99 Best Sights in Hudson Valley, New York

At this living-history museum, costumed guides are strategically placed throughout the estate, which includes an 18th-century stone manor house and an 18th-century tavern. The house includes some of its original Georgian and Federal furnishings. Spinning, weaving, and other demonstrations are held in a tenant house adjacent to the tavern. Admission is by timed tour only.

Founded as a women's college in 1865, Vassar went coed in 1969, the first well-known single sex school to do so. Today about 2,400 students attend this highly-respected liberal arts school. The 1,000-acre campus, with its lakes, gardens, and 200-plus tree varieties, is a lovely place for a walk. Other Vassar highlights include the Tiffany windows in the chapel.

At 1.28 miles in length, the Walkway Over the Hudson is the world's longest pedestrian bridge, crossing over the Hudson River to link the cities of Highland and Poughkeepsie. You'll find walkers, runners, cyclists, and dog-walkers crossing the bridge to enjoy the panoramic view of fall foliage, migratory birds, and trains. There are entrances on each side of the bridge, both with picnic tables and vending machines. Seasonal food vendors also set up shop during the summer months.

From April 1782 to August 1783, General George Washington made his military headquarters and home in this Dutch fieldstone house, where he attended to the final years of Revolutionary War activity. Guided tours show how Washington, his wife, Martha, and his aides-de-camp lived and worked here as the war drew to a close. Filled with period furniture and reproductions, the house opened to the public in 1850, becoming the first official historic site in the United States. A monument to peace, the Tower of Victory, was erected here in the late 1880s. Adjacent to the house is a small museum containing artifacts collected since the mid-1880s. Lectures, live music, military and crafts demonstrations, and family programs honor Washington's birthday during a three-day extravaganza over Presidents' Day weekend.

The ruins of a 19th-century iron foundry stand here amid a babbling brook and 87 acres of preserved marshland and woodland. Scenic trails and interpretive features recount how the foundry once buzzed with activity as the original commercial hub of Cold Spring village. Its employees manufactured Civil War cannons, cannon balls, and guns, as well as cast-iron facades for SoHo warehouses and even the nation's first domestically made locomotive. Today there's also a replica of a historic gun platform. To get here from Main Street, turn south onto Kemble Avenue and take it to the end, proceed through the gate, turn left, and follow the path to the site. The preserve is accessible from the Cold Spring Metro-North train station.

The late owner, philanthropist Chauncey Stillman, envisioned his property as a grand European estate and fully realized his dream. The Georgian-style brick mansion surveys formal gardens inspired by the Italian Renaissance, complete with resident peacocks, fountains, a sculpture garden, and a dramatic view of the Catskills. The house has an important collection of paintings assembled by the owner. The stable block houses the carriage museum and a collection of coaching memorabilia.

The grand, Queen Anne–style Victorian home with a dramatic five-story circular tower was owned by the Suckley family for more than 140 years. The last family member to occupy the estate was Margaret "Daisy" Suckley, a distant cousin and close confidant of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. (The movie Hyde Park on Hudson was based on their relationship). The main floor interiors were designed by New York City decorator Joseph Burr Tiffany, a cousin of the famed stained glass artist. Noted landscape architect Calvert Vaux designed the grounds, which have Hudson River views. There are weekend house tours around Christmas.

The artist owners of this European-inspired castle have spent 45 years building their multi-towered stone pile using 85% recycled materials, including carved doors from a French chalet, salvaged stones, and old tools which are incorporated into the wrought-iron fence. It also has a small B&B with three antique-filled guest rooms, and three additional bedrooms across the street at the Tudor cottage. Be sure to check out the miniature Stonehenge with panoramic views of the Catskills and the Millbrook Winery vineyard.

The juried fair, held Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, showcases potters, photographers, jewelry designers, and other artisans from across the nation. The food is better than usual fair fare, with many vegetarian and other innovative dishes.