Point of Interest: The Great Hunger Memorial

Parks attractions include: Picnicking, Playground, "The Great Hunger Memorial"

Family & Individual Visits as well as Group Visits are offered seasonally or by prior booking or just come at your leisure during the visiting times. Maps are provided for your use during your visit and you are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy on the farm. We also have Special Events at Rainbeau Ridge, so press "Blue Button" for more information about the farm, kids events, CAP membership and Rainbeau Ridge.

Features
Annual Sheep Shearing event
Cooking Classes In Lisa's Kitchen
Garden Produce
Goat Cheese

Things To Do
Boat Launch
Cabin Rental, RV Camping, and Tent Camping
Cross-country Skiing
Fishing
Hiking / Walking
Historic Wine Cellars
Museum
Nature Study
Pavilions
Picnicking
Playground
Swimming Beach

A National Historic Landmark, the 18th-century stone manor house is the centerpiece of the property. It features a fine collection of Georgian and Federal period furnishings, many original to Van Cortlandt Manor. Of particular note is an extraordinary kitchen on the ground floor, with original hearth, beehive oven, and extensive collection of cooking equipment and utensils. Also on the grounds is an 18th-century tavern situated on the historic Albany Post Road at the site of a ferry crossing over the Croton River. The tavern showcases an extraordinary collection of vernacular Hudson River Valley furnishings and evokes fascinating tales of travel and transport in the post-revolutionary period. Press "Blue Button" for photos and more information about Van Cortlandt Manor.

Attractions
Gardens
Guided tours of the house and grounds
Stone manor house
Tenant farmer's house and tavern

The word is: Great fun for the kids and children of all ages, as costumed guides demonstrate and invite visitors to try blacksmithing, brick making, open-hearth cooking and more from the past.

With pleasing proportions and marvelous acoustics, the Theater has been touted as “one of the finest municipal halls in eastern New York State” by Alvah French History of Westchester County, “A jewel of a theater on the Hudson” by Robert Sherman New York Times and “Acoustically superb” by Lou Cevetillo Opera Critic Gannett Newspapers. Press "Blue Button" for the Irvington Town Hall Theater - Children's Theater, Box Office, House Map, and more.

In 1958 the house and thirty of the original acres were purchased from Eleanor Jay Iselin’s heirs by Westchester County and transferred to the State of New York, which opened it to the public in 1964 as John Jay Homestead State Historic Site. The historic house is open most of the year, and can be seen by a guided tour through twelve beautifully furnished period rooms, restored to an 1820's appearance. Specialized tours and education programs are available by appointment. The historic site now encompasses sixty-two acres, including lovingly-tended formal gardens, magnificent woodland walks, rolling meadows, and a cluster of 19th century farm buildings. An 1820's schoolhouse and an 1830s barn are open for touring.

John Jay: First Chief-Justice of the United States
John Jay during the latter part of his life resided in the northern part of Bedford, NY. The annexed sketch of his life is from Blake's Biographical Dictionary: "John Jay, LL.D., first chief-justice of the United States under the constitution of 1789, graduated at Kings, (now Columbia College) in 1764 and in 1768 was admitted to the bar. He was appointed to the first American congress in 1774. Being on the committee with Lee and Livingston to draft an address to the people of Great Britain, he was the writer of the eloquent production. In the congress of 1775, he was on various important committees, performing more service perhaps than any other member except Franklin and John Adams. In May, 1776, he was recalled to assist in forming the government of New York, and in consequence his name is not attached to the Declaration of Independence... Though not a member of the convention, which formed the constitution of the United States, he was present at Annapolis and aided by his advice. He also assisted Madison and Hamilton in writing the Federalist. In the convention of New York he contributed to the adoption of the constitution. He was appointed chief justice by Washington, December 26, 1789. In 1794, he was appointed minister plenipotentiary to Great Britain, and succeeded in negotiating the treaty that still goes by his name. Chief-Justice John Jay was governor of the state of New York from 1795 to 1801. The remainder of his life passed in retirement. He died in 1829, aged 84."

Attractions
Audio-Visual Programs
Bridle Path Demonstrations
Educational Services
Gardens
Gift Shop
Group Tours
Hiking
Historic Site
Interpretive Sign
Picnic Area
Scenic Views
Self Guided Tours

Muscoot Farm is an early-1900's interpretive farm owned and operated by the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation. Muscoot Farm is open year-round and offers a full schedule of programs for families, as well as tours, farmyard visits and hayrides for groups by reservation. More than seven miles of hiking trails allow visitors to explore some of Muscoot's 777 acres through fields, woodlands and wetlands. Trail maps are available in the Reception Center.

Parks Attractions
Guided Farm Walking Tour
Hayrides
Herb Garden
Hiking Trails
Young Farmers Program (children grades 3 through 8)

The Emelin Theatre produces theatre that includes productions for Adults, Children and Musical Events to be enjoyed by all. Season productions may include: Bluegrass, Brazilian Jazz, Cabaret, Children's Theatre, Classical Music, Film Club, Plays, Acting Workshops and more.

The Huguenot Children’s Library is Westchester County ’s first and only children’s library. The library which opened in 1997 is entirely dedicated to children and their families, with books, computers, and activities just for kids, plus a community meeting space that can be used for special events. Outside, the library grounds include a plaza with seating for parents and caregivers adjacent to a state of the art playground.

The Huguenot Children’s Library is the result of an unprecedented community effort spearheaded by a non-profit, non-partisan citizen’s group, the Partnership for the Huguenot Children’s Library. Formed in 1993, this group took a branch library that was closed in 1992, reinvented it as a family destination and raised the funding needed to renovate and operate the library.

Storytimes and Special Programs
Homework Help
Book Connection
Teachers
Just for Fun Internet Sites
School and Family Programs

The Thomas Paine Memorial Building is located north of the Paine Monument at the corner of North Avenue and Valley Road in New Rochelle. The construction of this building began May 30,1925 when the great American inventor Thomas A. Edison turned the first spadeful of earth. For years this beautiful old building has housed our library and museum collection. Press "Blue Button" to explore the Thomas Paine National Historical Association website.

"To please the eye, there are the textures of stone scrolled with the delicate designs of lichen, the patterns of tree trunks and clusters of foliage, the play of light and shadow, the varying shades of green as well as the seasonal colors of great beauty. To please the ear, there are the songs of native birds, the hum of insects the chorale of frogs and the occasional splash of carp in the lake, the crunch of pebbles underfoot, the whisper of wind through the pines. To please the sense of scent, there are dry pine needles in the sun, the fragrance of flowering shrubs, a breeze through mimosa or the pungency of loam after a night rain."

Things To Do
Birding
Brush Painting
Children's Workshops
Educational Tours
Restaurant
Stroll Garden

The Ensemble had its origin in the summer of 2001 at the Croton-on-Hudson estate of Blueberry Pond, the residence of Stephan Summa, a businessman, and Jean-Paul DeVellard, a writer, food critic and playwright. According to Mr. DeVellard, "We knew a group of very talented artists, and my idea was to bring them together as the nucleus of a theatrical ensemble along the lines of the original Actors Studio. We all knew playwrights, actors, directors, that it would take a cooperative effort to bring our dream of original and bold and indeed provocative theater to life. Our commitment is to creative cooperation and support for new and exciting visions which reflect the world in which we live."

The Inaugural program featured an overture by the Paramount Symphony Orchestra, an appearance by the village mayor, and “A Paramount All-Talking Picture”, The Big Pond, starring Maurice Chevalier and Claudette Colbert. Publix Theatres was recognized as a leader in the theatre building industry, and the Peekskill Paramount was constructed as a state-of-the-art facility for the times. The Paramount building is a designated Westchester County Landmark, declared eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Paramount prospered for decades despite the Depression and World War II. However, it was the advent of shopping malls and television that brought on its demise as a movie theatre. Paramount sold the building in 1973. Eventually the building was acquired by the City of Peekskill in 1977 due to a tax default.

The Peekskill Paramount Center for the Performing Arts presented its first series of performances in the spring of 1982. Its mission was to bring cultural and educational programming to the northern Westchester and Putnam County area at affordable prices. Since 1982, what was a grass roots “Save the Paramount” campaign has grown to become a true center for the arts, with live performances, arts-in-education programs, films, and visual art exhibitions, serving over 50,000 people annually.

The Herrick House is a restored Victorian building that was owned by Dwight S. Herrick, a prominent Peekskill attorney. The Peekskill Museum was presented to the Field Library by Mrs. Ida M. Adams by deed dated January 3, 1944. It is one of Peekskill's most famous Victorian houses. The house was designed by the famous architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and Bigelow. The Herrick House is a fine example of a "well to do" Victorian home - with a spacious staircase, library, parlor and a fireplace with Dutch 'Delft' tiles depicting Biblical scenes.

The house was built between 1873 and 1877, occupied by the Herrick family until approximately 1912. Mr. Herrick's picture, presented to the Museum by Jennie Mabie in 1948, hangs on the wall in the front foyer, ready to greet visitors as Mr. Herrick would have done. The house itself was published in the best architectural journal of it's day, "The American Architect and Building News" on June 2, 1877. More recently, the house has been mentioned by Vincent Scully, a professor of Art History at Yale, in his book "The Single Story". Press "Blue Button" for more information about the Herrick House and the Peekskill Museum.

Completed in 1913 for John D. Rockefeller by architects Delano and Aldrich, Kykuit has been home to four generations of the Rockefeller family. Kykuit commands a breathtaking view of the Hudson River and occupies a landscape of extensive stone terraces, formal gardens, and glorious fountains designed by landscape architect William Welles Bosworth. The gardens include Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller's extraordinary collection of 20th-century sculpture. The house itself contains fascinating collections of art, fine furniture, and Chinese ceramics. Horse-drawn vehicles and classic automobiles from the family's collection fill the coach barn.

Tours include an introduction to each part of Kykuit, the main floor of the house, the art galleries, terraced gardens with classical and 20th-century sculpture, and the Coach Barn with antique carriages and classic cars. The sculpture collection, sited throughout the grounds, includes works by Pablo Picasso, Aristide Maillol, Henry Moore, Alexander Calder, Isamu Noguchi, Louise Nevelson, and many others.

The Union Church of Pocantico Hills features stained glass windows created by two modern masters: Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and Marc Chagall (1887-1985). Commissioned as memorials by members of the Rockefeller family whose estate, Kykuit, is nearby, the windows include the final work of Matisse, completed just two days before his death, and the only cycle of church windows created by Chagall in the United States.

On behalf of his family, Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller commissioned Matisse to create a rose window in memory of his mother Abby Aldrich Rockefeller (1874-1948), a distinguished patron of the arts, a founder of the Museum of Modern Art, and wife of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Before his death, Matisse had finished the design and had also selected the colors and exact type of glass to be used in the window. His daughter carried out his instructions, and the window was dedicated on Mother's, Day 1956.

David Rockefeller, representing his brothers and sister, commissioned Chagall in 1963 to design a similar memorial to their father, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. who had died in 1960. The large window "The Good Samaritan" was installed and dedicated in 1965. Chagall created eight smaller windows in the sanctuary, seven of which are devoted to Old Testament subjects. The eighth window, established as a memorial to Michael Rockefeller (1938-1961) who was lost in New Guinea, has a New Testament theme.

Attractions
Stained Glass Windows by Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall

With its varied terrain, landscapes and miles of wooded trails, the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation provides a variety of activities in all seasons. There are areas for picnicking, lean-to camping, fishing and cross-country skiing. The park is home to the Trailside Nature Museum, which hosts weekend nature interpretive programs year-round.

Things To Do
Camping
Cross-Country Skiing
Equestrian Trails & Horseback Riding
Fishing
Gardens
Hiking & Walking Trails
Museum
Nature Study
Picnicking
Play equipment is available in two areas of the park
Winter Activities

The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College has several theatres which offer the flexibility to present a diverse program of performing arts including: New York Philharmonic, Purchase Symphony Orchestra, Dance Theatre, Talk Cinema, Ballet, live Repertory Theatre, Theatre Arts & Film, Chamber Music and more.

