The scenic Middle Hudson Valley area in New York state – especially in Dutchess County – is steeped in history from the 19th through the mid-20th centuries. Plus it boasts some unique outdoor spots to tempt visitors. Interesting historical sites that welcome the public include the Gilded Age homes of early American political figures, industrialists, financiers, and philanthropists such as President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s family; Roosevelt’s cousin, Daisy Suckley; financiers Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt as well as Ogden and Ruth Livingston Mills. Besides the breathtaking beauty of the landscape are the homes of two Hudson River School artists who captured that beauty on canvas, Thomas Cole and Frederic Church. Throw in some gorgeous gardens, scenic trails, and a couple of inviting wineries, and you will have a wonderful time exploring this special place in New York – all within 60 miles of both Albany and New York City. This article highlights the top sites to visit and are listed in order from south to north.
1. President Franklin Roosevelt Sites in Hyde Park
FDR Home & Presidential Library
Route 9, Hyde Park | 845-229-5320
There are two significant buildings on this property. First is Springwood, Franklin Roosevelt’s (FDR) lifelong home along the Hudson River, operated by the National Park Service. Franklin Roosevelt (1882-1945) served as America’s 32nd president from 1933-1945. His wife Eleanor (1984-1962) served as First Lady as well as a diplomat and activist. A guided tour provides interesting information about FDR and his family as you walk through some of the rooms. Second is the Franklin Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, operated by the National Archives. Here you can wander on your own to view the extensive exhibits and artifacts highlighting the impact Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt had in their time – as well as today. Also onsite are the graves of Franklin and Eleanor and walking trails. Start at the visitor center to gain some background and guidance for your visit.
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site – Val-Kill
Route 9G, Hyde Park | 845-229-9422
Located about three miles from Springwood, Val-Kill is the retreat that Eleanor Roosevelt enjoyed with plenty of outdoor recreation options including a swimming pool, tennis court, and walking trails. The National Park Service provides guided tours of this residence. Consider walking the one-mile loop trail that Eleanor enjoyed on the property.
Top Cottage
Albany Post Road, Hyde Park | 845-229-5320
Still another Roosevelt property is Top Cottage that sits atop a hill overlooking the grand Hudson River valley. This was where the Roosevelt family relaxed and entertained notable dignitaries. (The view Roosevelt enjoyed decades ago is limited today due to the mature trees on the property.) Check online before visiting, as tours of Top Cottage were unavailable at the time of this article’s publication.
Hyde Park Railroad Station
32 River Road, Hyde Park | 845-229-2338
The Hyde Park Railroad Station sits in a local park along the Hudson River just south of the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site. FDR used this station to commute to Albany when he served as New York’s governor. In 1939, the king and queen of England visited Franklin and Eleanor in Hyde Park and, because they traveled by train, were at this station. Railroad service to Hyde Park ended in 1953. The railroad station, with photographs and artifacts from its busy years, has limited operating hours.
Visiting the FDR Sites
There is a large National Park Service visitor center on the property of FDR’s home. Here you can gain a good overview of the various properties owned by the family. The onsite FDR presidential library and museum is extensive, and easily requires a couple hours of time. If planning to visit all the FDR-related sites, expect to spend at least two days doing so. You might also want to consider the trails in and around the Roosevelt properties, including Farm Lane, if you have time to enjoy some woodland walks.
2. Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, Hyde Park
Route 9, Hyde Park | 845-229-7770
The Vanderbilt’s 50-room mansion was the country estate of Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt – a place to relax and entertain guests for a few weeks in the spring and fall. (By the way, Frederick was the grandson of one of the original “robber barons,” Cornelius Vanderbilt.) Here you’ll find a mansion built in a variety of styles as well as furnishings and decor meant to impress guests. The first floor has large entertaining spaces along with Frederick’s office and den. Upstairs are bedrooms (many with ensuite bathrooms — a luxury at the time) for Frederick, Louise, and their guests. Outside are formal gardens and trails around the property and down to the river. There’s no fee to explore the formal gardens or walk the trails. Concerts and other events are staged here in the warm weather months.
3. Innisfree Gardens, Millbrook
362 Tyrrel Rd, Millbrook | 845-677-8000
Innisfree Gardens is a carefully landscaped property like no other. Walter and Marion Beck began the garden in the 1920s on their property in Millbrook. Harvard-trained landscape architect Lester Collins provided his design expertise to Innisfree over the years. The garden opened to the public in 1960.
Innisfree Gardens is close to 200 acres of perfectly planned natural-looking landscapes around Tyrell Lake, heavily influenced by Chinese and Japanese ideas. Specifically, the garden is a unique collection of vignettes – like outdoor “rooms” that are also called “cup gardens” — created by careful placement of rocks, plants, steps, and water features. Walking through these outdoor spaces is a treat. Expect the unexpected and explore all the special places along the many trails. A walk around Tyrell Lake is about two miles. Stop at the Point for a beautiful, expansive view of the lake. Wear good shoes as there is some uneven terrain including roots and stone steps. Make reservations for your visit online prior to your visit.
4. Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, Millbrook
26 Wing Road, Millbrook | 800-662-9463
A short drive from Innisfree Gardens and Hyde Park is a scenic 130-acre estate, Millbrook Vineyards and Winery, a great stop while exploring the Hudson River area. Key varietals are Chardonnay, Tocai Friulano, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc. Enjoy a tasting in the two-story renovated barn and/or a bottle at one of the picnic tables in and around the panoramic vineyard. Millbrook was founded by John Dyson, a former commissioner of the state department of commerce and the creator of the iconic “I ❤️ NY” slogan.
5. Mills Mansion, Staatsburgh
Old Post Road, Staatsburgh | 845-889-8851
This grand hilltop 79-room house – known as the Mills Mansion and Staatsburgh State Historic Site – overlooking the Hudson River was once the country home of financier, investor, and philanthropist Ogden Mills (1856-1929) and his socially notable wife, Ruth Livingston Mills (1855–1920). They used it mostly as an annual fall retreat – just a few weeks a year. They and their guests enjoyed a variety of outdoor activities during the day and gathered for dinner each evening. Ruth inherited this property, her childhood home. In the 1890s, Ogden and Ruth expanded the home to become a Gilded Age showstopper. What had been a 25-room house was transformed into a 65-room Beaux-Arts mansion with 46 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms.
The dominant rooms downstairs are the dining room and library. The dining room was Italian-inspired with plenty of potted plants along with some Ming Dynasty vases. The large library was French-inspired and has thousands of books, a piano, and a desk once owned and used by Marie Antoinette. Both large rooms look out over the expansive lawn down to the Hudson River.
Visiting the Mills Mansion
Guided tours are offered on weekends; reserve your timed entry online prior to your visit. Feel free to walk the miles of trails, open daily, of the mostly woodland trails between the Mills and Norrie State Parks.
6. Milea Estate Vineyard, Staatsburgh
40 Hollow Circle Road, Staatsburgh | 845-264-0403
If visiting the Mills Mansion in Staatsburgh, you’re not far from another great winery. In a rural, scenic setting, Milea Estate Vineyard offers award-winning wines. This relatively young vineyard produces tasty wines including Rosé, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Claret. Enjoy a tasting, glass or bottle of wine in their tasting room or in the outside spaces overlooking the vineyard. Check online for events at the winery including live music on some weekends.
7. Wilderstein, Rhinebeck
330 Morton Road, Rhinebeck | 845-876-4818
Wilderstein was home to the prominent Suckler family and, most famously, Margaret “Daisy” Suckler (1891-1991), one of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s distant cousins who became his loyal confidant who was present at his death in 1945. Thomas Suckley, Daisy’s grandfather, built Wilderstein in the 1850s in the Italianate style. Upon Thomas’s death, his son (and Daisy’s father) Robert added to the original structure in the 1880s and transformed it into a Queen Anne Victorian design. In fact, the new structure completely envelops the original building. Joseph Tiffany, Louis Tiffany’s nephew, designed the first floor. Wilderstein doesn’t give off many pretentious airs despite its grand setting. Actually, walking into the home may trick you into thinking you’ve stopped by to have tea with Daisy as the cozy, dark-paneled library and the sun-filled parlor look as if she just left one of them to answer the door and her dishes are drying by the sink in the kitchen.
Visiting Wilderstein
Wilderstein offers guided house tours on weekends from May through October. Check online for current days and hours of tours. Also, there are about three miles of walking trails on the property open to the public, free of charge.
8. Homes of Hudson River School Painters, Catskill Area
The Hudson River area saw the advance of the first great American art movement, later called the Hudson River School, whose artists sought to capture the beauty of natural landscapes. This area was also home to two Hudson River School artists, Thomas Cole and Frederic Church. A visit to both homes will help illuminate the men’s lives as well as their highly acclaimed art. These homes are just north of Dutchess County along the Hudson River.
Thomas Cole National Historic Site
218 Spring Street, Catskill | 518-943-7465
Thomas Cole (1801-1848) was the first of the painters in the Hudson River School of painting. (He is considered the art movement’s unofficial founder.) Many of his paintings captured the ideal of the rich landscapes found in the Hudson River area. In addition to capturing the beauty of nature, he also sought to warn of its destruction due to mankind’s need to develop the land for other purposes such as the railroads. Besides landscapes, some of his paintings veered to the allegory – stepping away from the realism of his other works.
Cole lived in the home on the property with his family, and he painted in the studios onsite. Stepping on the large wrap-around porch, you will lay your eyes on the vistas that inspired him to paint his masterpieces. The guided house tour creatively interprets his life and his work through unique multimedia presentations while still allowing you to walk through the rooms he and his family inhabited to view his furnishings, some of his paintings, and even some of his correspondence. The grounds are lovely and his studios (old and “new”) are open, as well.
Olana, Frederic Church’s home
5720 State Route 9G, Hudson | 518-751-0344
Frederic Church (1826-1900) was, for a time, a student of Thomas Cole’s in the 1840s and went on to become a prominent member of the second generation of the Hudson River School. Church traveled worldwide and his paintings captured what he experienced in those new and varied settings.
