From the quaint shops to the world-renowned modern art, there’s no shortage of things to do in hudson valley. You’ll also find plenty of ways to enjoy the region’s natural landscape.
Stretching from Westchester County to Albany, the Hudson River Valley stretches into New York’s Upstate region, where you’ll discover vineyards and orchards, the sustainable-food champion Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, and Dia:Beacon, a museum in a former factory showing large-scale work by 20th and 21st century artists. This is the land that inspired the Hudson River School of painters, and that Henry Hudson set out to explore in 1609.
The area’s rich history is preserved at many sites, including Kykuit, the estate built by two prominent Dutch families; Fort Montgomery, where George Washington led his army into battle during the Revolutionary War; and Stony Point, the site where a surprise midnight bayonet attack by American General Anthony Wayne reversed the British tide of the war. There are also numerous rewilded battlefields and parks where you can explore the land as it was before industrialization.
While the region still has a strong connection to its historic past, it is now known for its string of charming small towns and majestic nature. Visit the home and grounds of Hudson River School painter Frederic Church in Olana, and explore the reconstructed 1809 village at Kinderhook. In Garrison, the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVSF) has garnered a reputation for its lucid, engaging productions under an iconic open-air Theater Tent.
The region’s renowned modern art is on display at the Dia:Beacon and Storm King Art Center in Beacon, as well as at the Beacon Institute for Contemporary Arts. The Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan and the Neuberger Museum of Jewish Art are also nearby, making this an ideal destination for art-lovers.
Throughout the Hudson Valley, you’ll also find lots of places to eat and drink. Grazin’ is a 1950’s style diner with a decidedly modern outlook on animal welfare, offering ethically sourced burgers and other farm-to-table fare. For a coffee shop with a twist, head to Moto Coffee Machine, which shares space with a full motorcycle repair shop.
Traveling through the valley is easy: The main highways are Interstate 87 and, with a small section in southeastern Westchester County, Interstate 95. There are several major state parkways, too, including the Saw Mill River Parkway and Hutchinson River Parkway in Westchester County, the Taconic State Parkway in Rockland County, and the Palisades Interstate Park in southwestern Rockland and Orange Counties. Commuter rail service to and from Manhattan is provided by Metro-North Railroad, with the New Haven Line serving southeast Westchester County, the Harlem Line serving Central and Eastern Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess Counties, and the Hudson Line serving western Rockland and Orange Counties.
The closest airports are Westchester County Airport near White Plains and Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, both served by commercial airlines. Commuter bus transit is offered by NY Waterway on the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry, and by local bus operators like Rockland Coaches in Rockland County, Short Line in Rockland and Orange Counties, and Leprechaun Lines in Orange and Rockland Counties.