Lovely spot to go for a walk around the grounds. Sadly, the gardens could use some weeding. The…read moremansion is also closed for renovation. I feel like the gardens were nicer in the 90s when Historic Hudson Valley owned the property. Nonetheless, I am sure Bard will do a great job of keeping up the house. They have some nice trails, which are also being maintained. I highly recommend a trip out there

This place is like an oasis of calm. The mansion is beautiful and it has an amazing history. The…read morearchitecture is a dream that I'm going to use when I build my house. It is the quietest site I ever visited. When you get there, after you park, there's no one anywhere to let you know where to go and what to do. We got there on a day where there were another 9 people roaming around and 3 of them took the mansion tour with us. An older couple was having a picnic, a young lady was walking around by herself and another couple was walking all over the place, creeping out in the mansions windows. The tour guide was well informed so he went on with the story of the place like he was teaching a history class. It was informative a thorough. To visit the inside of the house it will cost you $10 in cash, a person. We have a membership so we didn't have to pay. The tour takes about an hour and you will only tour the first floor. The basement, the second and the third floor are closed to the public. I do recommend you to visit this site if you want to know more of the history of the area.

5.0 star rating Reviewer: Drone Shot Media…read more Our drone captured the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse--an 1874 Second Empire red-brick beacon on a granite caisson--bathed in golden-hour light above the Hudson's gentle ripples. Accessible only by boat, the guided tour shares tales of its original fog bell and offers unbeatable aerial angles. Pro tip: book early with Hudson Ferry Company for prime late-day shoots.

What a surprise to track down this lighthouse on its own island in the middle of the Hudson…read more Of course it's a home too. But your imagination runs wild when you think what the keeper has to put up with. Across from a giant grain silo on the bank.

What a peculiar place to put poor 'ole Rip, on an elbow turn with a swail and no burm to keep the…read moreauto from a tumblin' if it's iced. Rip Van Winkles Awakening is just darn adorable and kinda creepy at the same frame, no matter the angle and I absorbed every one. My Dutch bretherin hit the nips of wicked flaggon a bit too zestfully, as returning to dame Van Winkle mustn't be a desirable situation. And just then an old fellow with hip high galligasketts and a keg upon his shoulder began to call his name and poor 'ole hen pecked Rip compiled only to awaken two generations later. With Wolf, his domestic adherent and partner in lazy days in the wood not answering Rips call and his fowling piece rusted and a worm infested stock - the good natured Rip Van Winkle now remains, once again, still and permanent in time-- looking over the Hudson Valley in the Catskills, (a disjointed member of the nighty Adarondiacs) and here he shall remain.

just amazing the talent and vision of the artist is just to behold…read more just take a drive and enjoy this master piece

My cousin and I came in today and were incredibly disappointed. Here's some datapoints:…read more -Half of the gallery rooms in the home were closed (we were not informed until we went into the home) -You will see more reproductions than real art -You can only view the studio from a plexiglass We mentioned to the front desk that we were surprised that we just paid $40 to see half of the house and behind a plexiglass. They said it was their first winter opening and that they would consider our feedback. My recommendation: they should list out that half the house is under renovation at the front desk, charge $5 or a suggested donation, and honestly should have refunded us the full amount. I actually am shocked that I could go to an actual nice museum for what I paid today.

Such an incredibly beautiful spot to visit. The view is outstanding. After visiting be sure to stop…read moreby the grave that is just down the street. Make a day if it and visit Olana too!

This house is where the pre-treasonous Benedict Arnold recuperated after being wounded at the…read moreBattle of Bemis Heights. The house is an interesting landmark for what it represents historically. It is not open to the Public.

Very, very cool. In a repurposed armory in the uphill part of downtown Hudson. Full of open spaces,…read morereading noks & topical areas for children, meeting, local history, etc.

this is a very nice library. The building architecture is my favorite in the city. Im really glad…read morethe city fixed it up and made it usanle again. It looks like a fort and a castle. The library it self is fairly small in terms of number of books but i guess the town is pretty small. It has computer for use and free wifi which is a huge plus. They do not hace a lot of travel books which i like to check out. There is plenty of comfy chairs to read or study. It's not noisy usually and staff is friendly. Note that there is no cell phone use in order to keep a quiet environment for others. They do enforce this. It's understandable but annoying if you just need a quick call. There are a few secluded places where you can relax with a good book or study for a test.

This is the Catskill Post Office. It's a big old building, built before Stamps.com and Amazon and…read moreFedEx, and it looks and feels important. If you're a young'un, and you were born after Stamps.com and Amazon and FedEx, a post office is where you used to have to go to send and receive packages, which you can still do today! Amazing, isn't it? You can also buy stamps, get money orders, apply for a passport, keep a PO box, send in safe and secure mail-in ballots to exercise your right to participate in a free and fair democracy, and more. Personally, I sent a box of old baby clothes to a cousin, and the folks behind the counter were efficient and helpful, and a credit to the fine organization that is the USPS. (No thanks to Postmaster General DeJoy, who we will hopefully see gone shortly.)

Martin Van Buren's residence, Lindenwald, is tucked away in the peaceful town of Kinderhook, New…read moreYork. It's a unique window into the life of America's 8th president. I had visited the site years ago when there was a larger visitor center and an introductory video that gave a broader overview of Van Buren's presidency and personal story. Today, the visitor's center has been scaled back to a trailer, and unfortunately, there's very little introductory context provided for those less familiar with Van Buren's role in American history. One of the main displays now focuses on the history of slavery in America. While this is an important topic, its placement here felt somewhat disconnected, as Van Buren neither owned enslaved people nor lived in a slaveholding state during his time at Lindenwald. Given the limited space available, I found myself wishing more of it had been used to explore Van Buren's own political career, personal life, and legacy. They only have a few tour times a day, and the guide cited budget cuts with a roll of her eyes. We waited around a bit for the next tour, but the audio tour around the property wasn't very informative. Once our group tour began, it opened in the empty basement, where much of the discussion centered on the broader legacy of slavery and Sojourner Truth. While those subjects are historically valuable, their connection to Lindenwald itself felt tenuous and overshadowed the site's direct link to Van Buren. It appeared the tour guide had a greater interest in that topic than on the actual topic. Upstairs, the rooms were far more engaging. The main hall was particularly impressive, featuring original design elements and beautiful wallpaper. The guide shared some insight into Van Buren's later life, though key biographical details--such as the early death of his wife--were only briefly mentioned at the end. The tour concluded at a small gift shop with a nice selection of books and keepsakes. Overall, having prior knowledge of Van Buren helped me piece things together, but for first-time visitors, the lack of focus on his presidential legacy may leave them wanting more. I couldn't help but think that some of the funding loss was due to the staff losing sight of the park's primary purpose. Lindenwald remains a special site with strong potential. I hope future interpretive efforts rebalance the content to better highlight Van Buren's contributions and the historical significance of the home itself.

An interesting historical tidbit. This historic site includes Van Buren's "gentleman's farm" and…read moreestate called Lindenwald. He bought the estate later in his life in 1839. Washington Irving (the famous author) was a notable long-term guest at Lindenwald. Fee: Free Tip: if you want to tour the historic house, budget at least 2 hours because you might show up while a tour is in progress and need to wait for the next tour.