The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College offers residencies for such renowned artists as Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, Bill Irwin, Penn and Teller, Phillip Glass, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, The Dance Theatre of Harlem, Bill T. Jones and many more. Master Classes by many of The Center's artists, including Garrick Ohlsson, Pinchas Zuckerman, Edward Villella, The Tokyo String Quartet and Marilyn Horne.

The theatres at The Center are: The Concert Hall, The Pepsico Theatre, The Recital Hall, and The Abbott Kaplan Theatre and The Organ Room. This diversity of theatres ensures that each performance is performed in the best venue.

The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College offers world-class programming that is conveniently located, affordably priced, with ample parking! The Center also has an Arts-in-Education programs which reach over 15,000 school children each season.

The centerpiece of this National Historic Landmark is an 1838 Greek Revival mansion with soaring Corinthian columns built by Peter Augustus Jay atop the footprint of his father and grandfather’s original home “The Locusts” reusing original timbers and nails from the same house. Visitors can literally see the layers of history being uncovered here. The PA Jay House is being carefully restored and managed by the not-for-profit organization, the Jay Heritage Center (JHC) for use as an educational facility hosting Programs in American History, Social Justice, Landscape Conservation and Environmental Stewardship. The house is an official project of the Save America’s Treasures Program and at 170 years old, it is the oldest National Historic Landmark in New York State to be using an energy efficient geothermal heating and cooling system.

The Jay site is also listed on Westchester County’s African American Heritage Trail. John Jay is well known for advocating emancipation, serving as President of the Manumission Society and establishing the first African Free School. Press "Blue Button" for tour information, hours, and more about the Jay Heritage Center.

Point of Interest: Rye Playland has the distinction of being America's first totally planned amusement park and prototype for today's successful theme parks. Dedicated as a National Historic Landmark in 1987, Playland has provided family fun since 1928. Often referred to as "Rye Playland", it is America's only government owned and operated amusement park.

Philipsburg Manor is a historic site of great historical importance. Once the headquarters of a large Hudson Valley manor, the site vividly interprets aspects of the history of colonial New York and the system of racially-based slavery which helped keep the estate running in the 18th century. The visitor center at Philipsburg, located on Rt. 9 in the village of Sleepy Hollow, offers a wide range of services and changing exhibitions, and also serves as the visitor center for Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate.

Philipsburg Manor is a late 17th/early 18th-century milling, farming, and trading complex owned by an Anglo-Dutch family of merchants. Philipsburg Manor was tenanted by farmers of diverse European backgrounds, and operated by enslaved Africans. In 1693, Frederick Philipse, a carpenter who rose to become the richest man in the colony of New York, was granted a charter for 52,000 acres along the Hudson River by William and Mary of England. Historically, the site is of particular interest because of the size of the enslaved community and the highly developed nature of this 18th-century commercial property.

Featuring a stone manor house filled with a handsome collection of 17th-and 18th-century period furnishings, this famous house also includes a working water-powered gristmill and millpond, an 18th-century barn, a slave garden, and a reconstructed tenant farm house. The grounds are home to historic breeds of cattle, sheep, and chickens.

Points of Interest: Philipsburg Manor is a living history museum. Guides in 18th-century costume conduct tours of the site and numerous special events are held throughout the year. One of many fun things to do with children in the Hudson River Valley.

Attractions include: The Greenhouse Cafe, Picnic grounds, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery located next to Philipsburg Manor, Tours of Kykuit that originate at the Philipsburg Manor Visitor Tourist Center.

Parks attractions include: Botanical Specimens, Chinese Friendship Pavilion, Formal Gardens, Open Grass Meadow

Circa 1838. Lyndhurst, a historic site of the National Trust, is a preeminent architectural landmark. It resides on a 67-acre park representing 19th century architecture, decorative arts, and landscape. Overlooking the Hudson River in Tarrytown, NY, Lyndhurst is one of America's finest Gothic Revival mansions. The architectural brilliance of the residence is complemented by a park-like landscape and a comprehensive collection of original decorative arts. Its noteworthy occupants included: former New York City mayor William Paulding, merchant George Merritt, and the railroad magnate and Wall Street tycoon Jay Gould.

In the late 1830s, William Paulding acquired property high above the Hudson River overlooking the Tappan Zee. Lyndhurst was first conceived in the minds of architects A. J. Davis and William Paulding who constructed the country villa in 1838 and called it "Knoll". In 1864 Lyndhurst was acquired by George Merritt who hired Davis to more than double its size. In 1870, they also built one of the largest private greenhouses in the world.

In 1880, Jay Gould purchased the estate and renamed it Lyndhurst. The 1870 greenhouse that burned was replaced in the Gothic Revival style. The Goulds redecorated the house and embellished the spectacular art gallery with works by Corot, Courbet, Bouguereau, and others.

The important "gardenesque" landscape is the work of Ferdinand Mangold, a master gardener who worked at Lyndhurst for forty years. Many of the landscape features created by Mangold, his predecessors, and successors, are preserved. The spectacular specimen trees are of special interest.

The romantic Gothic Revival design immediately drew attention to the building. Critics called it "Paulding's Folly" because its fanciful turrets and asymmetrical outline were unlike most homes constructed in the post-colonial era. Fascination with the property continued for decades and, as ideas of wealth and status changed with the growing nation, so did the estate, reflecting the tastes and interests of wealthy New York.

Point of Interest:
Lyndhurst is adjacent to Washington Irving's Sunnyside. The ability to walk between these two historic sites has a special appeal. At present, visitors may walk along the publicly maintained Croton Aqueduct Trail from Lyndhurst to West Sunnyside Lane. A pathway connecting Lyndhurst and Sunnyside along the riverfront will shortly be open. If you are a tourist or local resident exploring the Hudson River Valley, be sure to include this landmark in your list of sights.

Washington Irving was born in New York City on April 3, 1783 (1783 - 1859) as the youngest of 11 children. His father was a wealthy merchant, and his mother, an English woman, was the granddaughter of a clergyman. Early in his life Irving developed a passion for books. He studied law privately but practiced only briefly. From 1804 to 1806 he travelled widely in Europe. After returning to the United States, Irving was admitted to the New York bar in 1806.

Washington Irving was a short story writer, essayist, poet, travel book writer, biographer, and columnist. He is best known for the short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle". Washington Irving also held diplomatic posts in Great Britain and Spain.

Sunnyside is one of the most famous historic landmarks in the Hudson Valley. This important house and landscape enjoys a quiet and unspoiled riverside setting in Tarrytown, New York. Sunnyside is adjacent to Lyndhurst, a historic landmark of distinction open to the public, to which it is possible to walk via the Croton Aqueduct Trail.

Sunnyside and its Romantic landscape are presented to visitors by guides dressed in the costume of the mid-Victorian period. You may take a guided tour of the house and grounds, or purchase a grounds-only ticket for a self-guided experience.

Point of Interest: For children, Sunnyside offers "Irving's Traveling Totes" that come stuffed with five to seven engaging family activities, a brief guide, a Talk Back card for feedback related to the activities, and a blank book for visitor responses. Visitors can learn about Washington Irving by reading The Legend of Sleepy Hollow picture book and It Looks Like Spilt Milk, which, though not written by Irving, celebrates the life of the imagination, something Irving aspired to do. Children can play the Sunnyside Matching Card game and join in for a Scavenger Hunt. Dominoes, a 19th-century game, rounds out the experience. If you are a tourist or local resident exploring the Hudson River Valley, be sure to include this landmark in your list of places to see.

Attractions include: Seasonal Café, Sunnyside Tours, Museum Shop, Picnic Grounds.

Bring your family and experience the wonder of the Hudson River Valley with special programs and events geared especially for children.

Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, New York, may be the most popular site in the Hudson Valley for children. This working 17th century farm and trading center features demonstrations of early farm techniques with oxen, cows, and sheep. A working water-powered grist-mill is fascinating for children of all ages. Demonstrations of spinning and open-hearth cooking in the tenant farmer's house are scheduled frequently.

Experience Music Together® and find out how important - and how much fun - your role can be! This spring we will be singing the Maracas song collection with favorites such as William Tell's Ride, Frere Jacques, Wiggle and The Russian Folk Song. With your participation our Music Together classes build on your child's natural enthusiasm for music and movement. We'll help you provide your child with the basic musical skills needed to enjoy school and social musical activities. Please contact us at for any questions you might have. Come join us for fun, music and laughter with the most wonderful people in the world, your children! Press "Blue Button" for locations, schedules, and more about Music Together.

Imagine a unique learning space – colorful, clean, with “a sense of space, light and air…” Filled with creative hands-on exhibitions and public programs. The Westchester Children's Museum will be an institution of distinction for our children, one that is fun and educational, and which reflects the true needs and interests of this community, from children and teenagers, to parents and caregivers, to teachers and educators. Drawing from the dramatic history, extensive cultural diversity, flourishing environments and ecosystems, and the rich literary and artistic traditions of Westchester, the exhibitions and programs of the Museum will be state of the art and:

• Highly innovative, dynamic, engaging, fun and enriching
  
  
• Appeal to audiences of different generations, backgrounds, emotional, physical, and learning abilities
  
  
• Present visitors with the opportunity for hands-on interaction
  
  
• Stimulate repeat visitation with changing exhibits, performances, and public programs
  
  

The Arts Council’s underlying belief is that the arts are for everyone, whether in a school or in a concert hall. The Arts Council partners with over 100 arts groups and more than 150 artists to bring the arts into schools, senior centers, daycare sites, after-school programs, and mental health facilities.

Westchester Arts Council is supported by Westchester County Government, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Westchester Delegation of the New York State Legislature, and by foundations, corporations, and individuals.

We believe that all children need to safely interact with the natural environment for healthy development. Our engaging, interactive learning programs are built on this principle. One of the primary goals of Beczak is to show even our youngest visitors that the river is part of a complex ecosystem that nurtures an amazing diversity of living things, including people.

Beczak offers an extensive curriculum of interactive educational programs designed to teach students about the complexity of the Hudson River and inspire them to become better stewards of this magnificent resource. Each year more than 5,000 school-age children visit Beczak on class trips and with youth organizations.

All our staff members are trained educators with specialized degrees in fields such as marine biology and environmental interpretation. By creating interdisciplinary programs that meet the New York State Department of Education standards for science, social studies, math, art and English language arts, Beczak educators help animate important concepts that many teachers have introduced in their own classrooms. Press "Blue Button" to learn more about Beczak Environmental Education Center.

Scenic Hudson is working with New York State, Westchester County, the City of Yonkers and the Beczak Environmental Center to create a five-acre riverfront public park, esplanade and environmental education center with stunning views of the Palisades. Historically the area was dominated by industrial facilities that blocked public access to the river. Once slated for six, 38-story apartment buildings, the property is now protected by a 25-acre conservation easement held by The Scenic Hudson Land Trust. The park is currently open but improvements are continuing.

Things To Do

Beczak Environmental Education Center
Restored Tidal Wetland
Scenic Views
Walking Trail (two acres)

Directions
From Rt. 9/9A south in Yonkers: right on Dock Street, right on River Street, left on Wells Street, right on Alexander Street, park 0.1 mile on left.

Press "Blue Button" for Scenic Hudson, hours of operation, parking information, trail maps, photos and more about Habirshaw Park.

After a day of hiking, walking, or relaxing at the Habirshaw Park, select from one of many excellent restaurants in Yonkers.

Today, visitors can enjoy a guided tour of the mansion as well as an orientation exhibition in the Visitor Center focusing on Philip Schuyler's life. Temporary exhibitions and public programs are scheduled year-round. Tours for school and adult groups, as well as outreach programs, are available by reservation. Press "Blue Button" for attractions and more information about Schuyler Mansion.

