Attractions in and around Rhinebeck
Montgomery Place: Historic Home, Architectural Building.
Wilderstein Preservation: Extraordinary Queen Anne-style mansion housed multiple generations of the Suckley family.
God's Acre: Cemetery where 43 soldiers of the American Revolution are buried and honored.
Museums:
Hudson River Museum: The Hudson River Museum is located in a beautiful 23 acre park facing one of the most magnificent riverscapes in the world. The museum houses six modern galleries, a restored 1876 Victorian mansion and the Andrus Planetarium.
Hudson River Maritime Museum: The Hudson River Maritime Museum is the only museum in New York State exclusively preserving the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries, and the industries that developed around it.
Southeast Museum: Established in 1963, the Southeast Museum offers exhibits on the history of the Town of Southeast, including the early American Circus, the Harlem Line Railroad, the Tilly Foster Mine, the Borden Milk Condensery, and the Croton Reservoir System.
Shaker Museum and Library: Housing over 18,500 objects, the Shaker Museum and Library preserves, collects and interprets one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of Shaker artifacts.
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum: The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome presents antique airplanes in their natural setting and recaptures the thrill and excitement of old-time flying from the period of 1900 to 1940.
Arts:
Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck: The Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck is dedicated to presenting, promoting, and providing educational experiences in multiple forms of the performing arts and manifold styles of expression. The center features plays, musicals, dance concerts, lectures, stage readings and workshops.
Activities in Rhinebeck
Biking: Bike tours are a healthy, fun and leisurely way to view some of the gorgeous scenery in the area. The Dutchess County of Tourism offers directions and maps of scenic bike tours.
Boating & Kayaking: Boating access to the Hudson River is at the Rhinecliff Town Landing on Hutton Street, and at the Anchorage at the end of Anchorage Road, off Northern Boulevard, in North Germantown. Guided kayak tours are also available.
Camping: Mills-Norrie State Park, Old Post Rd., Staatsburg. 51 campsites w/hot showers, 10 cabins. No RV hook-ups. Boat launch, flush toilets, marina.
Cross-Country Skiing: While cross-country skiing is permitted at Hyde Park; Staatsburg; Southlands Foundation, Rhinebeck; Red Hook; Milaan, Tivoli; be aware that none offer groomed, well-maintained trails.
Golf: Red Hook Golf Club; Dinsmore Golf Course, Staatsburg; Thomas Carvel Golf Course, Milan.
Fishing: Fishing the Hudson is varied and exciting, and requires no fishing license. Catch and release is what most recommend, due to PCBs. The exception to this is shad, which come to the Hudson to spawn in early spring, and don't feed while they're spawning and so are not contaminated. Also in early spring striper fishing, where it is not uncommon to pull a twenty inch fish out of the river, is very popular with boat and shore fishermen alike. If bait fishing seems appealing, then you could likely catch a few carp or eels. Anyone who fishes the river regularly knows that even if nothing is caught, it's a good excuse to spend an afternoon near the water. Trout fishing the Roeliff Jansen Kill can be very gratifying. The stream is stocked with two-year trout, so they are big enough to eat. One of the more popular access spots to the Roe-Jan is Jackson Corners Road in Elizaville. Trout season runs from April through mid-October and requires fishing licenses.
Gardening: Area Garden clubs are very active and regularly have talks that are open to the public. Montgomery Place in Annandale offers a variety of workshops throughout the spring and summer. Bard College hosts a community garden program in the summer as well. One annual springtime event that gardening enthusiasts should not miss is Daffodil Day in Clinton.
Horseback Riding: Horse shows are often open to the public at Southlands on Route 9, south of Rhinebeck. Horseback riding lessons are available also. The Valley Horse Club (845-758-0619) has clinics, shows, field trips, fund raisers. The Club meets twice a month and welcomes new members. The Rombout Hunt Club (845-876-4862) hosts a spring trail ride, and other hunt activities. Other riding centers and clubs include: Hidden Hollow Farm Riding Center, Red Hook (845-758-0619); Landsman Kill Trail Association, Rhinebeck (845-876-1929); Rhine Valley Farm, Rhinebeck (845-876-2458); Tatra Farms, Clinton Corners, (845-266-3101).
