded Age." It saw the creation of a modern…read moreindustrial economy, a national transportation and communication network. In the HBO drama "The Gilded Age," the characters are keenly aware that they live in interesting times, and this establishment was featured as Mrs. Astor's home. Built for millionaire banker John Bond Trevor and his family, Glenview Mansion has been painstakingly restored by the Hudson River Museum, which is a hidden gem located in Yonkers. Guided tours are offered to six fully restored rooms (Great Hall, Sitting Room, Parlor, Dining Room, Ebony Library, and Billiard Room), which my partner and I had the pleasure of today at $20 per adult and can be purchased on their website. Since his primary residence was in NYC, this 19th-century seasonal home was used from April to December each year and sits on a 23-acre estate. The owner commuted into his office on Wall Street in New York City, about 23 miles away. Upon entering the mansion, it showcases late Victorian with the colorful tiles on the floor, the high ceilings, and the furniture and fixtures such as the Tiffany and Co. grandfather clock, a Victorian recliner chair, or the storybook tiles over the fireplace in the Great Hallway. The original home featured a wraparound balcony that could be accessed through the Sitting Room, but it was later removed in order to lower maintenance costs. Besides the mansion, the museum is a complex of galleries that present changing art exhibitions, a permanent Hudson River School collection, a planetarium, an amphitheater, and educational spaces for all ages. The staff was friendly. The interior was very well kept and organized. With great views of the Hudson River, this is a relatively short day trip, which we can recommend.

4/10/26 (Update) After many years, I was so excited to see…read morethe reopening of the refurbished Lambert Castle. You can purchase your tickets online or at the new visitors center. The admission tickets are $10. Zak was a wonderful tour guide. He gave us the history of the castle owners. In 1892, the castle was built by Catholina Lambert (the owner of the Paterson Silk Mills for his wife). Please see my original review for the history. We were informed "Not to photograph any of the interior in order to preserve the interior for future visitors". Upon entering the castle, you will be required to put booties on over your shoes. This is in order to preserve the floors. The castle does have 3 levels along with an elevator. In the foyer overhead, you'll see a magnificent colorful rectangle shaped Tiffany light fixture. It extends approximately 2' Wide and 6' in length. The furnishings were very elegant, yet very homey. All the rooms are filled with stunning sculptures and artwork. Some of items were on loan from different places. For example: The beautiful Grandfather clocks really caught my eye. They were on loan from the Ringwood Manor. (The Ringwood Manor is presently being refurbished and will be reopening soon). Hope everyone gets a chance to see this beautifully refurbished castle. Lambert Castle has two levels of parking.

I usually do not update my reviews but after hearing about the reopening of Lambert Castle in…read moreJanuary 2026 after a 5 year renovation project, I decided to visit and do an update review. Lambert Castle was built by Catholina Lambert in 1892 by an English immigrant who made his fortune in the silk industry in Paterson, New Jersey. The castle reflects the trappings of the Gilded Victorian Era. Lambert accrued a prominent American and European painting and sculpture collection which he showcased in a 100' x 35' art gallery. This luxurious residence was visited by notable rich and famous people of the day which included President William McKinley. Lambert Castle is listed on the New Jersey and National Register of Historical Places in 1976. Admission is $10.

Mahwah, NJ - this is a sweet little local history museum that's home to the Donald Cooper Model…read moreRailroad as well as the Les Paul in Mahwah exhibit which includes a display of his guitars. You can also visit the Old Train Station and Erie Caboose, all part of the permanent exhibits. Guitar lovers and Les Paul fans can even book a session to play on one of the guitars owned and played by the legendary Les himself! We came especially to see the model railroad with our kiddo which is only open on Saturdays from 1-4pm, but checked out the other galleries too. The museum holds some changing exhibits as well as talks and events from time to time. Admission is a modest $5 and free for children under 18 and students under 20. Worth a visit if you're a local or just passing through.

Visited the Mahwah Museum today for the Les Paul presentation by Professor Sean McClowry who gave…read morea very informative session on the technical achievements of Les Paul - inventor of many innovations in the field of recorded music. From multi track recording, use of echo, solid body guitar development. On and on. Looking forward to the next presentation on Saturday, May 21st, where Sean will explain and show the process of cutting a disc using some of Les Paul's original equipment. Also, exhibits on Palisades Amusement Park, Mahwah History and downstairs. A huge train exhibit. Well work visiting this gem. All the volunteers were warm and friendly.