Church designed his Persian-inspired home, Olana, and decorated it with some of his paintings and artifacts from his travels. There are lovely views from his hilltop oasis and the rooms are chockfull of his finds while exploring new lands. In addition, there are gardens and trails to enjoy on the property. When visiting Olana, you’ll enter the home and walk from room to room. In each room is a historical interpreter who will explain how the room was used and point out interesting pieces. You may visit the rooms in any order and are encouraged to ask questions along the way.
Tips for Visiting the Painters’ Homes
Spend a full day exploring the Cole’s and Church’s homes and what inspired them.
- Arrive at Thomas Cole’s home when it opens and take the guided tour.
- Proceed to one of the many subjects of the paintings – like Kaaterskill Falls – and walk in the footsteps of so many painters to see for yourself what captured their imagination. Check out the Hudson River Art Trail for ideas.
- Visit Olana in the afternoon. (For lunch, you might consider artsy downtown Hudson, just north of Olana.)
Map of Hudson Valley Highlights
Trip Planning Tips
- Mix and match the sites listed in this article to suit your interests and how much time you have to spend.
- Check online before your visit to verify the days and hours of operation for the sites you’re planning to visit.
- Keep in mind that some places may be open only on weekends; others are open daily. Knowing this ahead of time can help you plan your days.
Nearby Attractions
In the general region, other enjoyable attractions are:
- Walkway Over the Hudson, the 1.28-mile linear elevated park in Poughkeepsie (about 6 miles south of Hyde Park), spans the Hudson River. It’s billed as the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge. Originally, the bridge carried freight and passenger trains. However, a fire in 1974 destroyed the tracks. It was rebuilt and opened for pedestrian (and bicycle) traffic in 2009. There are three entrance points for the fully-accessible bridge, so you can access it from the west or east.
- Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, Rhinebeck. Enjoy airshows of vintage planes on most Saturdays and Sundays from mid-June through mid-October, visit the museum, or book a biplane ride yourself.
- If you enjoy sightseeing on two wheels, check out the Dutchess County Bike Tour Guide to get inspired.
- Still more ideas for a trip to the Hudson River area about in beautiful Dutchess County.
- West Point Military Academy, West Point, NY. This is the country’s military academy that educates cadets to become leaders in the U.S. Army. Offering tours for visitors, West Point is located about 40 miles south of Hyde Park.
New York State boasts even more amazing sites to visit — a little further away. Some articles to help you plan your New York State travels are:
- Historical Sites in the Adirondack Mountains (including President Grant’s Cottage, Lake George, Fort Ticonderoga, Saratoga Springs, John Brown’s Farm)
- Lake Placid
- Saratoga National Historical Park (Saratoga Battlefield), Saratoga Springs
- Saratoga Springs
If traveling in the Northeast, you may also want to consider Boston — about a 3.5-hour drive from the Hudson River area. Check out my article on Boston to help get inspired to visit this historical and vibrant city.
Where to Stay
My husband and I stayed at Journey Inn, right along Route 9 in Hyde Park. It’s perfectly situated to make visiting key sites and enjoying amazing dining easy drives. In fact, it’s right across the street from the Vanderbilt mansion. But more than the location is the wonderful hospitality we enjoyed. The hosts are very welcoming and so helpful in steering guests to great experiences and restaurants. Journey Inn provides a very comfortable stay with well-appointed guest rooms and relaxing common spaces. Starting off the day with their delicious and filling breakfasts is just what you need before setting out for a day of exploring.
Where to Eat
There are numerous dining options in charming Rhinebeck, at the Culinary Institute of New York, and the general Dutchess County area. We especially enjoyed these restaurants:
- Le Petit Bistro, Rhinebeck.
- Beekman Arms Restaurant, Rhinebeck.
- Bocuse, Hyde Park at the Culinary Institute of America. Lunch or dinner at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is a treat. There are several other restaurants on campus, so choose which cuisine interests you most and book ahead – their reservations fill up fast.
Final Thoughts
My husband and I so enjoyed our visit to the Dutchess County region in the Hudson Valley because of the range of experiences, delightful dining options, and amazing beauty of the area. It’s no wonder that people enjoy visiting this area so much. I especially appreciated our tours of the Gilded Age homes where notable 19th-century Americans once lived and worked.
Touring the estates gave me a deeper understanding of the ambitions of the country’s early industrialists and financiers and the things they valued in life. Walking the trails around their homes filled me with peace and a continued appreciation for nature’s beauty.
Go For a Walk!
Coupled with the magnificent mansions are scenic walking trails that made the estate visits so enjoyable. Those prominent folks chose the settings for their grand homes for a reason. They treasured the vast vistas of the Hudson River as well as the Catskill Mountains in the distance. Thankfully, since these properties are open to the public, we can do the same today. Also impressive is Innisfree Garden, a unique collection of carefully planned landscape vignettes around a peaceful lake. Finally, as my husband and I enjoy seeking out wineries with great vintages and views, our visits to the Milea and Millbrook vineyards did not disappoint. All in all, the Dutchess County area is a gem.
Comments?
Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences from a visit to the Hudson Valley. Your comments could help other travelers. 🙂