Clermont hosts a variety of annual events throughout the year. The spring Sheep and Wool Showcase is based on historical model farming events at Clermont, where groundbreaking work in agriculture and sheep breeding occurred. What better place to celebrate Independence Day than the former home of a drafter of the Declaration of Independence. Families will enjoy a variety of music, performances, and viewing of local fireworks displays. The summer fun continues in August as Clermont celebrates its ties to the steamboat industry on Steamboat Day, a family event in which children can craft their own scrimshaw ornament and watch a theatrical performance on an actual steamboat. Since Clermont was home to the many Livingston dogs, the estate continues to welcome "a man's best friend" every October to participate in contests, demonstrations, makeovers, and exhibits in Every Dog Has Its Day. Christmas at Clermont kicks off the winter season with guided tours, candlelight receptions and children's activities. Press "Blue Button" for attractions and more about Clermont State Historic Site.

American Revolution / War of Independence
Because of the Livingston family's prominent role in support of independence, Clermont was burned by British troops under the command of General John Vaughan during a foray up the Hudson River in the autumn of 1777. Margaret Beekman Livingston, who managed the estate during most of the war years, rebuilt the family home between 1779 and 1782.

Catamount Adventure Park is an aerial forest rope course consisting of platforms that have been installed in the trees with ropes and cables connecting them to form "bridges" or "canopy tours". The objective is to move from tree platform to tree platform walking over the different secured bridges to complete the ropes course. There are some small scale zip lines throughout the eight different courses. Each ropes course will have a different degree of difficulty. There are no motorized rides in the park. Our park is all about active participation. While on the courses you are fully secured by your harness at all times, it is all about thrills, chills, but no spills.

Catamount Adventure Park is closed for the winter season and opens again in May 2010. Press "Blue Button" for more information about the park.

Outdoor Activities
Rope courses

The word is: Many children and adults love the challenge and plan to return.

This beautiful grassland offers splendid long-distance views of the Catskills and the Hudson River.

These protected acres in Columbia County include breathtaking meadows, wooded bluffs and a hay farm, all near the Stockport Flats Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve. With assistance from the state and Columbia Land Conservancy, we are safeguarding these valuable habitats while enabling people to hike the land and learn about wildlife. Park improvements currently underway include creation of a handicapped-accessible hiking trail and construction of an open-sided pavilion for picnicking and community-group activities.

Things To Do

Hiking / Walking
Nature Study
Picnicking
Scenic Views

Directions
From Warren Street, City of Hudson: 4.8 miles north on Rte. 9, left on W. Atlantic Ave. at light. Right on Rod & Gun Road. Follow Rod and Gun approximately 1/2 mile to entrance gate.

After a day of hiking, walking, or studying the wildlife, dine at one of the many excellent restaurants in Hudson, New York.

Olana encompasses the house, the farm and the entire 250-acre estate owned by Frederic Church. The picturesque landscape, with panoramic vistas of the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains, like the house, was designed by Church. Over a 40-year period he transformed 250 acres of treeless farm fields into an artistic composition encompassing a lake, park, farm, extensive road system, and gardens. Visitors throughout the year enjoy guided and self-guided tours of the Church-inspired landscape. Press "Blue Button" for attractions and more information about Olana.

Montgomery Place, a serene reflection of nearly 200 years of continuous family stewardship, is best known as an architectural landmark designed by Alexander Jackson Davis and a landscape influenced by the great Andrew Jackson Downing. But the totality of the estate - house furnishings, gardens, woodlands, orchards, and hamlet make it a unique American treasure.

A National Historic Landmark, Montgomery Place is an extraordinary 434-acre Hudson River estate with magnificent views of the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains. It is located on historic River Road in the hamlet of Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, just north of the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge.

Montgomery Place was established by Janet Livingston Montgomery, widow of Revolutionary War hero General Richard Montgomery. She built the Federal-style house in 1804-05 and established a prosperous commercial nursery on the property. During the first half of the 19th century, her descendants created one of the most beautiful estates in the nation. The era's preeminent designers, architect Alexander Jackson Davis and landscape designer Andrew Jackson Downing, assisted them in their endeavor. In 1850, Downing wrote that Montgomery Place is "...nowhere surpassed in America in point of location, natural beauty, or landscape gardening charms." In the 1930s, the generation living there created a 20th-century horticultural showcase, one that continues to flourish today.

Barton Orchards has been setting the standard in Pick Your Own farming. Press "Blue Button" for information about the Harvest Schedule, Events Schedule, Family Activities, School Tours, and more.

Attractions at Barton Orchards in Poughquag, NY:

Exhibits trees shrubs and perennials that exist in our part of the Hudson Valley.

Pedal Carts for children and adults, Boulder Dash for children and adults, a giant rope maze, tile puzzle, bouncers for the kids!

The Corn Maze is all new every year. Can you find your way out?

Hayrides are free and available about every 10 minutes and can be used to take you up into the orchard and pumpkin patch.

We often have a talented artist available to do face painting.

BindleStick Bill is our resident Storyteller and Singalong performer.

Live Bands - Check Weekend Schedule on the Events Schedule Page.

The Rotten Core Manor Haunted House is a popular event for all. Please no children under 5 years of age.

We have many inflatable bouncers for the kids at Barton Orchards.

Board a pirate ship or ride the train at the Kids Playground!

The petting zoo features a pony, pigs, and rabbits, There are also Emus and many birds to check out.

FDR's Springwood, the lifelong home of America's only 4-term President
Presidential Library and Museum
Mrs. Roosevelt's Val-Kill Cottage
Summer Programs for children and their families.
Tours:


Guided tour of FDR's home

Self-guided tour of the Museum, grounds, gardens, and trails of this 300-acre site. Start your visit at the Henry A. Wallace Visitor and Education Center and watch the introductory film. Arrange for self guided tours of the Presidential Library and Museum, and Ranger-led tours of the historic home.

Press "Blue Button" for schedule of events, fees & reservations, things to do, things to know before visiting, family events, kids section, and more about this National Historic Site.

The word is: At least one day is recommended to experience Franklin D. Roosevelt, National Historic Site. Visit Springwood, Top Cottage retreat, and Eleanor Roosevelt's Val-Kill Cottage along with the grounds, the library, family events and more.

Deer, foxes, coyotes and wild turkeys roam this rugged and beautiful property in the Marlboro Mountains

In addition to great hiking and mountain biking, this 570-acre park can be used by educators as an outdoor classroom; this mountain forest featuring a pond, waterfall, hiking trails and views of the Hudson River and Catskills is a great place for children to learn about ecology and environmental ethics.

Perfect for nature study, hiking and mountain biking. Six miles of trails. Great views of eastern Hudson River shore and Catskill Mountains.

Things To Do

Birding
Fishing (Contact local guides for information.)
Hiking Trails
Mountain Biking
Nature Study
Picnicking
Scenic Views

After a day of hiking, nature study or mountain biking in this scenic wonderland, pack a picnic from the produce at one of the local farms in the Hudson Valley. Or dine at one of the many excellent restaurants in Ulster New York.

This simple statement expresses her love for the modest house she called Val-Kill. The only National Historic Site dedicated to a first lady, Val-Kill welcomes visitors in the style of Mrs. Roosevelt. Come and be part of the entire Roosevelt Experience at Eleanor Roosevelt's Val-Kill.

Eleanor Roosevelt chose Val-Kill for her retreat, her office, her home, and her "laboratory" for social change during the prominent and influential period of her life from 1924 until her death in 1962. During that time she formulated and carried out her social and political beliefs. This is the place most closely associated with one of the most prominent women of 20th-century America.

Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill (ERVK) works to preserve ER's home as a living memorial, a center for exchange of significant ideas, and a catalyst for change and the betterment of the human condition. They offer programs such as the Girls Leadership Workshop, held every summer.

Enjoy fun things to do with your children this summer. Join a park ranger for free Summer Family Programs. Press "Blue Button" for a schedule and description of Family walks and hikes on the grounds of the FDR estate. "Play like Franklin Roosevelt did in the olden days of the 19th century. Learn to use a Jacob’s ladder, a jump rope, or the hoop and stick." Previous scheduled walks for children included:

Springwood Stroll: A Historic Site Grounds Walk
ER’s Woodland Walk: Nature Study at Val-Kill
FDR’s Boyhood Fun

Press "Blue Button" for schedule of events, fees & reservations, things to do, things to know before visiting, family events, kids section, and more about this National Historic Site.

The word is: At least one day is recommended to experience Franklin D. Roosevelt, National Historic Site. Visit Springwood, Top Cottage retreat, and Eleanor Roosevelt's Val-Kill Cottage along with the grounds, the library, family events and more.

"The Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site was established as a monument to an era rather than a tribute to any one person or family. The estate illustrates a way of life modeled on the English country house and is only unusual today because so few examples survive in the 21st century. More than a place to discuss the lifestyles of the rich and famous, the park offers a window into the philosophy of the American country house, the lives of its domestic staff, and its relationship to the surrounding community.

Formal Gardens
"The Frederick W. Vanderbilt Garden Association was formed in 1984 with a mission to restore the Formal Gardens as closely as possible to their appearance in the 1930s." Visitors may walk the grounds, hike carriage trails, or picnic at the overlook." The above information is sourced from the National Park Service.

Press "Blue Button" for directions, kids and teachers' section, history and culture, and planning a visit to the Vanderbilt Mansion.

The word is: Tour the house and stroll the 200 + acres of park land that boast centuries old tree plantings, stunning Hudson River and Catskill Mountain views and Italian Gardens. At least one full day is recommended to experience the Vanderbilt Mansion and Franklin D. Roosevelt, National Historic Sites.

Today, out of an overall audience of 120,000, the Bardavon serves some 40,000 children and teens annually with two special school day performance series and a broad-based arts-in-education residency program both at the Bardavon, Poughkeepsie and Ulster Performing Arts Center, Kingston.

Press "Blue Button" for Children's Events and more about Bardavon in the Hudson River Valley.

Clinton House State Historic Site has foundations which are two feet thick. The walls are constructed of rough fieldstone, while the gabled ends are made of wood. It is named in tribute to George Clinton, first governor of New York State, who resided in Poughkeepsie for twenty-one years.

Activities for Children
Hudson River Tides Water Play Table
River Town
Disney Radio Station
The Battle for Liberty - Hands on History
Hudson River Dive Bell
Sculpture: "Light aat the End of the Fallkill"
IBM's Da Vinci Inventions
Morse Telegraph
Health Center
Geography
Gravity Roll
Starlab Planetarium
Hudson River Mural
. . .

Press "Blue Button" for more about the activities at the Children's Museum.

Sheep Dog Trials
A sheepdog trial course tests a dogs ability to do the various jobs a sheepdog will see on the farm. Sheep may need to be gathered from the pasture, or moved about the farm or sorted and penned. While the trial is a competition wherein each handler attempts to show that their dog is tops, trials have proved of fundamental importance in directing the development and breeding of the Border Collie.

Magic, Music & Ventriloquism
Fantastic magic, great sounding music and just an awesome display of ventriloquism.

Mad Science
Mad Science is the worlds leading science enrichment provider, delivering unique, hands-on science experiences for children that are as entertaining as they are educational. The Mad Science team will also be operating a "Panning of Gems" activity area, where kids can select a bag of "mine rough", dump it into a screen, and pan out all the dirt to find the minerals - which they can keep!

Dutchess County Sheriff K-9 Demonstration
Experience first hand how the K-9 unit of the Dutchess County Sheriff Department apprehends criminals by using the canine senses of smell. Your child my even be called to help the officers during their demonstration.

Leaping Lama Contest
Come see these 6 foot lamas challenge each other and defy gravity! Who will leap the highest? Who will take home the first place ribbon? You can not miss this example of sportsmanship.

Two by Two Petting Zoo
Kiddie Rides
Pumpkin Patch
Make a Scarecrow
Farm Market and Pumpkin Painting
Hula Hoop Sheep Toss
Animal Alley
Child Bouncy Slide
Putt-putt Golf
Hay Maze and Scavenger Hunt

Transportation by Train

Take the Amtrak to Rhinecliff, followed by an approximate 5 minute taxi ride.

