FDR's Home and Library
The first presidential library, in Hyde Park, and Eleanor's Val-Kill.
The Hudson Valley
America's first great landscape: FDR's home, Gilded Age mansions, Sleepy Hollow and Dia Beacon, an hour from New York.
The river's views inspired the Hudson River School of painters. In Hyde Park are FDR's home and library and the Vanderbilt Mansion. Sleepy Hollow has Washington Irving's Sunnyside, and the Rockefellers' Kykuit. Storm King Art Center is a huge outdoor sculpture park.
- Best Time
- May–June and September–October
- Time Needed
- 2–3 days
- Cost Level
- $$$$
- Open
- Check before you go; hours vary by season
- Getting There
- Metro-North trains run from New York City along the river.
What to See
0 of 5 are freeStorm King Art Center
Huge sculptures in rolling fields.
Dia Beacon
Minimal art in an old Nabisco box factory.
Sleepy Hollow and Kykuit
Washington Irving's Sunnyside, and the Rockefellers' home.
Olana
Frederic Church's Persian-style home, with his painted views.
Know Before You Go
- Weekends are busy. Reserve for Storm King and Kykuit.
Where to Stay
Stay in Beacon, Rhinebeck or Hudson.
Where to Eat
Our picks are on the way.
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Go Next
Must-See
If You're NearbyWest Point
New York
The US Military Academy on a Hudson River bluff, America's oldest service academy, whose graduates include Grant, Lee, Eisenhower and Patton.
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If You're NearbyThe Catskills
New York
New York City's old mountain escape, where Rip Van Winkle slept, with Kaaterskill Falls and the Woodstock festival site.
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Last checked 2026-11-02. Part of the Northeast list.