The Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt is part of a larger Roosevelt themed location that you can choose…read moreto do one or all of. There is a shared visitors center, the Henry A. Wallace Visitor Center, where you can purchase tickets accordingly. We stopped in thinking we would purchase the Home tickets and explore the center a bit, but the friendly ranger told us there was room for us on the tour starting in 5 minutes if we wanted to head straight down to the meeting spot. The tour itself was quite informative, and the house is well preserved. This is FDR's childhood and adulthood home, and this is reflected in the house itself, where we were shown the room in which he was born, his childhood room, and the room he stayed in as an adult with its two phones - one a direct line to the White House. The mobility accommodations added after FDR's round with polio are also evident in the house, with an example of a home wheelchair he designed using a standard dining chair on bicycle wheels (so it would match when he was seated at the table), ramps, and a manual elevator he used to move between floors. The nearby grounds are also nice to explore - beautiful gardens, intriguing artwork, and you can pay your respects to the Roosevelts. FDR's Presidential Library is also located on the grounds, though with a separate entry. The Visitor Center has good amenities, including a cafe, the Uncle Sam's Canteen, run by the friendliest staff who were pulling out freshly baked croissants when we initially stopped in; a theatre where they show a film about the Roosevelts, a gift shop, and clean restrooms.

7/9/25: We visited the historic home of FDR. It's a must see for all, no matter your political…read moreaffiliation. All visits are by guided tour. Springwood was Roosevelt's birthplace. In addition, Franklin and Eleanor raised their six children at the family estate. The decor is understated, unlike like the Vanderbilt's. After FDR was stricken with polio, the home was designed for his wheelchair access. During the tour, the female guide spoke at length in a couple of areas. ***Think there should be some type of wall guide hand rail for those who are unable to stand for periods of time listening to the guide. The second floor of the home has a narrow walkway. I think the people that oversee the estate should consider my suggestion for people with mobility issues. This is why I took one star off. On the grounds, you'll see a statue of President Roosevelt and Sir Winston Churchill, FDR Presidential Library and museum, beautiful gardens and a café. Looking forward to going back to visit the FDR Presidential library and museum. Due to time constraints, we only saw half of it. In the Library and Museum, we did see an excellent exhibition of wonderful letters from famous persons (World Politicians, Scientists, Celebrities) to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Admission fees as follows: Federal Park Pass- Free Standard- $15 A parking lot is available outside the visiting center.

5/21/21 This hot and…read moremoggy day brought us to this trail, with an endless amount of shade along the way. We started on the 9G end and walked toward Route 9. There are not a lot of views in the distance you'll get along the way but will notice turns and hills with endless views of the woods. The main trail is on a gravel path followed by two additional dirt trails indicating yellow and red. Both of these trails end up back at the gravel trail if you choose to go that way. We had a great experience going round trip enjoying the scenery. The name of the main trail is called the Hyde Park Trail which connects with other trails along the way, which a matter of fact connects with River Front Park (see my other review). Please, I strongly encourage you to bring bug spray because we screwed up. It's very bad along the whole journey. Also, check for ticks.

We really enjoyed our afternoon hike at Roosevelt Farm Lane Trail. This park came to my attention…read morewhen I was doing a search for local parks with carriage roads. Not only are the roads here in good condition, but most of the road has great shade from the trees, so even if it is hot out you are not suffering too much. I am not a tree expert or anything, but I think there are a lot of pine trees in these woods because the smell of pine was strong throughout our hike, which was really nice. Located in a few places on the trial were information plaques with QR Codes, so make sure you have a QR reader app installed on your phone before you visit so you can scan the code and listen to the guided tour on your phone.

3/18/26: The Vanderbilt Mansion is a must see when visiting Hyde Park!…read more You first drive up a winding driveway, till you reach the visitor's center to purchase tickets. Should you have a National Service Park Pass, you'll be able to enter for free. It's best to call at 9 AM just to be sure there's availability. Inside the center, you'll find restrooms and a large display of the Vanderbilt family tree. Our docent Mike first started the tour at the visitor center. Mike was very knowledgeable and had wonderful wit. The visitor center used to be the guest house for Mrs. Vanderbilt's bachelor friends during their stay over. Mike walked us over to the main estate. The outside of the estate is stunning. We then entered the beautiful estate. All the furnishings are absolutely gorgeous. The last part of the tour is walking down the servants stairs. However, the best photo view is probably looking up from the bottom of the staircase. Hope you enjoy the photos. Photos are allowed, but without flash.