Take the MTA Metro North to Poughkeepsie, followed by an approximate 45 minute taxi ride.

Darius Ogden Mills, father of Ogden Mills, established the family fortune by investing in banks, railroads and mines. Ogden Mills, like his father, was a noted financier and philanthropist. In 1882 he married Ruth Livingston, whose family had been prominent landowners in the Hudson Valley since the 17th century. In 1890, Ruth Livingston Mills inherited her childhood home and property which had once belonged to her great-grandfather, Morgan Lewis, the third governor of New York State. In the 1890s Mr. & Mrs. Mills commissioned the prestigious New York City architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White to remodel and enlarge their home. Work began in 1895 and when completed in 1896, the house had been transformed from a 25-room Greek Revival style home into a Beaux-Arts mansion of 65 rooms and 14 bathrooms. Although the interior was lavishly decorated, mostly in the styles of 17th and 18th-century France, many architectural features of the earlier Livingston home such as the trims, moldings and many of the fireplaces had been preserved. This melding of grandeur and heritage is characteristic of the American Renaissance period.

Owning five homes, the Mills family resided in their Staatsburg home primarily in the fall and entertained as many as 80 guests at a time. The home and surrounding property was passed to their son, Ogden Livingston Mills in 1929. After his death in 1937 his sister Gladys Mills Phipps inherited the property and in 1938 donated the house and 192 acres of the estate to the State of New York as a memorial to her parents. Today the elegant mansion, restored to its turn-of-the-century appearance, is open for tours and the house and grounds offer special events throughout the year.

Attractions
Biking
Cross-Country Skiing
Educational Services
Gift Shop
Group Tours
Hiking
Historic Site
Interpretive Sign
Picnic Area
Scenic Views

In 1975 David Gilbert was named Music Director and Conductor. Associate Conductor Patricia Handy, who presents the Pre-Concert Lectures and conducts the GSO’s highly acclaimed Youth Concert series, joined in 1979. The Greenwich Philharmonia was renamed the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra in its 25th anniversary season, 1982 to 1983, and the Auxiliary became the Symphony Guild. That season marked the GSO’s first dual concert with the Greenwich Choral Society, and the establishment of the endowment fund, which was greatly enhanced by a gala benefit concert starring Victor Borge. Over the years, the GSO has featured such outstanding soloists as Emanuel Ax, Barry Douglas, Pamela Frank, John O’Conor, Peter Serkin, and Dawn Upshaw.

The Greenwich Symphony Guild is embarking on its thirty-sixth year of service to the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra. Members of the Guild are devoted to classical music and the orchestra, and they actively participate in audience development, community outreach and fund raising for the many activities and programs of the Symphony.

Young People's Concerts are specially designed to introduce Greenwich school children to the music of the great masters and the symphony orchestra. Attending the programs are all children in grades two through seven of all public and private schools in Greenwich. These students are prepared for knowledgeable listening by their schools; music teachers, with the aid of CDs and creative classroom assignments prepared by the Greenwich Symphony Board’s Young People’s Concert Committee.

The Animal Care Building houses our live animal teaching collection and a live Birds of Prey exhibit. The Bliss Education Building and Educational Annex house our Beginner's Nature Program as well as classrooms used for Summer Camp, Birthday Parties, Scout programs and many other community, youth and family programs. Also open to the public are a teaching tropical greenhouse, maple syrup shed, Naturalist's Garden, Butterfly Garden, Wildflower Garden and Herb Garden. Press "Blue Button" for more about the New Canaan Nature Center.

Things To Do
Arboretum and Gardens
Birds of Prey Exhibit
Greenhouse
Hiking Trails
Interactive Discovery Room
Nature Gift Shop
Visitors Center
Calendar of Events

Since our opening, enthusiastic, sold-out audiences have enjoyed Peter Yarrow, Marcel Marceau, Barbara Cook, Moscow Boys Choir, Joan Baez, and The Bacon Brothers. Film-goers have seen a range of movies from Oscar-winners such as Traffic and Chocolat to family fare to our international film series. Community events such as the Ridgefield High School Orchestra Concert and the Annual Town Meeting found a new home at The Playhouse.

While we can all agree with Shakespeare that "the play's the thing," we also know that this beautiful theater adds a great deal to the experience of a performance or movie. In an age of multiplexes and stadiums, what a pleasure to be in an impeccably renovated, historic theater with near-perfect acoustics!

Notable Beginnings, Legendary Performances
Designed in 1938, the auditorium in "the old high school" was at one time the center of Ridgefield's cultural life. In its heyday, before being abandoned in 1972, it was home to school performances as well as community events and town meetings. During World War II, residents had the privilege of twice hearing the legendary Arturo Toscanini conduct here.

In its new life, The Ridgefield Playhouse has been designed to embrace its former role and more. The interior preserves the hall's excellent acoustics that make it an ideal venue for musical performance and live theater. At the same time, retractable draperies cover the walls enabling the "deadening" effect needed to show movies. Thanks to a generous legacy from Patricia Schuster, founder of the Ridgefield Studio of Classical Ballet, the stage was built to have the resilience necessary for dance performances. Parts of the old stage rigging have been preserved and supplemented to enable use of the stage's large fly space. Stage lights and a state-of-the-art sound system have been installed.

Echoing the importance of the town of Ridgefield in the theater's life is a hand-painted mural covering the lobby walls with familiar scenes of historic Ridgefield. The mural, a gift from a Ridgefield couple, was created by a local artist. Other murals enliven the interior of the performance area as well as the entryway to The Playhouse; all were gifts of Playhouse supporters. Press "Blue Button" to explore the Ridgefield Playhouse."

Each season, Stamford Center for the Arts creates, presents and promotes the highest quality entertainment, education and outreach programs that include the best in live theatre, concerts, comedy and dance entertainment from throughout the world.

The Palace Theatre, a 1580-seat Thomas Lamb designed vaudeville house, was acclaimed as "Connecticut's Most Magnificent" when it opened in 1927. The Palace was restored and re-opened in 1983 for live theatre, concerts and art exhibitions in the Sackler Gallery.

Rich Forum, which opened in 1992, is an arts and communications center. Rich Forum includes the 757-seat Truglia (proscenium) Theatre; the Leonhardt Studio (black box theatre); the Mercede Promenade; and the front-of-the-house upper level that includes the elegant Rossi Salon and the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Gallery.

Both the Rich Forum and Palace Theatre seasons include performances by Connecticut Grand Opera and Orchestra, Stamford Symphony Orchestra, New England Lyric Operetta, Ballet School of Stamford, Young Artist Philharmonic, Lumina String Quartet, Zig Zag Ballet, The Perry Players, as well as stage productions specifically for young audiences.

Since its inaugural season (1992-93), Rich Forum most recently presented such productions as the Pulitzer Prize-winning Dinner with Friends, Thunder Knocking on the Door, ART, The Threepenny Opera, and SCA's Fringe Festival. The Palace Theatre and Rich Forum attracted such diverse and luminous events and performers as Lily Tomlin, Peter, Paul & Mary, Tom Jones, B.B. King, Carrot Top, Harry Belafonte, Drummers of West Africa, Vienna Choir Boys, Balanchine's The Nutcracker, Late Nite Catechism, George Winston, It's A Wonderful Life, The Big Apple Circus, Annie, Liza Minnelli, Itzhak Perlman, Johnny Mathis, Michael Feinstein, Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern, Ray Romano, Willie Nelson, Tony Bennett, Judy Collins, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and more.

In 1996, Stamford Center for the Arts established a month-long festival, Celebrate! Black History, which has evolved into a year-round African-American Cultural Series featuring numerous and varied events, many of which are free for local and statewide youths, adults and families.

They can jump on a bouncing bug, try to walk across a moving bridge or climb into a hawk's nest to survey their territory. Wiggle like a worm across two huge maple leaves, and crawl through an ant's nest. Dig for fossils in the huge sand pit. They also can become the captain and crew of the boat that's anchored here.

Nature Trails
Our trails connect with the 88 acre-Bartlett Arboretum on the north end of the Museum's property.

New England Working Farm
Explore our traditional working farm and discover the sounds, smells, and textures that evoke memories and reveal the nature of farmlife. Observe staff conduct the daily chores that maintain this active, productive farm. Heckscher Farm is a living resource for learning. Children and families make personal connections to a not-so-distant past when farming was a major way of life in the region. Through observation, exploration, and participation, visitors can immerse themselves in the experiences of farming.

Education
We are an Educational Institution. The Museum's 10-acre farm provides educational and recreational activities. At the Stamford Museum and Nature Center, we offer year-round classes in art and nature for toddlers through adults. Press "Blue Button" for more information about the Stamford Museum and Nature Center.

Things To Do
Hiking / Walking
Playground
Nature Trails
Working Farm

A typical Stamford Symphony Orchestra season features: five pairs of Classical Concerts, three Pops Concerts, a student concert designed for elementary students, and a Family Concert Series.

The Stamford Symphony is the resident orchestra at the Stamford Center for the Arts' newly renovated, 1586-seat Palace Theatre. The Palace Theatre is in downtown Stamford in the heart of Fairfield County.

In 1980, Music Director Roger Nierenberg ascended our podium. Maestro Nierenberg's commitment to the SSO and the community has resulted in the expansion of the classical subscription series, the creation of new music and education programs, and the recognition of the Stamford Symphony Orchestra as a musical treasure by the local community, and "a major cultural force" by the New York Times.

In 2003, Maestro Nierenberg announced he would step down as Music Director. Eckart Preu was named Music Director of the Stamford Symphony Orchestra in June 2005. Maestro Preu is a superb musician, an energetic community leader, and an artistic visionary.

Historical Note: The Stamford Symphony Orchestra was first organized in 1919. It ceased operations temporarily after World War II, when many of the orchestra's European musicians returned to their homelands. The orchestra was revived in 1967, and with Skitch Henderson's appointment as Music Director in 1974, the Stamford Symphony became the fully professional orchestra it is today.

One of the best ice skating centers in the region is located at the Windham Mountain Adventure Park on South Street, just 1/8 of a mile west of the ski area. Right next to the snow tubing area, you'll find a 120' x 60' skating area and a warming center complete with skate rentals.

With 46 trails, four terrain parks, a half-pipe, a jib park and a 1,600 feet vertical drop on two mountain peaks, you may want to take a break at the Wheel House Restaurant mid-mountain and enjoy a hearty, warm lunch or just stop to enjoy the indoor fireplace. For non-skiers, boarders, and avid skiers; Windham Mountain Adventure Park offers snow tubing as a perfect way to maximize your winter fun. The tubing hill boasts multiple lanes on a grin-inducing 650 foot slope with three chairlifts available.

If your children aren’t quite ready for the slopes, the Children's Learning Center offers supervised indoor care and entertainment to keep young minds engaged and happy. The Children's Learning Center is located conveniently in the Base Lodge; it has a bright, cozy space that kids warm up to very quickly. For kids 4-7, Windham offers a Mini-Mogul Program with small classes and kids-only terrain to guarantee fun and informative instruction. Press "Blue Button" for more about Windham Mountain Adventure Park.

A Walk in the Woods website conveys information in simple and easy to follow steps that can be followed by even the youngest child. The Teachers' Guide can be used by parents and teachers as an opportunity to explore the environment.

The word is: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson is a wonderfully funny and engaging tale of Bryson's walk on the Appalachian Trail. Follow him on his walk and prepare to laugh out loud.

It's no coincidence that apples are the symbol of good health. In the Middle Ages, the English said "To eat an apple before going to bed will make the doctor beg his bread." We now know that there's a sound basis for the familiar "apple a day" rhyme. Take a look at the nutritional benefits of a medium size Apple Country® apple.

Nutritional Facts: Apples are absolutely fat-free. One apple provides as much dietary fiber as a bowl of bran cereal. Apples are loaded with pectin, a soluble fiber that aids digestion and may help reduce cancer and heart disease. The complex carbohydrates in apples give your body a longer, more even energy boost compared to high-sugar snacks. Snacking on apples can keep you going throughout the day. Apples provide boron, an essential trace element that helps harden bones and help prevent osteoporosis.

