STEPH JUDGEMENT: The OG Presidential Library that's still going strong…read more FDR was the first to make his archives public, starting the Presidential Library tradition. The museum building and grounds were very well-maintained, and the exhibition signage looked recently updated. It was a great way to learn all about FDR the president as well as the man, and all his accomplishments as well as failures. I was glad to see that there was also a lot about his wife, Eleanor, who lived for many decades after his death and influenced the world greatly in her own right. On the day of our visit they had free admission to the Roosevelt House Museum, so we took advantage of that as well. Overall we had a great time and learned a lot--a worthwhile stop.

7/9/25 & 9/30/25: Twice we visited the FDR Presidential Library and Museum…read more There's two levels dedicated to the library and museum. Presently, a special exhibit called "Signature Moments" letters from The Famous, The Infamous and Every day Americans to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor are on display. It's truly a must see! The rest of the museum and library has several video rooms of his speeches, pictures from all 4 terms, his actual Presidential desk, room for radio addresses, his car designed to accommodate his disability and so much more.... Another section is dedicated to his wife Eleanor Roosevelt. A woman who was truly ahead of her time. In the library, there was a file cabinet where J Edgar Hoover kept FBI information on Mrs. Roosevelt. The first time we visited the complex, we toured the home and less than half of the library and museum. To throughly visit both places in one day would be too much. On 9/30, we returned to completely tour the rest of the library and museum. Totally impressed with the thoroughness of FDR Presidential Library and Museum. He was a President for all people.

I don't think I understand modern art, yet I spend hours here every visit…read more I usually prefer to wonder alone but sometimes tours are nice because then I can talk to others who also enjoy but don't understand the exhibits either.

Beacon, NY - virtually every person I've brought to DIA has had the exact same reaction of "WTF is…read morethis?" when they glance upon the pile of dirt, roomful of garbage, or giant monochromatic canvas, and throw up their hands in irritation and bewilderment. It's part of the fun (at least everything's a conversation piece, as you argue what is the point/meaning of this), but I appreciate the BS check called out by my philistine friends and husband who are unmoved by the academic hoo-ha that I, a pretentious art twat fed a steady diet of "theory & criticism" at university, so love to make a cerebral meal out of. Conceptual and contemporary art aren't everyone's cup of tea, but you don't have to understand or even appreciate art to bask in this massive gallery of space, light, airiness, minimalist beauty, and contemplation. To walk through these open spaces is meditation. And if you stay into the afternoon, the light is spectacular. Plus, like in any art museum, it's always fun to check out the hip international street fashion people are sporting. In addition to the changing exhibitions and installations showcasing both established voices and next-gen up-and-comers, DIA boasts works of magnificent scale by the likes of Richard Serra, Andy Warhol, Louise Bourgeois, Gerhardt Richter, etc. in its permanent or longterm collection that to me is worth the price of admission alone. The collection highlights works by many important artists of the 60s & 70s, the era in which DIA was founded to help artists achieve visionary projects that were ambitious in size or scope. The basement level always has cool special exhibits, so don't miss it! And if you think "jeez my kid can make this!", take them to the family friendly events and programs like Saturday Studio where your little Mondrian or Damien Hurst in the making can create projects that are surely refrigerator- if not gallery-worthy. Then save it for 40 years and auction off their "Untitled #1" or tape a piece of fruit to a wall for buckaroos when they become famous. If this experience really leaves you miserable, you can escape to the quaint towns of Beacon or nearby Cold Springs after, where there's lots to do, shop, eat & drink. This is a fantastic stretch of the Hudson Valley to explore! To conclude, I'd love to invite you to my next performance art happening, where I light a pile of debris on fire and title it "Hot Trash."

Went on the weekend on a Saturday with my grandson and daughter. Don't let the size fool you it was…read morepacked with so many activities. We were there almost 4 hrs! I would come again. Only complaint is that I am in a wheelchair and the ramp going in was not cleared wide enough of the snow and the one part was ice.

What a wonderful children's museum! With many hands-on exhibits and a pretend-play town. Located on…read morethe Poughkeepsie waterfront, it was a great stop for us to cool down and for my kiddo to take a fun break after we did Walkway Over the Hudson. There are two levels: the first floor is geared more toward younger kids and has several play areas including a fire station/fire truck with dress-up costumes, play-pretend market and cafe, a maker studio, a play room with a train track, foam blocks and some structures, and a couple of other exhibits. The second floor is suitable for both younger and older kids and is STEM focused, with exhibits that demonstrate scientific principles in a fun and educational way. My toddler was so excited to explore everything and could have spent hours in here. I'd say it's best suited for kids under 10. The website says up to 12yo but honestly I think the tweens of today would be quickly bored. Admission is $13 whether for kids or adults (under 1 free). The museum wasn't very crowded, and has seating all around for parents to sit and watch while the children played.

