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Poughkeepsie is a city of about 32,000 people on the east bank of the Hudson River, midway between New York City and Albany and the seat of Dutchess County. Settled by the Dutch in the 1680s, it briefly served as New York's state capital and hosted the state convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1788. It later grew into an industrial river town and became famous as home of Vassar College, founded in 1861.
The city's signature attraction is the Walkway Over the Hudson, an 1889 railroad bridge turned into one of the world's longest elevated pedestrian bridges. Together with the Mid-Hudson Bridge it forms a scenic loop over the river. Vassar's tree-filled campus holds the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, and the historic Bardavon 1869 Opera House stages concerts and shows downtown.
Nearby estates add to the appeal: Locust Grove was the home of telegraph inventor Samuel Morse, and Springside preserves a landscape by Andrew Jackson Downing. Hyde Park's Roosevelt sites and the Culinary Institute of America are just north, making Poughkeepsie a natural Hudson Valley base.
A small riverfront park directly beneath the Walkway Over the Hudson, where a glass elevator about 21 stories tall lifts visitors up to the bridge deck. Lawns, benches and a riverside promenade look out over the Hudson, and restaurants are close by. The park is free; the elevator keeps seasonal hours.
The grounds of Matthew Vassar's country estate, laid out in the 1850s by the landscape designer Andrew Jackson Downing and now a National Historic Landmark. Paths wind through woods, meadows and the sites of former garden buildings. It is free, quiet and good for a short walk; trails are uneven.
A riverfront park at the foot of Main Street with lawns, benches, a boat launch and views of the Mid-Hudson Bridge and the Walkway. It is a fine spot to watch boats and the sunset over the Hudson. The Mid-Hudson Children's Museum and the train station are a short walk away.
An elegant suspension bridge opened in 1930 that carries U.S. 44 and NY 55 across the Hudson, with a pedestrian walkway on its south side. Combine it with the Walkway Over the Hudson for a loop of about four miles crossing the river twice. The towers are lit with colored lights at night.
A liberal arts college founded in 1861 by brewer Matthew Vassar, with a campus that is also an arboretum of more than 200 tree species. The Main Building, designed by James Renwick Jr., was once among the largest buildings in the country. Walk the grounds, Sunset Lake and the Shakespeare Garden.
Vassar College's art museum, with a collection spanning ancient art to contemporary works, including Hudson River School landscapes, European old masters and modern paintings, prints and photographs. Admission is free and it is rarely crowded. Allow an hour, and park in the visitor lot at the main gate.
Opened in 1869, the Bardavon is considered the oldest continuously operating theater in New York State. It hosts concerts, comedy, dance, film and the Hudson Valley Philharmonic in a restored auditorium on Market Street. Book ahead for popular shows and arrive early to admire the interior.
The Italianate villa of Samuel F. B. Morse, inventor of the telegraph, remodeled for him by Alexander Jackson Davis in the 1850s. Tours show period rooms and telegraph exhibits, and the estate has gardens and trails through woods and meadows above the Hudson. The grounds are free; house tours are seasonal.
A hands-on museum on the Poughkeepsie waterfront with interactive exhibits on science, the Hudson River, health and creative play for young children. It is a good rainy-day stop and pairs well with a walk in the riverfront parks. Best for ages one to ten; check hours before visiting.
A family-owned farm market on Route 44 that started as a roadside stand in 1919, selling produce, baked goods, cheeses, deli foods, flowers and garden plants. It is a local institution and a great place to stock up for a picnic on the Walkway. Fall brings pumpkins and apple cider.
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