Learn:
Apple education and see the Kid's Section on apples.
Where to pick you own apples.
Major health benefits of eating apples.
Variety, flavor and best use of each type of apple.
Apple recipes.

Ask for Kids combines human editorial judgment, age-appropriate feature content and filtering technology to enable kids to find both relevant and befitting information on the Web. Press "Blue Button" to explore Ask For Kids.

Inspired and funded by the John Templeton Foundation, Cogito is being developed through a collaborative effort by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth and eight partners; all highly renowned organizations that serve gifted youth.

Parents' Choice Awards
Fall website 2009
Ages: 12 - 18 yrs
Publisher: Cogito, Center for Talented Youth, Johns Hopkins University

FirstGov for Kids is divided into educational subjects that you might have in your school. Within each subject, we have also divided the sites into these categories: Government, Organizations, Education, and Commercial. The Government sites could be Federal, State, or Military sites. Government sites generally do not sell anything. They are simply sharing information with visitors. Organization sites are developed by groups that have an interest in a special topic - sometimes these sites sell products. Education sites are developed by schools. They can be developed by colleges/universities or high, middle, or elementary schools. These sites usually do not have products to sell. Commercial sites are developed by businesses. Commercial sites share information, but they also have products to sell. Press "Blue Button" to explore Ask For Kids.

Each week, The Lunch Lab web site will release a new animated short video as well as a corresponding recipe for kids and parents to enjoy. Monthly food/nutrition themes will help guide the program's message, and the animated videos will reinforce concepts pertaining to the featured theme. This will make it easy for parents to extend the learning into the home.

KidSmart answers many questions such as:

How can I use a computer to encourage early learning in our home?
How can I make the computer a part of our household routine?
How can I make sure that the computer serves my child?

KidSmart offers many helpful features including:

KidSmart Comics
Comic strips featuring parents discussing learning, computers, and kids


Things You Can Do
A list of useful ideas and suggestions to help you get the most out of your family's PC


School Link
Concrete teacher tips, overviews of classroom issues and other tools that your child's teacher may use. The text and audio features of this site will help you discover that the computer is just one of many rich, varied materials found in a good learning environment.

KidsHealth is more than just the facts about health. As part of The Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media, KidsHealth also provides families with perspective, advice, and comfort about a wide range of physical, emotional, and behavioral issues that affect children and teens.

KidsHealth has received its share of recognition — among them, four Webby Awards, including for Best Family/Parenting Site and Best Health Site on the Web, the Parent's Choice Gold Award, the Teacher's Choice Award for Family, and the International Pirelli Award for best educational media for students.

With age-appropriate content in archaeology, astronomy, biodiversity, genetics, marine biology, paleontology, and physical science, OLogy makes science learning rich and engaging. Educators can find suggestions and tips on how to use the OLogy website in the Educator's Guides.

". . . BGC is a "first mover" in demonstrating how these two issues are intrinsically connected now and in the future. It is a holistic approach to children's media that reminds us that we're all connected, and that taking good care of ourselves and each other can lead to better care of our planet as a whole."

Parents' Choice Awards
Fall website 2009
Big Green Rabbit
Ages: 2 - 8 yrs.
Publisher: Slice of Lime

Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online is a subscription service that supplements children's pre-kindergarten learning in a fun, safe, and personalized interactive environment that is secure and advertising-free.

The word is: Advertising is displayed on the non-subscription sections of Disney Online.

One hundred years ago, children learned to read with one book. Today, they are exposed to a dizzying array of objects, toys, and games that purport to be educational. The only thing these products have in common is that they are confusing.

At the LiteracyCenter.Net, we believe that learning to read in a first language should be as natural as learning to speak. Learning becomes clear and concise. Our system offers alphabets, numbers, and words in clear and concise formats . . . Our lessons allow children to have fun, concentrate, and remember.

The word is: Teach children how to read with this clear, concise, and easy to use online educational guide - provided with no ads.

Press "Blue Button" for hours of fun, entertainment, learning and enrichment for your child.

Learn about each instrument: The violin is the smallest member of the string family. Because its strings are the shortest, it produces the highest sound. There are more violins in the orchestra than any other single instrument. The violins play in two different groups, with the first violins playing the highest-pitched part and the second violins playing the second-highest. Learn how an may be held: Rest the violin on one shoulder and hold it in place using your chin and left hand. Hold the bow in your right hand and draws it across the strings. This changes the pitch in two ways: by drawing the bow across different strings, and by pressing on the strings with the fingers of your left hand. The shape of the violin has stayed pretty much the same ever since the 1500s. That's almost 500 years! The modern violin has four strings, but the earliest ones had only three.

At Playmusic.org you can also learn how to write your own music! Press "Blue Button" and enjoy.

Sesame Workshop provides information about children's activities and tips for parents. This site is helpful and informative - whether you're visiting with a child in search of educational fun or looking for resources to help guide a child through a particular challenge - See how Elmo is comforted when "Visiting the Doctor" or during the "First Day at School".

The Sesame Street website is rich in Games, Stories, Art, Music, Mail, Elmo's World and more. Take the time to explore and find your favorites sections. Play Dot-To-Dot or Letters Big Bird Gets a Letter, Keyboard-o-rama, Bumper Cars, Ernie's Window Box or Numbers Keyboard-o-rama, Cooking with Rosita, Walking the Dogs or Shapes Clouds, Make-a-Monster, Prairie Dawn in the Science Lab, Elmo's Road Trip or Sorting Zoe's Pet Shelter, Bert's Bottle Caps, Oscar's Trash Collection, Things in a Car or visit the Special Section Snuffy's Magic Garden, Zoe's Pet Shelter, Big Bird Gets a Letter, Limbo Elmo, Elmo's Mixed-Up Farm, Your Amazing Body, Footprints and more. See Pinky Dinky Doo designed for children ages 4 to 7, to encourage literacy through the power of storytelling.

For 35 years, Sesame Street has been embraced by millions of viewers through PBS in the U.S. and around the world. You may not know it, but Sesame Workshop is much more than Sesame Street. Sesame Workshop is guided by the conviction that all children deserve a chance to dream and discover, to understand the world and their place in it, to reach their highest potential.

If you're a parent, revisit Sesame Street with your child and watch their joy as they experience your childhood favorites: Bert, Big Bird, Ernie, Elmo, Oscar the Grouch, Grover, Cookie Monster, Zoe, Rosita and Count Von Count. Play along with Elmo at Elmo's World or visit Sesame Street's Music Zone. Go ahead - sing along!

Sesame Street has helped generations of children around the world to learn ABCs, to understand the meaing of letters and letter sounds, and to use these means to begin making sense of the world. "Press "Blue Button" to explore the website of Sesame Street - possibly the most wonderful and certainly the most innovative concept in children's education.

Through the use of innovative technologies to create musical instruments and compositional tools designed for an individual of any skill level, as well as weeklong workshops culminating in an integrated performance with children and professional musicians, Toy Symphony is designed as an utterly inclusive experience, one that will infuse the orchestra with youthful and enthusiastic collaborators, and the instruments, sounds, and ideas of the 21st century.

Press "Blue Button" and enjoy an exploration into the world of music.

Press "Blue Button" to explore this website. Learn all about our environment through interactive games and more. Learn how you can show your commitment to keeping our planet clean for everyone.

Games such as "Stop Light Green" help children to develop control over their bodies. Playing “stop and go” games helps them practice control, so that they may be more likely to have self-control and be able to stop in other situations.

Songs such as "It's Such a Good Feeling" or "Its You I Like" teach children that they are important, "not the things you wear or they way you do your hair" . . . Press "Blue Button" and listen to a few songs . . . be sure to watch the smile on your child's face as they hear:

It's you I like
It's not the things you wear
It's not the way you do your hair
But it's you I like.
The way you are right now
The way down deep inside you
Not the things that hide you
Not your toys
They're just beside you
. . . It's you I like.

MouthPower is an interactive learning experience about oral health. There are six modules within MouthPower, each focusing on a different aspect of oral health and dentistry. In each one, a character named Mouthie serves as guide . . . to help children explore and learn about oral health.

The Food Station introduces the Food Pyramid, explores combination foods, and demonstrates healthy portion sizes of common foods.

The Tobacco Experiment Station demonstrates some dangers of tobacco use in terms of oral health. Older children and teens can drag cigarettes or chew tobacco into Mouthie's mouth and see the dangerous consequences. Explore peer pressure and media influences.

The Cleaning Experiment Station examines the consequences of various levels of personal dental hygiene, revealing the long-term effects of poor hygiene.

Your Tooth Story shows typical development of teeth from birth to adulthood. This demonstration eases concerns kids have about losing teeth and engages them in a discussion of how their mouth develops with their body. Younger kids may enjoy a lesson about the tooth fairy and tooth traditions around the world.

The Dental Time Warp lets children compare dental instruments and practices from the 19th century and today to see how the focus has shifted from painful intervention to painless prevention. Discuss the types of instruments the students are looking at and what they might be used for.

The Creativity Corner lets children and teens design a poster or product packaging to share their new knowledge about the dangers of tobacco with their peers. Kids can use a simple drawing program to make a poster about peer pressure, or tobacco packaging that tells the true story about tobacco addiction.

Online Tours
Online Tours presents a collection of tours. Choose a tour by school or medium and explore the National Gallery's collections of painting, sculpture, works on paper, photographs, and decorative arts.

NGA Kids
An interactive area where fun and learning are combined in The Art Zone. Topics include: Collage Machine, Mobile, PixelFace, 3-D Twirler, Cubits, and more.


Faces and Places
Faces & Places encourage children of all ages to create portraits and landscape paintings in the style of American artists. By combining visual elements borrowed from more than 100 works in the National Gallery's permanent collection, this two-part interactive activity offers an overview of American folk art of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Photo Op
This interactive activity introduces you to digital photography and image editing. Use the virtual camera to snap photos, then edit the images or add special effects to create your own works of art.

Still Life
Still Life allows you to create an interactive Still Life that mirrors the paintings of the old masters. Children of all ages can learn about the world of "Still Life" art by creating their own masterpiece.

Meet famous composers at The Composer's Gallery or meet the musicians in the Musicians' Lounge. Learn about different categories of instruments in the Instrument Lab; you can even make your own instrument. Kids can also create their own music at the Composition Workshop.

The New York Philharmonic KidZone is a must for anyone interested in music. Press "Blue Button" to hear and see this unique website.

Looking for expert advice on the latest parenting issues? Check out the Expert Q & A blog on our Issues and Advice page. Post comments, ask questions, share stories — be part of the conversation.

PBS Parents is committed to providing valuable educational resources for parents and caregivers. Our Education section offers strategies for building literacy and math skills, tips for Going to School, and recommendations from children’s book experts in our Booklights blog.

"Visit Fun and Games for engaging, age-appropriate games from your child's favorite PBS KIDS programs. And, be sure to put a PBS KIDS character in a photo with your child with our Photo Factory. There's also a field guide with activities that encourage children to explore the wonder of the world around them. Our Parties page has fun party ideas and activities too.

To enhance your online experience, visit My PBS Parents, where you can customize the site to see TV schedules from your local PBS station and get activities from your child’s favorite PBS KIDS programs.

Parents' Choice Awards
Fall website 2009
PBS Parents
Infant - 12 yrs
Publisher: PBS Parents

Starfall includes a lot of ABC animations, animated interactive books and other reading exercises. There are also a lot of downloadable materials such as handouts for home or classroom use and print-outs for learning activities. This site can be used to teach both younger and older children to read. It teaches simple alphabets and sounds for the younger child and phonics based reading for an older child.

Awards & Acknowledgements

Chosen by the American Library Association as a Great Web Site for Kids.


Chosen by PBS Teacher Source as a recommended resource for teachers.


Selected as a featured site by Lightspan’s StudyWeb as one of the best educational resources on the Web.