New Bridge served as a battleground, fort, encampment ground, military headquarters, and…read moreintelligence-gathering post in every year of the American Revolution. The Steuben House is the only extant building from the 1776 Retreat through Bergen County. For 2 weeks in 1780, the Steuben House was Washington's HQ and it has been the Bergen County Historical Society's HQ since 1939. Open for events. Grounds open dawn to dusk.

We had an amazing time at the Color Factory. Two teenagers (moody and hard to please) and two…read more"uncool" moms. We all had a great time. Pictures, dancing, confetti! So much stinking fun. The medium is reasonably price and hats off to April who was kind and explained how to make this the best experience. We definitely recommend this while in New York.

We spent a nice, chilly afternoon at this spot and the kids loved it. This is similar to the selfie…read moremuseums out there like the Ice Cream Museum, Museum of selfies, etc. But I enjoyed the explanation of all of the colors, and shades. There were so many interactive elements and we all loved the confetti room. You're also given a QR code where you can scan it and get copies at the end (after purchasing them). The location in Soho is fun, with so many great shops and restaurants nearby. The hit of the place was the ball pool at the end (again, similar to the sprinkle pool at the Museum of Ice Cream). My kids spent hours here. The ball pool kindof smelled like poop. Not gonna lie, it was definitely a stinky spot. There was a sign nearby that explained the balls were disinfected by some type of filtration system. Okay! Regardless of the poop smell, we all had a great time! And used lots of hand sanitizer afterwards.

On 7/18/23, we visited the Paterson Museum for the 2nd time…read more This museum is truly a hidden gem filled with so much history. Outside the museum, you'll see a train at least a century old. In addition, some interesting modern sculptures surround the building. Inside the museum, you'll see the history of the Leni Lenape Indians. The museum has a wonderful display of minerals from NJ. Over a century ago, Paterson was known as t "Silk City of the World". You'l see the old loom machines from yesteryear. One very large display case has many of the old "Colt" revolvers manufactured in the city Paterson. The museum has a section dedicated to John P. Holland. Mr. Holland designed and built the first underwater vessel accepted by the U.S. Navy. On a lighter note, you'll see many pictures of Paterson's own beloved comedian, Lou Costello ("Hey Abbott!" ) of the comedy duo Abbott and Costello. Admission is free. The museum does welcome donations.

It was the vision of Alexander Hamilton that set the course for Paterson, N.J. to become a major…read moreearly industrial Hub. The museum frames that reality in concise and magnificently curated exhibits. The museum covers John Ryle "Father of the American Silk Industry", Thomas Rogers 1871 Locomotive Erecting Shop which built trains that aided in the construction of the Panama Canal (the 299 sits in the front of the museum), and displays of the John P. Holland 181 submarine proto-types which were launched in the nearby Passaic river. Wright Aeronautical Corporation and it's contribution to the plane Charles Lindbergh flew solo from NYC to Paris in 1927 and the spectacular and rare collection of Colt firearms by Norman B. Tomlison Jr. and Paul R. Applegate are both on display at the musem. Also worth mentioning is the exhibit of the Delaware-Lenape culture with many artifacts and a reconstruction of a wig-wam, If you are interested in mineralogy, the museum has first grade quality specimens obtained world wide as well as from local quarries and sites. Lastly, they have exhibits celebrating local greats like Lou Costello, Larry Doby ( the second black athlete in Major league baseball and Hall of Famer), and Hinchcliff Field during the glory days of midget car racing. The old photos in each exhibit are priceless to see. The museum is only a block from the Great Falls. A two dollar donation is accepted for adults and the parking is free. There are plenty of places to eat including Libby's famous hot dogs and chili one of my favorite hot dog joints.. Make a day of it and visit Great Falls (now a National Park), tthe Great Falls Visitor Center and historic district and the Paterson Museum.

Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum was established in 1957 by the Blauvelt-DeMarest Foundation. Hiram…read moreBlauvelt was a philanthropist, conservationist and collector. His art museum is focused on wildlife art. The museum is a renovated old carriage house which is about 100 feet from the Blauvelt Estate which is now in disrepair. While you are not allowed entrance to the estate it is nice to wander about and take photographs. The museum has multiple rooms on the first floor with paintings, photographs and sculptures of wildlife. I really enjoyed the sculpture of the wolf as you first enter through the older section of the carriage house. Upstairs has an amazing collection of taxidermy which I was not invited to see. There are permanent exhibits, as well as, rotating exhibits from national artist groups. The art museum also has an artist-in-residence, The museum is open Wed., Thurs., Fri., Sat., and Sunday. They keep the front door locked but there is a sign that says "ring the door bell". There is no admission fee for this museum and photos are not allowed inside. I did receive a book of wildlife photographs. Some of the photos are displayed below.

the person working there needs a lesson in how treat people visiting the museum. it was the most…read morestressful 20 minutes I have ever had in visiting a museum. if you have children or grandchildren, this is not the place to go. I have been here before with my children and thought it would be great to bring my grandchildren. The person who works there acted as if we were going to misbehave and more less let us know it. NEVER AGAIN!!

Great Restoration Hard Working Volunteers Keep Improving The Grounds County Got This One Right…read more Built in the early seventeen hundreds this piece of history had gone uncared for many years until the Garretson Forge & Farm Restoration folks tirelessly restored the property. They hold events throughout the year that range from recreating a Dutch farm garden to Dutch Christmas complete with a visit from Sinterklaas. Fish weirs, mostly built by Native Americans of the Lenape Nation can still be seen in the Passaic River near the farm. They provided the early settlers with a reliable and valuable source of protein consisting of shad, alewives, striped bass and eels. A weir can be clearly seen approximately 200 feet North of the Fair Lawn Avenue Bridge, the only reason they still exists is due to the fact that this part of the river was not navigable for commercial purposes and restoration efforts. Allen Lutins & Anthony P. DeCondo reaserched and wrote a great article for the Archaeological Society of New Jersey you can read it here http://www.lutins.org/weir/ HISTORY "One of the oldest sites in Bergen County, this pre-revolutionary sandstone house is officially listed on the New Jersey State and the United States National Register of Historic Places. This living Dutch farm museum, located at 4-02 River Road, Fair Lawn, New Jersey, sponsors activities involving restoration, preservation, historic digs, compilation of local history and folklore, educational programming, colonial agriculture, horticulture and crafts. Garretson Farm is owned by Bergen County and is administered by volunteers of the Garretson Forge and Farm Restoration, Inc. The history of the Garretson family in America began with the emigration of Gerrit Gerritse, his wife Annetje Hermansse and their son Gerrit from Wageningen, Gelderland, in 1660. The junior Gerrit, purchased the Slooterdam Patent from David Daniellse in 1719. This tract of land extended from the Passaic to the Saddle Rivers. The house was built shortly afterwards by Gerrit's son, Peter. Six generations of the Garretson family resided on the farm. The Garretson homestead is on what was once an extensive farm, but through the years the land was sold off. The present site consists of 1.84 acres along River Road. Archeologists believe that the property was once the site of an Indian encampment due to the numerous artifacts found along the Passaic River. The kitchen wing, the older section of the house, is built of rubble and undressed stone. On a late 19th century photograph of the house, remnants of a brick beehive oven can be seen on the outer wall and thus has been restored. The main section of the house, added in 1760, was built using dressed stone. The sandstone blocks are held together with a mortar made of river mud, mixed with straw and hog's hair. It was under this section that the fragments of clay pipes (c. 1720) and other artifacts were uncovered. Extensive changes were made in the house in 1902. The present gambrel roof replaced a steep gable roof; a second front door was replaced with a window. An inner stairway to the basement replaced cellar hatches and a stairway to the second floor was built. The large pillared porch was also added. A mid-nineteenth century carriage house still stands on the property along with several other out - buildings." Preserve History!

Really enjoyed visiting the Garretson Forge and Farm for their butterfly festival. Volunteers do a…read morevery nice job with the garden and the event was a lot of fun for kids. Interesting place to visit.