Hunting: Recently popular is a special archery season for deer that spans a total of about six weeks, five weeks before the regular gun-hunting deer season and one week after. In designated hunting areas pheasant, grouse, woodcock, squirrel, cotton-tail rabbit, raccoon and waterfowl can also be found. Designated hunting areas include Lafayetteville Multiple Use Area, off Rt. 199 in Milan/Pine Plains; Roelliff Jansen Kill Multiple Use Area, off the Taconic Parkway in Milan and Livingston; and Tivoli Bays Nature Reserve, off Rt. 9G and Kidd Lane, Tivoli. Most of the local hunt clubs offer classes and shoots. One of them, Neighbors' Gun Club on Burger Road in Rhinebeck, has nearly 150 paid members and is almost 50 years old. It welcomes new members as long as they live in the area. Contact them at 889-4275. Other shooting/fishing clubs include Northern Dutchess Rod & Gun Club, (433-3065); or Cokertown Rod & Gun Club, 758-5966. The TMT Hunting Preserve in Clinton (845-266-5108) is open to the public and offers daily, half-day and full-day hunts for upland birds and mallard ducks. Call for info: NYS DEC, Bureau of Wild Life, Regions 3 & 4. Phones: Dutchess: (845-256-3098); Columbia: (518-357-2049).
Ice Boating, Fishing & Ice Skating: On Tivoli South Bay when conditions are right. Sometimes also off North Germantown and Rhinecliff town landings.
Scenic Walks & Hikes: East of village of Rhinebeck on west side of Rt 9G between Kerr Rd & Violet Hill Rd.
Ferncliff Forest Game Refuge & Forest Preserve: 192-acre preserve in the heart of Rhinebeck. Walking trails, pond, lookout tower.
Hudson River Mansions: Always a good choice for hikes & walks: Mills Mansion, Montgomery Place, Clermont State Historic Site, & Olana. (See Area Attractions for locations).
Mills-Norrie State Park: Hiking & environmental center on the Hudson River.
Poets' Walk Park: 120-acre park, spectacular river views, cedar shelters, pavilion, no vehicles or bikes. 9am- dusk, weather permitting. River Rd., Red Hook.
Tivoli Bays: 1700-acre nature reserve. Wooded walking trails fromTivoli to Bard campus; kayaking in North Bay, hunting on undeveloped wet- & uplands. For safety, travel with a buddy.
Swimming: Swimming Lake open Memorial Day to Labor Day. Residents only. Milan: Wilcox Park; Rhinebeck Town Pool; Red Hook Rec Park Pool; Palatine Park.
Tennis: Besides tennis courts in the Red Hook and Rhinebeck Recreational Parks, tennis is available at the Rhinebeck Tennis Club adjacent to the Center for Performing Arts on Route 308 in Rhinebeck — including platform tennis in winter.
Festivals and Events in and around Rochester
Flea Market (September 12, 2009): 9am–3pm. Church of the Messiah, Rhinebeck.
Hudson Valley Food & Wine Show (Saturday, September 12 — Sunday, September 13): Gourmet food showcase, cooking demos, wine seminars, live music, & more. Sat 11am–6pm; Sun 11am–5pm. At Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck.
Open Days Garden Tours (Sunday, Sepember 13 2009): William & Arvia Morris's gardens; also Peter & Deborah Barrow's Maple Shade Farm, both in Rhinebeck.
Side by Side by Sondheim (Friday, October 2 - Sunday, October 4 2009): Tribute to composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim.
Crafts at Rhinebeck (Saturday, October 3 — Sunday, October 4): Over 200 juried craftspeople, wine tasting, specialty foods, organic & farm produce for sale, children's hayrides and more.
Rhinebeck Antiques Fair (Saturday, October 10 — Sunday, October 11): More than 200 exhibitors display furniture, folk art, decorative objects & more. Food court, free parking. Food court, free parking & delivery service. Dutchess Cty. Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck.
Gazen Gallery (Wednesday, September 2 — Thursday, September 10): "Hot Summer Show." Gallery hrs.: Wed–Mon 10am–7pm. 6423 Montgomery St., Rhinebeck.
Peace Vigils (Wednesday, September 2 — Wednesday, November 25): 1 hr. peace vigil every Wed. Corner of Montgomery & Mill Sts., Rhinebeck. Organized by Dutchess Peace Coalition. |