Selected as a Best Bet on the USA TODAY Education Web Site for educational value.


A+ rating by Education World as an outstanding site for Pre-kindergarten through 2nd grade.


Net-mom approved as one of the best sites for families on the Net!


Selected as Web Site of the Month by School Library Journal for providing quality content appropriate for family viewing and participation.

Deep in the surrounding countryside, where the Great Western Railway main line climbs steadily uphill for 2 miles, a tank engine from Box station is steaming away, helping a heavy goods train up the hill. To the little boy tucked up in bed, listening to the engines struggling up the incline, it sounds very much like they are talking to each other.

The young boy is Wilbert Awdry - later to become the Reverend W. Awdry, the creator of Thomas. Listen to the story of how Thomas became "the most famous tank engine in the world".

Press "Blue Button" for wonderful stories that reinforce friendship, loyalty, and "being a useful engine". Thomas entertains your child with Games, Videos, Activities and more fun.

Watchknow makes it easier to find good educational videos for children by subject. You can easily access quality educational videos for kids by age, subject, and sub categories. Parents and Teachers may select videos for kids to learn from, by category and by rating. The best rated videos are sorted at the top of the page.

Videos for kids are categorized and easily found by subjects. Find videos by language arts, literature, math, science, history, social studies, and many more topics. Once you've selected your category, just drill down to sub-categories such as chemistry within science. Watchknow is excellent for children that need extra help or for gifted children that want to expand their learning experience in a particular subject.

Housed in five major buildings are an Olympic-size pool, a covered skating rink for roller skating in the summer and ice-skating in the winter, an 800-seat cultural theater, a 2,500-seat athletic complex with fitness room, and a 150-seat restaurant.

Outdoor sports amenities include a 25-yard lap pool, a wading pool, four tennis courts, four basketball courts, a softball field, four hand/paddleball courts, and a 400-meter eight-lane running track with a football/soccer field.

Riverbank also boasts spectacular promenade views of the Hudson River, the Palisade Mountains and the George Washington Bridge. At water level, there is a 900-seat amphitheater and docking facilities for excursion and fishing boats.

Points of Interest: The "Totally Kid Carousel", created by Milo Mottola and 37 young children.

Parks attractions include: Carousel, Food, Gymnasium, Hiking, Ice Skating, Performing Arts Theater, Picnic Tables, Playground, Playing Fields, Pool, Recreation Programs, Showers, Tennis

Whether you're nose-to-nose with Western lowland gorillas in our famous Congo Gorilla Forest , spotting snow leopards in our naturalistic Himalayan Highlands Habitat, or experiencing almost an acre of an indoor Asian rain forest, you're always within roaring distance of the world's most amazing wildlife. In the end, you'll know that your admission fees went to a conservation organization that has more expert researchers in the field than any other. Together, we make a difference.

Press "Blue Button" for photos, education about animals and their habitat, and to explore the Bronx Zoo website.

The Garden is home to the nation's largest Victorian glasshouse, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, which opened to the public in 1902 and was named a New York City Landmark in 1973. It is home to A World of Plants, a permanent exhibition that includes tropical rain forests, deserts, and the world's most comprehensive collection of palm trees under glass. The Conservatory also houses the Garden's seasonal flowers shows, including the popular Orchid Show and Holiday Train Show.

Founded in 1891, the Garden is one of the world’s great collections of plants, the region’s leading educational center for gardening and horticulture, and an international center for plant research. The Garden is alive with opportunities for discovery, from an "ecotour" of the world in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory to an innovative indoor/outdoor science museum for kids, to 50 exquisite gardens and plant collections.

Outdoor Discovery Center
The Outdoor Discover Center is located at 100 Muser Drive (entrance to the center is on Muser Drive across from 174 Angola Road) in Cornwall, NY.

Wildlife Education Center
See the Living Hudson Exhibit; a multi-sensory experience full of the flora and fauna native to the Hudson Estuary. Follow the journey as water trickles down a highland creek into a wetland pond. The pond empties into a freshwater stream which then joins the Hudson River Estuary.

Scenic Hudson purchased this historic 178-acre farm in 1993 so that the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum could establish an "Outdoor Discovery Center".

Nature trails on the grounds of this former farm (now home to the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum) are helping to inspire the next generation of environmentalists. Three miles of trails are owned and managed by the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum.

Things To Do

Hiking / Walking Trails
Nature Study
Scenic Views

Directions
Kenridge Farm is on Muser Drive, across from 174 Angola Road. Take Route 9W to the Angola Road Exit. Go .1 mile west on Angola Road.

After a day of hiking, nature study, or a casual walk at Kenridge Farm, dine at one of many excellent restaurants in Orange County, New York.

The Neversink Valley Area Museum occupies historic canal-era buildings in the D&H Canal Park right on the Neversink River.

For the Kids
The Neversink Valley Area Museum has a number of activities that are especially suited to kids and their families.

The County Park, our home, has lots of grass and a playground.

Children love our Narrated Boat Rides along the D&H Canal (Sundays: 30 minute boat rides, boat seats 12 people, rides are $5.00).

Information Source
The history of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton during the American Revolutionary War; a War of Independence between the Americans and England, is sourced from interpretive signs at the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center and on the Fort Montgomery historic trails.

Click to enlarge sign about Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution.
The interpretive sign reads: Welcome to Fort Montgomery "You are standing near the western end of Fort Montgomery: a Revolutionary War fort built to defend the Hudson Highlands and protect American control of the Hudson River. On October 6, 1777, the British captured Fort Montgomery and destroyed it in the days that followed. "Trails from this parking area lead to two of the fort's redoubts. The trail that passes beneath the highway will take you to the Fort Montgomery visitor center and Fort Montgomery's remains where interpretive signs will help you understand the history of the fort and the battle." Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin. Fort Montgomery was the scene of a fierce battle for control of the Hudson River during the American Revolutionary War; the Hudson was considered strategic by both the Americans and the British during the American War for Independence.
Building Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton "Early in the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress realized that the Hudson River was critical to the American cause. If the British controlled the river, they could divide the rebellious colonies. Therefore, the Americans began work on Fort Montgomery in March 1776. . . " . . . When the Americans discovered that the land on the opposite side of the Popolopen Creek was higher and would threaten Fort Montgomery if held by the enemy, they began constructing a second fort there, called Fort Clinton. They connected the two forts by a pontoon bridge. . . "Fort Montgomery was a bustling community of hundreds of people. Soldiers, laborers, merchants, families, servants, and slaves lived at or visited the fort. Ships and boats arriving and departing added to the atmosphere of a small city. "Supplies were often hard to obtain, morale was often low, and discipline was a chronic problem. Nevertheless, Forts Montgomery and Clinton were largely complete by October 1777, when the British attacked them." Fort Clinton "Originally, the commissioners in charge of the work were confident that no overland attack on the fort was possible, but misgivings led them to begin extending the fortifications inland. They began fortifying several pieces of high ground that became Fort Montgomery's three redoubts. The realization that a higher piece of ground just across the Popolopen Creek threatened Fort Montgomery led to the construction of Fort Clinton."
Click to enlarge sign about the Battle of Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution. The interpretive sign reads: Battle of Fort Montgomery "To aid Lieutenant General John Burgoyne's British army stalled at Saratoga, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton sailed from New York with 3,000 British, German, and Loyalist soldiers and a flotilla of warships. On the morning of October 6, 1777, Clinton landed 2,100 of his men on the west side of the Hudson River near Stony Point. This force followed a narrow trail through the mountains, where they ran into a party of 30 men sent from Fort Clinton to detect the British advance. After beating the Americans back, Sir Henry Clinton sent 900 men around Bear Mountain to attack Fort Montgomery. The rest would wait to attack Fort Clinton until the first group had reached Fort Montgomery. "In the afternoon, the British began an assault on both forts, which were defended by no more than 700 men. At Fort Montgomery, the Americans kept the British at bay as the two sides exchanged musket fire. When the Americans refused to surrender, the British stormed both forts. Taking advantage of the growing dark and the smoky haze from the battle, many of the Americans escaped, but as many as 275 were taken as prisoners to New York City where they remained for much of the war. "Following the battle, the British destroyed Fort Montgomery, garrisoned Fort Clinton, and burned New York's capital at Kingston. Then, receiving orders to join Sir William Howe's army near Philadelphia, Clinton's men destroyed Fort Clinton and sailed back down the Hudson. Although captured and destroyed, the forts had presented enough of an obstacle to keep the British forces in New York from aiding Burgoyne's army. The following year, in 1778, the American began rebuilding their defenses, this time at West Point."
Click to enlarge photo of the Wounded Patriot at the Battle of Fort Montgomery.
	Men in the photo represent two American patriots: Private, Ulster County Militia, and Private, 5th New York Regiment. The militiaman, in civilian clothing, is armed with a British musket. He assists his wounded comrade carrying a French musket from the 1750s.
The American Revolution - 1777: History of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton The following historical accounts record the Battles of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton from different historical perspectives: The War of the Revolution, by Christopher Ward, Volume II (Macmillan, 1952) "An opaque fog lay close to the surface of the Hudson River on the morning of October 5, 1777. The awakening bugles of General Israel Putnam’s Continentals at Peekskill on the eastern shore of the river seemed muted by the white and misty blanket. The slow-rising sun burned irregular holes in it, however, and through these the General’s sentinels, who had been posted south of his encampment during most of the summer, saw something that banished their accustomed boredom. There were barges and galleys downriver—many of them—and above the low lying haze rose the towering masts of British frigates. From downriver, too, came the muffled sounds of alarm guns. The long-dreaded invasion of enemy troops from occupied New York had begun. The elderly Yankee Israel Putnam was busy at once. An oarsman, rowing desperately, bore messages across the wide stream to Fort Montgomery, an unfinished cluster of earthworks then under the command of the thirty-eight-year-old governor of the new state of New York, Brigadier General George Clinton. At this bastion, nearly a hundred and fifty feet above the spot where the Popolopen Creek joins the Hudson, the Governor received Putnam’s letter. Immediately he sent a summary of its contents to his older brother, General James Clinton, then in command of Fort Clinton, a smaller stronghold on the steep south bank of the narrow creek. In the meantime, the British under Sir Henry Clinton (a distant cousin of the American generals of the same surname) were disembarking at Verplanck’s Point on the east bank of the Hudson, not far below Putnam’s headquarters. The grating of their boats in the shallows of the river, the sharp voices of their officers ordering immediate formations, came strangely through the thick fog to the ears of Putnam’s scouts, informing them only that the invaders were in considerable numbers . . . . . . Perhaps the Battle of Fort Montgomery would have been utterly neglected had not two young American soldiers chosen to visit the site on a sunny spring day of the following year. Historians do not usually end their chapters on such footnotes as these men provided, but their reports have so documented the narrative that they deserve place here. One of them, a young chaplain named Timothy Dwight (later president of Yale College), wrote in his journal that while he was climbing from a river barge to the place where the battle had been fought, the stench of dead bodies caused him great distress. We found, at a small distance from Fort Montgomery, a pond of a moderate size, in which we saw the bodies of several men, who had been killed in the assault upon the fort. They were thrown into this pond, the preceding autumn, by the British … Some of them were covered at this time; but at a depth so small as to leave them distinctly visible. Others had an arm, a leg, or a part of the body, above the surface. The clothes which they wore when they were killed, were still on them, and proved that they were militia; being the ordinary dress of farmers. Their faces were bloated and monstrous; and their postures were uncouth, distorted and to the highest degree afflictive . . ." Battles Of The Revolutionary War: 1775-1781 by W.J. Wood (Dec 23, 2003) "On October 6th, 300 Continental soldiers of the 5th New York regiment, 100 artillerymen of Lamb's Artillery, and some 300 Levies and militiamen defended the unfinished Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton against a combined force of roughly 2,100 Loyalists, Hessians, and British regulars led by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton attacked Forts Montgomery and Clinton from the landward side (which was only partially completed) with support from cannon fire from British ships on the Hudson River. The land columns attacking from west of the fort consisted of the New York Volunteers, the Loyal American Regiment, Emmerich's Chasseurs, the 57th and the 52nd Regiments of Foot. The Americans had emplaced an iron chain and a boom across the Hudson River, protected by four warships, to impede the British flotilla. Lt. Col. Mungo Campbell and several British regulars approach the fort with a flag of truce indicating that they wish to avoid `further effusion of blood.' Clinton sends Lt. Col. William S. Livingston to meet the enemy. The British officer requests that the patriots surrender. They are promised that no harm would come to them. Livingston, in turn, invites Campbell to surrender and promises him and his men good treatment. Fuming at this audacity, the British resume the fight. British ships working against an ebb tide attack the forts and American vessels. A steady volley ensues with each side receiving a share of the bombardment. British officers Campbell and Vaughan close in on all sides of the twin forts. Leading his men into battle, Campbell is killed in a violent attack on the North Redoubt of Fort Montgomery. Vaughan's horse is shot from under him as he rides into battle at Fort Clinton. After a fierce battle lasting until dark, the British pushed the courageous Americans from the forts at the points of their bayonets. The defenders are overpowered by sheer numbers and the British gain possession of Forts Montgomery and Clinton. American casualties numbered about 350 killed, wounded and captured, while the British paid a price of at least 190 killed and wounded. Those who were not killed or did not escape are shipped to the infamous Sugar House Prisons in New York City and then onto British "hell ships" (prison ships) in the harbor. A "return," or report of prisoners, is sent to communities in the Highlands to inform families of their loved ones' capture. It is up to the families to send provisions lest the prisoners starve. Countless patriots perish on the prison ships. U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, 5-6 October 1777 U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, The British Attack, Dusk, 6 October 1777 Forts Montgomery and Clinton, located just south of West Point, were built for the defense of the Hudson Highlands in 1776. It was here that British and loyalist troops overwhelmed Clinton's outnumbered patriots in October. Although the Americans lost the battle for the Highlands, a relative handful of Americans aided in delaying British reinforcements from joining Burgoyne in the upper Hudson Valley and allowed Gates to gain much needed militia reinforcements in time to ultimately win Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga." A guide to the Battles of the American Revolution by Theodore P. Savas and J. David Dameron (Savas Beatie LLC, NY 2006) American Perspective: "Waiting within the American fortifications on Bemis Heights was the bloodied Continental Army led by Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates. Not an audacious commander, Gates was content to await General Burgoyne's next move. While Gates market time on Bemis Heights, Patriot forces assigned to defensive positions guarding the entrance to the Hudson Highlands worked to complete two forts on the Hudson River 100 miles south of Albany, New York. Their commander was Brig. Gen. George Clinton (not to be confused with the British commander with the same last name). The forts over which the American Clinton (who was also governor of New York) labored were named Montgomery, in honor of fallen Patriot Gen. Richard Montgomery, and Clinton, after himself as commander of the forces in that region. Built on opposite banks of Popolopen Creek, which emptied into the Hudson River on its western shore at a strategic bend, eight miles south of West Point, the bastions were key to the strategic defense of the Hudson Highlands. Fort Montgomery guarded the northern bank of the creek and Fort Clinton the southern bank. To the east of both forts flowed the majestic Hudson River. All told, the American fielded 600 men and 20 pieces of heavy artillery. The Patriots strung a heavy iron chain across the river and seeded the water with log obstacles to disrupt any maritime assault upon the American forts. Patrolling the Hudson were two Americans warships, Montgomery and Congress, supported by a handful of smaller vessels . . . . . . Fort Clinton was constructed on the south side of Popolopen Creek on a rocky ridge overlooking the Hudson River below, oriented to cover a 400-yard wide plain before the drop to the waterway. Fort Montgomery also overlooked the Hudson River, but was situated on the northern shore of Popolopen Creek, which ran west from the Hudson . . . After a perfunctory request that the defenders capitulate (which was rejected), the twin assaults began. There was no element of surprise or effort at finesse. The British attached nearly simultaneously with the sun setting behind Lt. Col. Archibald Campbell's columns. Sir James Wallace's British river fleet also arrived and opened fire on the American vessels and forts, providing the British land forces with supporting fire. Fort Montgomery fell first . . . Fort Clinton's defenders offered a better account of themselves, but the outcome was the same. Sir Henry Clinton ordered his command to launch a direct attach (there was little room to maneuver). His regulars and Hessian allies swept forward through a line of obstructions, taking terrible casualties during the approach and in the close-quarter fighting that followed. The weight of British metal carried the day, however, and within a short time the garrison was dead, wounded, captured, or fleeing . . . By 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. the fighting was over. Only 300 Americans, including Generals James and Governor George Clinton, escaped, most from Fort Montgomery . . . Casualties: British: 190 killed and wounded; American: 350 killed, wounded, and captured." Fort Montgomery as a Historic Ruin New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has decided not to recreate Forts Montgomery and/or Clinton. "Because of the limits of available information, any recreation would be inaccurate and would hide the violent end of these massive fortifications. Instead, the remains are preserved, just as the have survived the ages, as hallowed ground." Fort Montgomery stands as an archeological site and a historic ruin. Fort Montgomery, Today Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin. This Historic Site is a genuine vestige of our nation's struggle for independence. Visitors will see the actual foundations of the fort's buildings and remains of the fort's earthworks. Visit Fort Montgomery and tour the remains of the 14 acre fortification, perched on a cliff overlooking the Hudson River. The site includes a Visitor Center and interpretive trail that guides visitors past the fort's ruins to breathtaking views of the Hudson River. The Visitor Center features artifacts discovered in Fort Montgomery, mannequin displays, a 3 dimensional map model, and a 14 minute orientation film. Attractions Include Audio-Visual Programs Demonstrations Group Tours Hiking Interpretive Signs Scenic Views Self Guided Tours Visitor Center

