The railroad-wealthy Vanderbilt family's summer 'cottage' is a beaux-arts spectacle, with most of the original furnishings. The exterior of the mansion was fully restored in 2017; entry within is by tour only, but you're free to explore the grounds, parts of which provide sweeping views over the Hudson River to the Catskills.
Vanderbilt Mansion
Hudson Valley
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
20.53 MILES
The 300,000-sq-ft former Nabisco box-printing factory beside the Hudson River is now a storehouse for a series of stunning monumental works by the likes…
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26.36 MILES
This 500-acre sculpture park, established in 1960, has works by the likes of Barbara Hepworth, Mark di Suvero, Andy Goldsworthy and Isamu Noguchi. All…
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29.63 MILES
This is one of the finest of the Hudson Valley mansions, as its owner, celebrated landscape painter Frederic Church, designed every detail, inspired by…
Opus 40 Sculpture Park & Museum
18.12 MILES
Beginning in 1938, artist Harvey Fite (founder of the fine arts department at nearby Bard College) worked for nearly four decades to coax an abandoned…
28.1 MILES
For the best view of New York State's highest falls – 260ft, compared to Niagara's 167ft – without a strenuous hike, head to the viewing platform. Popular…
19.04 MILES
A half-mile nature trail leads to this 1869 landmark on the point where Esopus Creek joins the Hudson. Tours of the building are available by appointment,…
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1.98 MILES
Rangers lead interesting hour-long tours around Springwood, the home of Franklin D Roosevelt (FDR) who won a record four presidential elections and led…
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29.25 MILES
Whether or not you choose to take a campus tour of the historic US military academy, this museum, which traces the role of war and the military throughout…
Nearby Hudson Valley attractions
1. FDR Presidential Library and Museum
1.92 MILES
Franklin D Roosevelt began the tradition of creating presidential libraries that are both museums and archives of a presidential administration. The…
2. Home of Franklin D Roosevelt
1.98 MILES
Rangers lead interesting hour-long tours around Springwood, the home of Franklin D Roosevelt (FDR) who won a record four presidential elections and led…
3.21 MILES
This 181-acre estate is the location of two main buildings: Val-Kill Cottage, the larger two-story building that was originally a furniture factory…
4. Staatsburgh State Historic Site
4.17 MILES
Take a tour around this beaux-arts mansion, the home of Ogden Mills and his wife Ruth. The Mills family made its fortune by investing in banks, railroads…
5.93 MILES
This is the main eastern entrance (with parking) to what was once a railroad bridge (built in 1889) crossing the Hudson. Today it's the world's longest…
6. Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center
7.96 MILES
Vassar College's art gallery is housed in a building designed by César Pelli. The collection is broad ranging from Roman sculptures to classic photography…
8.16 MILES
Step back in time on a stroll around this picturesque enclave of buildings remaining from a Huguenot settlement dating back to 1678. Guided tours (which…
8. Hudson River Maritime Museum
8.69 MILES
The rich history of the Hudson River's activity is preserved at this museum located in a former warehouse on the waterfront in Kingston. In addition to…