6 Best Things To Do In Poughkeepsie, New York

1. Mid-Hudson Children's Museum

Are you a family with kids? Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum is the perfect family destination to offer your child a lesson or two in arts, literacy, health, STEM, and local communities. More than 55,000 travelers visit the museum annually, which has won prestigious awards like 2015 United Way Non-Profit Spotlight Award and 2015 Dutchess Tourism Family Entertainment Award of Distinction. Even their support staff has won several awards for their hospitality.

With a vision that every child has a curiosity to learn, their mission is to empower young children as well as their families. If you think that your children would rather spend time playing outside, you need to visit Springside (see below).

Mid-Hudson Children's Museum

Address: 75 N Water St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601, USA

Website: Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum

2. Springside

Springside, situated on Academy Street, was designed by a renowned architect named Andrew Downing over a 3 year period, just before he died. The beautiful landscape is mesmerizing, and Downing used thousands of transplanted trees from nearby forests to create rustic looking artful structures that are simply beautiful and majestic in nature. Scenic views were created using lush plants and grasses that surrounded the rock outcrops. Curvy pathways and irregular shaped artificial ponds were also created. Downing was a wildly popular writer at the time and used his imagination to give the whole place a natural but aesthetically wild look.

Springside

Address: 185 Academy St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601, USA

Website: Springside

3. Top Cottage

Top Cottage, alternatively known as the Hill Top Cottage, is situated in Hyde Park, New York. It is notable because the cottage was designed by none other than Franklin D. Roosevelt himself for his personal use. Construction began in 1939, during Roosevelt’s second term and it was built to accommodate a wheelchair. The cottage was a retreat and also saw the arrival of some notable guests like Queen Elizabeth and King George VI.

The cottage is also notable for being the second only building that was ever designed by an acting US President. Ironically, Roosevelt didn’t spend a single day at the cottage after it was finished because his mother’s house was bigger and more suitable for his special needs. What a terrible loss!

Top Cottage

Address: Hyde Park, NY 12538

Website: Top Cottage

4. Italian Center

The Italian Center is a two-story building owned by an organization located on Mill Street. Every year, it hosts the popular annual Festa Italiana food festival, which is attended by thousands of food enthusiasts. The 23rd festival was attended by attended by 15,000 visitors where more than 1,000 portion of meatballs, chicken parmigiana, and eggplant rollatini were cooked. It is a fun-filled night with food, music, and games that are organized to keep the visitors happy and busy.

Italian Center

Address: 227 Mill St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601, USA

Website: Italian Center

5. Walkway over the Hudson Bridge

The Walkway over the Hudson Bridge, which is also known as the Poughkeepsie Bridge, connects people living on the eastern banks of the Hudson River with the western bank where Riverside Park is situated. It wasn’t always a walkway though. Earlier, it was known as the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge; however, later it was transformed into the world’s longest elevated bridge. The bridge was first built in the year 1889; however, it was inducted in the National Registrar of Historic Places after a fire that partly destroyed it in 1974.

The bridge was restored into a walkway in 2009 after which it came to be known as the Hudson Bridge Walkway. It has the honor of being the longest footbridge in the world at 1.28 miles (2 km) long and constructed 212 feet (64 m) above the water. You can visit the walkway from sunrise to sunset.

You will notice several early risers using the walkway for jogging, walking, and running in the mornings and evenings. The view is fantastic and the air is fresh. The walkway is also used to hold annual events. One of the most famous events is the Dutchess County Classic Marathon.

Walkway over the Hudson

Address: Walkway Over the Hudson, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601, USA

Website: Walkway over the Hudson

6. Bardavon Opera House

Bardavon Opera House was built in 1869, and it is the oldest theater that has been operating continuously in New York. Renowned architect J.A. Wood designed the opera house in the downtown and it has been a home to performing artists for more than 140 years.

It has a seating capacity of 944 and houses two theaters. HVP (Hudson Valley Philharmonic), a premiere orchestra of the Hudson Valley performs here regularly. It has also been inducted in the National Register of Historic Places.

Some of the performances based on arts that are performed here include dance, theater, classic films, and of course, opera. Both the theaters are active at all times, so there are plenty of performances to be appreciated here. Also, there are education programs and art based performances for kids that offer a unique learning experience to the younger generation. This is a must visit for all art lovers.

Bardavon 1869 Opera House

Address: 35 Market St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601, USA

Website: Bardavon 1869 Opera House

Poughkeepsie: a quite heaven

Poughkeepsie, NY is a quite place and that is heaven for folks who are looking for a more relaxed getaway where they can enjoy history and nature at their own pace. Once you settle into your accommodation, whether that is an Airbnb rental, Vrbo rental, or hotel room, you can enjoy the various farm-to-table restaurants and popular festivals in Hudson Valley in the area. There is no need rush, but to absorb everything slowly. It is beautiful and the locals are friendly.