Click trail marker for the Historic 1777 & 1779 American Revolution Trail.

The sign reads: The Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails "You are walking part of the 1777 historic trail that retraces as nearly as possible the routes taken by the British army during the Revolutionary War. "The 1777 trail represents the route taken by British General Sir Henry Clinton's forces on October 6, 1777. After landing 2100 men at Stony Point, he marched north to capture Forts Clinton and Montgomery. At Doodletown, the trail splits. The east branch of the trail follows the march of forces under Sir Henry Clinton and Major General John Vaughn that captured Fort Clinton. The west branch follows the route of Lieutenant Colonel Mungo Campbell's force, which captured Fort Montgomery. "The 1779 trail traces the route taken by Brigadier General Anthony Wayne's Corps of Light Infantry in its assault on the British fortifications at Stony Point just after midnight on July 16, 1779. After a brief but fierce fight, Wayne's men captured Stony Point, achieving one of the Continental Army's most spectacular victories."

Walk the grounds of the Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails at Fort Montgomery Historic Site. You can pick up the 1777 & 1779 trails close to the Bear Mountain Bridge and/or near the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center.

George Washington (February 22, 1732 - December 14, 1799), also called Father of his Country, was an American general and Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and later the first President of the United States (1789–1797). He also served as President of the 1787 Constitutional Convention. George Washington is recognized as one of the most important figures in U.S. history. George Washington played an important role in both the "French and Indian War" and in the "American Revolution".

In 1754, Washington was commissioned as a colonel in the Virginia militia. In 1755, Washington accompanied the Braddock Expedition of the British Army during the French and Indian War. In 1757, he resigned his commission and married Martha Dandridge Custis, the wealthy widow of Daniel Parke Custis. The couple moved to Mount Vernon where he took up the life of a genteel farmer. He became a member of the House of Burgesses. By 1774, Washington had become one of the colonies' wealthiest men. In that year, he was chosen as a delegate from Virginia to the First Continental Congress and the next year to the Second Continental Congress. He did not support colonial independence until 1776, when he read Thomas Paine's "Common Sense".

In the First Continental Congress, twelve colonies sent delegates to discuss how to return to a state of harmonious relations with the Mother Country and not have a revolution! But radical thinking won out. Parliamentary acts were declared "unconstitutional". Taxes were not paid, an import-export ban was established, and Colonists were urged to arm themselves. The "shot heard 'round the world" was fired at Lexington where armed colonists tried to resist British seizure of an arsenal. Eight Americans and 273 British soldiers were killed. The Revolutionary War began. The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775 and they declared themselves the government. They also named George Washington Commander in Chief of the newly organized army.

The Revolutionary War ended in 1783 and unlike many other revolutionary leaders, Washington voluntarily relinquished power. On December 23, 1783, General George Washington resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Army to the Congress, which was then meeting at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. This action was of great significance, establishing the precedent that civilian elected officials, rather than military officers, possessed ultimate authority. If Washington had wanted to retain power he may have been able to seize it. There was some support among his most devoted followers for making Washington a permanent ruler or king, but Washington, like most of the Founding Fathers of the United States, abhorred the very idea. This established an important precedent of republican democracy throughout the world.

On February 4, 1789, America's first presidential election took place. On April 30, 1789, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City, Washington took his oath of office as the first President of the United States.

Congressman Henry Light Horse Harry Lee, a Revolutionary War comrade, famously eulogized Washington as "a citizen, first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen".

For most of the 18th and into the 19th century, the Ellison family had important commercial dealings in milling and trade. From their mill, flour was shipped down the Hudson River to New York City and the West Indies. At present, remains of the mill, with traces of the underground racecourse, and the Jane Colden Native Plant Sanctuary may be visited. Explore how the Ellisons and other families of the mid-Hudson Valley lived 200 years ago.

Point of Interest Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site is fun for the children and family of all ages.

Attractions
Costumed Interpreters
Demonstrations
Educational Services
Gardens
Group Tours
Guided Tours
Hiking
Interpretive Sign
Picnic Area
Re-enactments
Scenic Views

Washington was pleased that the army was better housed, fed, and clothed than ever before in the long war, but life for the officers and troops at the Cantonment remained hard. It was at the New Windsor Cantonment that the cease fire orders were issued by Washington ending the eight-year War of Independence on April 19, 1783. The final success, however, was the gradual, orderly disbandment of the army at the Cantonment, and the peaceful march of its still largely unpaid officers and men back to their homes or new pursuits.

New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is fun for children and family. See the staff in reproduction period dress and uniforms demonstrate musket drills, blacksmithing, military medicine and camplife activities. View the exhibits at the Visitor Center and the reconstructed Temple Building, which served as a chapel for the soldiers.

Attractions
Audio-Visual Programs
Costumed Interpreters
Demonstrations
Educational Services
Group Tours
Guided Tours
Hiking
Interpretive Sign
Picnic Area
Re-enactments
Scenic Views
Self Guided Tours
Visitors Center/Museum

The word is: Wonderful day out for the kids and children of all ages.

Parks attractions include: Biking, Boat Launch Sites, Fishing, Hiking, Hunting, Ice Fishing, Museum / Visitor Center, Recreation Programs, Snowshoeing

Based upon captured British materials brought to West Point after the British defeat at Saratoga in 1777, the Museum collections actually predate the founding of the United States Military Academy. When the Academy opened in 1802, many Revolutionary War trophies remained to be used for cadet instruction. By the 1820s, a teaching collection of artifacts existed at the Military Academy and after the Mexican War (1846 - 1848).

West Point was designated by Executive Order as the permanent depository of war trophies. In 1854 the first public museum was opened and in 1989 the West Point Museum in Olmsted Hall opened at Pershing Center. Today it represents the culmination of more than two centuries of preserving our military heritage. Press "Blue Button" for West Point Gallery, History of US Army Gallery, American Wars Gallery, and more about West Point.

Enjoy music every weekend in August. Music starts at 2:00 and ends at 5:00. The Cafe will be open serving fruit & cheese platters and sandwiches. Press "Blue Button" for more about Applewood Winery.

Comments: Apple Picking starts Labor Day Weekend.