All Americans - and other nationalities - should visit the historical Woodstock Music Festival Site…read morenear White Lake/Bethel, New York. The history of post WWII America and that of 1960s, which soon followed, is an academic demand for all to understand the political and social movements of the mid-20th century. The Museum at Bethel Woods is impressive and alive. One can actually feel the times via the collections, videos, and the erudite curators that manage this US heritage site. Additionally, do not miss standing on the nearby hillside where a half million of us enjoyed three days of peace and music - and nothing but peace and music. And it was good. Hope more can make the scene and soon... JF of Maryland a Charter Member of Woodstock Nation July 2025

I like to do special places for reviews that end in 50 or 100. The museum is worthy of this review…read more The museum itself is five stars plus, but some of the ways they run it end up taking away three stars.... PROS: The museum itself. It's an amazing place. There are two sets of exhibits. Upstairs, and downstairs. The exhibits tell a wonderful story. There are not a lot of artifacts, but they telll the story through photos, audio, a couple of films, and stories of people who went through the experience. It's a wonderful way of telling the story. We met a docent, who actually attended the festival as a 16 year-old. She lived close by, and her dad actually drove her and her friends to the festival. Well, as close as he could get anyway. Her and her friends had to walk the rest of the way. That's a cool Dad, and she had some great stories After you go through the museum, you can actually go out and overlook the concert site itself. You can just imagine what it must've been like. The price to get into the museum is reasonable, they offer a senior discount, and military/veterans get in for free... CONS: Some of the ways they run the place. While the price to get in is reasonable, don't bother with the gift shop. We saw a T-shirt that had a nice design. However, The T-shirt was thin and the design, you could tell was cheaply made and applied. . They wanted $49 for this T-shirt, and that was after the military/veteran discount. Instead, we went to the Woodstock country store, just outside of the museum grounds, and got much nicer shirts, for quite a bit less money. Another problem is, they don't have an umbrella stand for when it's raining. Some of the floors are stone, and that leaves you with a big slipping hazard. The biggest negative of all is the handicapped accessibility. First of all, there is a circle driveway that you drive into to drop people off. There is handicapped parking as part of this circle driveway. I asked the lady at the box office if we were allowed to use this with our placard, and she said no. I had to grab a wheelchair, go get my partner, wheel her back to the lobby, and then have her wait while I went across the street to park. It turns out we could've parked in that handicapped space after all. She was mistaken. Some of the other ways that the place is not handicapped friendly is first of all, there is no automatic door opener for the handicapped. If you're pushing somebody in a wheelchair, (fortunately, they do offer them for free, ) you have to hope that somebody is nearby to hold the door for you while you push the wheelchair through. The Area outside the entrance to the museum, as well as some of the floors on the inside, are uneven stone. Again, hard to push a wheelchair. Finally, some of the door thresholds, even the one to get into the handicapped bathroom, (which fortunately has a chair for the attendant to sit), are high. It is very hard to push a wheelchair over those thresholds. It's a wonderful museum, it's too bad. It's a bit more challenging for people with disabilities. Somebody needs to do something about it.

Newburgh, NY - if you'd assumed that Orange County Choppers hailed from Orange County, CA (as I…read moredid), it might surprise you to learn they were actually founded in Orange County, NY, and formerly headquartered in Newburgh. So there's a pleasing logic to Motorcyclepedia setting up shop in this city, which turned out to have a surprising motorcycle pedigree associated with its industrial-era manufacturing past. The core of the collection is American iron: Harley-Davidson, custom choppers (including works by Arlen Ness and a tribute to Indian Larry), rarities like the short lived Excelsior-Henderson, and antique pioneer motorcycles, as well as police & military bikes (including one that was part of the motorcade when JFK was assassinated), and more that are part of specialty and thematic exhibits. A smattering of British, Japanese, and European brands are represented as well. The crown jewel is the massive gallery dedicated to Indian motorcycles - I believe one of the largest Indian collections in the world - displaying every model made (originals and replicas) between 1901-1953 during active production. Even if you're not a moto enthusiast, this museum is super cool and interesting, and is very family/kids-friendly! (Free admission for ages 16 and under.) There's an awesome exhibit of iconic motorcycles from Hollywood TV & movie classics such as The Terminator, Ghost Rider, Easy Rider, Tron, Batman, Happy Days, etc. And as a fan of 60s-70s B movies, I also dug the groovy retro music & movie memorabilia spread out across the museum. Kids are more than welcome. My preschooler (who's more of a car guy) loves the play corner with toys, rides, coloring, and cartoons, or just wandering around the sprawling complex looking at stuff, which is an adventure in itself (and exercise for me!). There are many unique vehicles, not just old bikes and whatnot, though yes, plenty of those too. Founded by Gerald "Jerry" Doering and joined by his son Ted, the father-son duo opened Motorcyclepedia in 2011 (incidentally right after the conclusion of the American Chopper series which propelled OCC to fame) in this massive 85,000 sqft space, starting with their own collection and growing it to the 750+ bikes on display today over two warehouse-sized levels. Wear walking shoes! I was surprised by how much bigger the space kept revealing itself to be. Motorcyclepedia is an absolute treasure, and a must-do attraction in the Hudson Valley IMO. Whether you're a casual visitor or a die-hard motorhead and history buff, there's a lot to explore and be entertained by, with plenty of photo ops and props. We've shared this experience with many out-of-town visitors and everyone has loved it.

