This is a beautiful place with hiking trails and historical buildings you have to visit in Cold…read moreSprings. This was an ironworks factory President James Madison chose to supply artillery to the U.S. military. It operated from 1818-1911. It was really important in the civil war. They also made locomotives, ships, and water pipes and an important part of the Industrial Revolution. There's a visitor's center and they'll give you a map with trails of different levels. It's free to visit

We love this preserve. Great place to take a walk and enjoy the fall foliage. It's very quiet and…read morepeaceful out here.

Boscobel is such a hidden gem! The gardens are well maintained, peaceful, and absolutely gorgeous…read more I love the variety of flowers, plants, and trees, especially in the sensory garden. It instantly transports me to somewhere in Europe and there are lots of plants to touch, smell, and otherwise explore. It also is adjacent to this cute greenhouse building. I'd love to return with a camera and a few rolls of film. The view of West Point from the back of the gardens is breathtaking. We visited on a Sunday and the back lawn was completely empty. We sat down and fed the baby with that magnificent view in the back. It was so blissful and perfect.

Lovely grounds overlooking Constitution Marsh & Island, the Hudson, and West Point on the far…read moreshore. and main building. I'm sure they host weddings on the front lawn. The main building was actually relocated to this site from further south and has a rich history of the initial construction, gradual decay, disassembly, resurrection, catastrophic damage, and aggressive renovation. The main plaster/cement ceiling in the upstairs library actually crashed down one evening a few years ago and damaged much of the home with plaster dust. Fortunately, charitable contributions have helped to restore most of the site as a 2026, except for vintage-era wallpaper and some furniture. We were fortunate to visit after a winter of intensive renovation, which allowed us to get a much better sense of the home. Displays in the adjacent visitor's center and grounds provide some interesting history, but you should really time your arrival to take a tour led by one of the volunteer docents. It is a beautiful home, which I would give 5-stars to if renovations were complete.

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."

I found Skyscape museum while walking in the area and trying to get out of heavy snow. I wasn't…read morefully sure what to expect but I left really happy we got to experience it. Skyscape is a really engaging and a well designed experience. Theres a lot to see and do, with interactive spy style missions that kept both me and my son entertained the entire time! My son was completely locked in the whole time and I was right there pretending I definitely understood the instructions on the first try. It's mostly a hands on experience, you're not just walking through exhibits, you're actually participating, solving challenges and learning as you go. Even better, it didn't feel crowded, which made it comfortable to move through at our own pace. We were able to go back and redo some of the exhibits we enjoyed, which made the experience even more fun the second (and third) time around. Overall, a great mix of entertainment and learning, especially for kids but enjoyable for adults too. 10/10. My son loved every second. I loved pretending I knew what was going on.

This was such a fun and unique experience! I surprised my boyfriend with this for his birthday, and…read morehe absolutely loved it. The challenges, puzzles, and games really make you think--you definitely have to process the clues carefully! There are multiple levels to complete, and throughout the experience you're asked questions that determine what type of agent you are, which was a really cool touch. It was challenging, but in the best way. Now that I understand how everything works, I definitely want to go back and do it again to see if I can do even better! If you're looking for something interactive, different, and a lot of fun, I highly recommend checking this place out. We'll definitely be back!

A magnificent outdoor sculpture garden located on 500 acres near West Point…read more Definitely take the tram that covers most of the grounds with a commentary on the sculptures. Exceptionally large metal sculptures.

STEPH JUDGMENT: An incredible (mostly) outdoor art museum…read more We'd heard a lot of great things about this museum so we knew it was a must-visit. Even with our high expectations we were still very impressed. It's a 500+ acre museum where most of the works are monumental and/or site-specific sculptures. The $25 admission is a great deal for so much amazing art, and the equally amazing grounds. We spent 6+ hours here but didn't get to see everything. We were also just on foot, but they do have trams and bike rentals. The weather was gorgeous on the day of our visit and we were having a ball wending our way around leafy trails and expansive emerald meadows, all interspersed with works of art. There was also a re-creation of a Norman chateau that served as an indoor museum and gift shop. Their cafe was excellent; I got the French onion burger with veggie patty (mushroom-based, great flavor, with melted Gruyere) and an iced cold brew, and the hubby got a grilled cheese, which was also good. We had such a great time; would definitely love to visit Sharon

A very beautiful place to spend some time absorbing art, space and nature. Kino Saito is a treasure…read morefor the community.

What a treat to run into this beautiful museum while searching for coffee in Verplanck! Talk about…read morea hidden gem! I had a great latte in their coffee bar and had the unexpected delete of seeing some excellent sound exhibits. It was free to enter, a $5 suggested donation was more than worth the experience!

Wow what a beautiful place to take the family. This zoo is very well hidden and was near empty when…read morewe visited. You would never know it's there unless you purposely look for it. Free entry but pay to park certain times of the year.

Pros: 1) Great add-on activity pre/post-hike…read more 2) Lots of cute animals that are pretty close-up. 3) Low cost for admission (it's donation based) 4) You can see the staff feeding the animals, if you time it right. Cons: 1) Quite a few of the animal enclosures were closed. 2) The amenities in the zoo and museum look so dated. (Some don't even work) My wife and I gave our donation upon arrival. However, I noticed many, many, many people walk right past the donation box without even care in the world. I get it, money is tight nowadays. However, if we want these sites to look nice we really should pitch in. Just leave a dollar per person, and it will add up. I really enjoyed my time there, and the workers were really friendly. Pro tip: 1) Don't take your pets into the zoo. We saw a lot of these people. 2) Don't blast music on your bluetooth speaker while walking in the park. That's why we invented headphones, papi.

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.