Our primary purpose in coming up to Hyde Park was to visit the Roosevelt sites, but we figured we'd…read morestop here at neighboring Vanderbilt Mansion since we were already in the area. It was well worth the stop! Tours are required to enter the mansion and last an hour. It was well worth it - our tour guide was fantastic - engaging, knowledgeable, and fun. This 54 room estate was owned by what our tour guide described as the "Vanderbilt least likely to star in a reality show," his wife Louise was fascinated by France so all of her spaces are heavily French inspired, and despite a very clear upstairs/downstairs division, these Vanderbilts left significant portions of their fortune based on individual years of service to their servants in their will. The story of how this mansion ended up with the National Park Service was also interesting - the home itself was left to Louise's niece, who, while wealthy, was unable to pay the taxes on this additional large property. So she attempted to sell - but it was the Great Depression and there were no buyers. Neighbor Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed a plan: offer to sell the property and home intact to the NPS for $1 as he also made arrangements to transfer his neighboring property to them, as well. The grounds themselves are lovely - the Vanderbilts maintained formal gardens and are free to explore. There is a stunning view - referred to as "a millionaire's view" at the time - of the Hudson River. Tickets can be purchased for house tours in the visitor's center. Note that the home does not have air conditioning so it can get toasty in warm weather.

This a a fantastic area to camp in, there are SO MANY things you can do in the neighborhood…read more(Vanderbilt mansion, CIA, Roosevelt presidential library and museum, orchards and farms, walkway over the Hudson). In terms of the campground, the bathrooms and showers are great. The actual campsite are way too close together and there are these little seed pod things that get everywhere and are harmless, but kind of suck anyway.

Well well, Norrie State Park was the first discovery for me when I was on a field trip during my…read morehigh school career when we visited the Norrie Point Environmental Center. This review is going toward the hiking me and my friend experienced, and it was a good one. We parked at the closet entrance, which is on the left. We took the blue trail which is 4.59 miles to exist (making it the longest trail). Some of the markers along the way are not clearly marked as we ended up going the wrong way, making it confusing. One of the blue markers on a tree was facing at the wrong angle. We then figured it out later on thankfully, as we saw the marker up ahead. With me being good with maps and getting around, we ended up going off the path onto the main road to the Hudson River close up. There are a couple of spaces for parking. We got back on the blue trail as it did a big loop and got on the red trail for a bit, until reaching the main road and followed that to the parking lot where we parked. There are multiple trails along the way to take in, as the white trail, according to the map follows the river, which looks appealing. That will be for another visit. To keep life simple, there should be more maps provided along with updated signage for trail colors, which will then bring up my rating.

Took the Elevator to Upper Landing Park. The ride is gorgeous. With Views of the beautiful walkway…read morearchitecture. Ray a friendly Walkway Staff member managed the elevator for safe and secure rides. The elevator ride is definitely a must, especially for those first timers and sightseers. Signed, The Happy Hour Huntress

Longest pedestrian bridge in the US, former train tracks. The views are beautiful easily accessible…read moreit is free, but must pay for parking on the Highland side. Easy walk or ride back and forth to Poughkeepsie, plenty open walking their pets. It's definitely a must visit when in the area.

Ranger Deborah was awesome!! Such a welcoming and knowledgeable tour guide that made our tour at…read moreVal Kill, the home of Eleanor Roosevelt, amazing. It was really interesting to learn more about Eleanor, who was truly a fascinating and hard working individual. There are all sorts of personal touches around the house that made it feel very homey and welcoming. There is a memorial to the 75th anniversary of the passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, an effort which Eleanor led, in the gardens too. The grounds are pretty and welcoming, and the community is allowed to just stop by and play on her tennis court whenever it is open. The home itself requires tour tickets with a ranger, which you can get at the small cottage that serves as a visitor's space, featuring an exhibit, film, and maps/stamps/etc. Restrooms are in a third building on the property and were clean and well-kept.

Great place to visit if you are into history or simply to enjoy a nice outdoor. There is a walking…read moretrail inside the property. You can join a free tour of the house. Our guide were knowledgeable. 80% of the stuff inside the house were original. Great tour.

We had guest visiting and we always pass by this place so we thought, why not give it a shot!? It…read morewas a cold rainy day so we ran in not knowing what to expect. I think this is an awesome distillery and I can see it being even more fun in warmer weather! This place is know for whiskey and rye. It's cool because they do sampler in a little vile glass which I think is creative. Their cocktails were also super delicious! The service was great! It's seems that they definitely have regular customers that come in. It's not too big of a spot but there was a lot of seating both tables and around the bar.

A nice whiskey distillery with a bar/tasting room and nice outdoor seating by the stream. I love…read morethe beautiful ambiance of the outdoor seating area - its flanked by trees and you can listen to the gurgling sounds of the stream while enjoying your drinks. This distillery is also has grounds you can walk around and explore (not too big though). We took a peek at their aging/storage room with wooden casks while there, as well as their distillery. We were treated to a free, small sample of their whiskey at their bar. Its a nice stop when in upstate NY area.

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.

The Hyde Park Police are responsive and friendly while also remaining professional as they maintain…read morethe peace.

I'm very grateful for all that our Hyde Park Police Officers due to keep us protected and safe. I…read moremoved here from San Diego last Fall, and had a few questions regarding speed limits on certain streets and other traffic related codes. Every time I called the Station, my questions were taken seriously and my questions were addressed. From my observations, the Officers take great pride in protecting our City. And during these turbulent times, I offer them my total support, and prayers for their personal safety. All of the Hyde Park Officers are part of what makes living in the Town of Hyde Park so great.