This is quite a place to visit and admire the history of motorcycles. With over 700 motorcycles,…read moreyou can see Indian, Harley, and other motorcycles from their beginnings. The staff is amazing, and super helpful. Yesterday, our motorcycle group met up to visit the museum, and we met amazing Marilyn, now 81, who used to ride motorcycles in one of those metal cages when she was younger. It is always a fun adventure, but I do wish the simulation machine was in operation more often. Definitely worth a visit to this museum.

Coming from afar? Call ahead! I visited and they unexpectedly opened up a bit later than posted…read morehours but I think alien activity in the vicinity has spiked in recent weeks so the staff may have been abducted in the morning hours and returned to their homes late in effect making them late for work. Staff abduction aside, the staff were absolutely AMAZING! No humans are that nice so their morning alien abductors may have performed some type of lobotomization making them super nice as representatives of the alien coalition. The place is small but if you truly take in all that it has to offer you can spend about a solid hour in here looking at the different displays they offer. I won't say exactly what they have as to leave some mystery to your visit but it's certainly an interesting museum for sure. I love the paranormal stuff so "aliens" aren't completely off the table for me in terms of curiosity. I wish I had known this place existed because I would have visited a long time ago. The museum is I'd say 75% alien themed and 25% paranormal. It's certainly geared more toward the UFO theme but still interesting nonetheless. In my opinion if you are making your way north for a getaway and can make it here in 30 mins or less, off your main planned route, I encourage a visit cause it's worth it if you want to add an extra activity to your travel itinerary. If this location brings you more than 30 mins from your route, unless you are seriously into aliens and UFOs I wouldn't go out of my way to visit. With that said, it really was a cool experience and the staff made it worth the price of admission with their kindness and knowledge.

Really fun little trip for the whole family. The people running it are awesome and make the…read moreexperience.

We visited the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome with family and friends, including a 4-year-old and a…read more2-year-old. It's a great weekend outing -especially on a nice weather day. I wasn't sure the kids would stay entertained through a two-hour air show, but they did (mostly!), and being outdoors definitely helped. The show itself was fun and laid-back, with a loose storyline, impressive stunts, and a nostalgic vibe. You can bring your own food and drinks, or grab something from the concession stand, which was reasonably priced. The small gift shop has cute souvenirs for kids, and the nearby hangars filled with old planes and vehicles were great to explore before the show started. The only downside was that it was a bit hard to hear the narration over the PA system, but it didn't take away from the experience. Overall, a charming, family-friendly day trip worth checking out.

Super cool to see all of these planes in action at the Aerodrome air show. As well as other…read morememorabilia, beautiful old cars and trucks. The staff does a great job of keeping it lively, and fun for the whole family. Only downside, it was HOT and HUMID and felt like we were melting. So spring or fall might be a better time to visit.

If you like touring historic mansions, this place is superb! Our docent Midge was extremely…read moreknowledgeable and an excellent storyteller. She demonstrated a passion for the history of the mansion, the time period, and the complicated inter-relations between the involved individuals which was truly inspired and fascinating. She answered all our tour group's questions with great skill and delight. We reserved our spots online for the 90-minute noon tour today, featuring the first and second floors, the main entertainment rooms, bedrooms, and servants' quarters. On-site parking for free. The mansion has been closed for two years to renovate the electrical/HVAC system and recently reopened for public tours. They'll be opening the basement floor to show the bowling alley and vault sometime next year. If you're in the area on Dec 14, they'll be open for a festive Christmas event.

Wow!!! What a great museum. A coworker highly suggested it and I wasn't disappointed. It's truly…read morebeautiful, one of a kind. You are required to take a tour and there are one hour tours of just the downstairs or two hour tours of the first and second floor. I did the first and second floor and I would highly suggest that. Additional, my docent was A+++!

What a great time and beautiful day to visit Olana with friends. We signed up for the house tour…read more($20) and it was so worth it. We learned so much about the artist, Frederic Edwin Church. He was a central figure in the Hudson River School of American landscape painters, best known for painting large landscapes, often depicting mountains, waterfalls, and sunsets. He was so well traveled and brought back his favorites from around the world. The trails are all free but there's tours, if you want. The shop has a lot of great stuff!!!!

We came here on Wednesday. Toured the house first floor . Ground staff and gift shop with a short…read morefilm about Federic Church. He designed the building and collected art pieces from all over the world . His paintings are everywhere .It's a must visit those who are visiting Hudson NY.

Free admission We parked on street close bye…read moreI enjoyed my visit here, many famous paintings Free audio tour as well Many shops and restaurants near bye

This is a nice mid size museum at the edge of the Yale campus. We spent about two hours here. It…read morehas everything from sculptures to modern art pieces. The current exhibit on Indonesian textiles was very interesting. I also enjoyed the many pieces from Picasso and Kandinsky. They even have a Calder mobile. We also enjoyed the William Blake exhibit with his poems and prints. The staff was nice and friendly. The museum was clean and their map flyer really helped us navigate through the many rooms. Free admittance and free lockers are provided in the basement for our big purses, coats, and water bottles.