Our pick your own Apple and Pear orchards are ready for picking beginning early September and ripening continues through early November. We grow Bosc and Bartlett pears and over twenty varieties of apples. Remember pears ripen off the tree while apples ripen on the tree.

Our purpose is to grow apple varieties that taste great. Nothing gives us more pleasure than watching a child discover that all apples don’t taste or look alike and that they are “really good”. Press "Blue Button" for complete list of apples and pears, picking dates and more information about Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery.

From 1818 to 1911, the West Point Foundry was a technological powerhouse, manufacturing Parrott guns, the rifled cannon credited with winning the Civil War, and the steam engines, water wheels and mill equipment that sparked America’s burgeoning industrial economy.

Today, this 87-acre preserve is a peaceful park that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The preparation of a Public Access and Interpretation Plan for the West Point Foundry Preserve is supported in part by a Preserve America grant administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Putnam County is the recipient of the grant. The study and stabilization of masonry ruins at the preserve is funded by the Environmental Protection Fund managed by NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Plans for park improvements are in progress. In the meantime, the property is open to the public with nearly a mile of footpaths that wind near ruins and along both banks of a stream. The adjacent Foundry Cove, once a U.S. EPA Superfund cleanup site, now boasts tidal wetlands that provide habitat for Hudson River bird and fish species.

Things To Do

Birding
Hiking
Nature Study
Footpaths winding near ruins

Press "Blue Button" for Scenic Hudson, hours of operation, maps, and more about West Point Foundry Preserve in Cold Spring, New York.

After a day of birding, hiking, and studying historical archaeological elements, dine at one of many excellent restaurants in Putnam County, New York.

From the front lawn at Boscobel, one can see the Constitution Marsh Sanctuary and Constitution Island immediately below, the Bear Mountain Bridge to the south, the United States Military Academy at West Point across the river, and Storm King Mountain to the north. Spectacular views of the Hudson River and the Hudson Highlands, including Crow’s Nest, Storm King, and Sugar Loaf Mountains are visible from Boscobel’s grounds. The Hudson has been an inspiration for artists through the centuries, and great works by Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Doughty, Thomas P. Rossiter, and Frederic Church, have depicted the majesty of the River and its surroundings.

Boscobel was originally located in Montrose, New York, about fifteen miles south of the present site, with views overlooking the Hudson River at Haverstraw Bay. It was built by States Morris Dyckman (1755-1806), a descendant of one of the early Dutch families of New Amsterdam.

The Boscobel Mansion dates from the early nineteenth century and contains one of the nation's leading collections of furniture and decorative arts from the Federal period with high-style furniture by Duncan Phyfe and other recognized New York cabinetmakers of the day. Much of Dyckman's English china, silver, glass, and part of his library have also survived and are on exhibit.

Point of Interest There are many tourist attractions and things to do close to Boscobel. Visitors can explore the quaint nineteenth century village of Cold Spring with its antique and specialty shops, Historic West Point, Storm King Art Center, Theatre, and beautiful Parks including Bear Mountain State Park.

Point of Interest The Hudson River was recently named one of ten "American Heritage Rivers."

Attractions
Guided Tour of Boscobel mansion
Self-Guided Tour of beautiful grounds
Rose Garden, Orangery, Springhouse and Garden House
Woodland Trail
Panoramic Views of Hudson Highlands and River

"Bennington, in fact, was one of the most important fights of the Revolution, contributing as it did so largely to the final surrender of Burgoyne's whole army at Saratoga, and the utter ruin of the British invasion from the north. It is also interesting as an extremely gallant bit of fighting . . . There stood the enemy strongly entrenched on a hill, and Stark, calling his undisciplined lines about him, went at them . . . He and his men fought well their hand-to-hand fight on that hot August day, and carried the entrenchments filled with regular troops and defended by artillery. It was a daring feat of arms, as well as a battle which had an important effect upon the course of history and upon the fate of the British Empire in America." Henry Cabot Lodge

This battle was fought on August 16, 1777 in a British effort to capture American storehouses in Bennington to restock their depleting provisions. The British forces had underestimated the strength of their enemy and most of their men were killed or taken prisoner while the Americans sustained smaller losses. The British surrendered on October 17, 1777, after two unsuccessful battles in Saratoga.

Casualties and losses were recorded as:
American losses: 30 killed and 40 wounded = 70 casualties.
British losses: 207 killed and 700 captured = 907 casualties.

Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site is located in Grafton, NY 12082, in Rensselaer County in the Hudson River Valley. Bennington Battlefield is the location of a Revolutionary War battle between the British forces of General John Burgoyne and Colonel Friedrich Baum against the American forces under Brigadier General John Stark and Colonel Seth Warner. Press "Blue Button" for more about Bennington Battlefield.

Crailo was built in the early 18th century by Hendrick Van Rensselaer. Hendrick died in 1740 and his eldest son, Johannes, inherited Crailo. He remodeled the house and added an east wing in the Georgian style, reflecting the increasing influence of the English on the Albany-area Dutch.

Crailo today tells the story of the early Dutch inhabitants of the Upper Hudson Valley through exhibits highlighting archeological finds from the Albany Fort Orange excavations, special programs, and guided tours of the museum. Press "Blue Button" for attractions and more about Crailo State Historic Site.

The Merry-Go-Round at Bear Mountain features hand-painted scenes of the park while the merry-go-round itself features 38 carved renditions of Hudson River Valley animals, including raccoons, bear, deer, eagles, foxes, river otters, and bobcats.

Its rounding boards illustrate the park's early history with hand-painted scenes of the Hudson River, Perkins Tower, Bear Mountain Inn, etc. The music played during the rides was recorded at an original carousel in Rochester, New York, from a 1926 Wurlitzer Pipe Band Organ. Both parents and kids can select their favorite animal and enjoy a ride on this wonderful Merry-Go-Round.

The Journal News reported: "Tradition goes out the window at the Bear Mountain merry-go-round. Riders may perch themselves on the back of a frog, who sports a jaunty vest and bow tie. Then there’s that charming bear who has a honeycomb strapped onto his back, unaware of the bumblebee about to take a taste. This is not your everyday merry-go-round. The Bear Mountain merry-go-round was designed to represent the native animals in the Hudson River Valley. In addition to the animals, two highly decorated benches on the merry-go-round offer another way to ride, while also being easily converted into accessible seating for those in wheelchairs."

A Bit of History about the Merry-Go-Round
The Merry-Go-Round at Bear Mountain State Park is a building anchored in a distinguished history. The stone-and-timber pavilion reflects the Adirondack "Great Camp" architectural style that became the model for other Palisades Park buildings such as the 1915 Bear Mountain Inn and, later, the National Park System. The 8,000-square-foot pavilion includes a viewing area, fireplace hearth, catering facilities for small receptions, and snacks and restrooms.

Today's Trailside Museums and Zoo occupy 40 acres on a bluff 250 feet over the Hudson River. The trails, including the first section of the Appalachian Trail, are among the oldest in the country; they link the various homes of Samantha, the eagle, and other birds of prey, the bear den, as well as habitats for beavers, a river otter, foxes, coyotes, and more.

Children enjoy the various presentations of indigenous wildlife, geology and herpetology. On display are Native American artifacts, models of Revolutionary War battles fought on-site, and an exhibit of the origins of the Boy Scouts, and four Museum buildings. See the bald eagle, black bear, owl, river otter and more animals local to Bear Mountain.

The Trailside Museum and Wildlife Center also highlight the history of the area. Learn about the importance of Bear Mountain in the American Revolutionary War. Visit historic 1777 & 1779 Trails that retrace the routes taken by the British army during the American War of Independence. Visit Fort Montgomery, a Revolutionary War fort built to defend the Hudson Highlands and protect American control of the Hudson River and learn about the Battle of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton.

Young children, older children, and adults all enjoy visiting each of the Museum buildings that house different exhibits. Visit the Local Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fish Museum, the Geology Museum, History Museum and Nature Study Museum.

Emeline Park is located in the Village of Haverstraw, Rockland County in the southern Hudson River Valley. This park offers 0.5 miles of walking paths winding through 3 waterfront acres, with gazebo, pavilion, benches and a play area for children.

Emeline Park is set on the western shores of the Hudson River. This Rockland County riverfront park looks out across the Hudson at the river's widest point. Haverstraw Bay is a sweeping expanse of water, the very widest section of the Hudson River. Emeline Park is co-owned by Scenic Hudson and the Village of Haverstraw, and offers spectacular views of the bay and its many boats.

Things To Do

Children's Play Area
Walking Paths
Scenic Vistas

Directions
Heading south on Route 9W in Haverstraw Village, turn left on New Main Street and continue to the end.

Press "Blue Button" for Scenic Hudson, hours of operation, parking information, maps, photos and more about Emeline Park.

When you are ready to eat, select from one of many excellent restaurants in Rockland County and nearby areas.

Healthy Exercise at Palisades Mall
Walking has quickly become America's most popular form of exercise because it is safe, simple and inexpensive. Almost anyone can walk, regardless of age, lifestyle or physical condition. A regular program of brisk walking is beneficial in preventing or managing health problems. Join your friends and neighbors at Palisades Center for healthful walking at your own pace in climate controlled comfort.

Press "Blue Button" for more information about the amazing Palisades Center Mall and Shopping Plaza.

The Stony Point Battlefield marks the "Battle of Stony Point" and the victory of the American light infantry over the British in a daring midnight raid.

Visit the site of the Battle of Stony Point, one of the last major Revolutionary War battles in the northeastern colonies. This is where Brigadier General Anthony Wayne led his corps of Continental Light Infantry in a daring midnight attack on the British, seizing the site's fortifications and taking the British garrison as prisoners on July 16, 1779.

By the late 1770s, the war had been raging for four years and both sides were eager for a conclusion. Sir Henry Clinton, commander of the British forces in America, attempted to coerce General George Washington into one decisive battle to control the Hudson River. As part of his strategy, Clinton fortified Stony Point. Washington devised a plan for Wayne to lead an attack on the fort. Armed with bayonets only, the infantry captured the fort in short order, ending British control of the river.

The site features a museum, which offers exhibits on the battle and the 1826 Stony Point Lighthouse, as well as interpretive programs, such as reenactments highlighting 18th century military life, cannon and musket firings, cooking demonstrations, and children's activities.

Attractions Include
Children's Activities
Costumed Interpreters
Demonstrations
Educational Services
Group Tours
Museum and Visitors Center
Picnic Area

The Story of Huguenot Street
After decades of sojourn and relocation, a group of twelve Huguenot refugees from what is today northern France and southern Belgium and linked by family, religion, and friendship purchased nearly 40,000 acres along the Wallkill River in the Hudson Valley. They purchased this land from the native Esopus Indians, thus establishing a permanent home where they could pursue their Protestant faith free from religious and political persecution. They named the new town after die Pfalz, the region along the Rhine River where they had found temporary refuge before journeying to the new world.

The families began replacing their temporary homes in the early 1700s with stone houses along what is now known as Huguenot Street, seven of which survive today. The houses were added to over the first century or so of their existence to provide more comfortable living arrangements, and today the domestic environments of the colonial period and the early years of the Republic are preserved to inspire and to educate. While four of the houses are similar to their early appearance, the National Historic Landmark district also includes three original stone houses that were altered in the 1830s, the 1890s, and the 1940s, enabling three hundred years of history to be told on the street, displaying both continuity and change in American history.

Press "Blue Button" for more about Huguenot Street and the Huguenot Historical Society.

The word is: Great fun for Children. Kids of all ages enjoy being on a farm and kids especially; love to pick their own fruit.

In 1887, to recognize Senate House's role in the Revolution, New York State acquired the property, which quickly became a vital community museum. A two-story Museum Building was constructed in 1927 to house and display the site's burgeoning collection. Among its treasures are: major art works by John Vanderlyn and other members of the Vanderlyn family of Kingston, dating from the 1720s through the 1870s, and notable paintings by Ammi Phillips, Joseph Tubby, James Bard, and Thomas Sully. Press "Blue Button" for more information about the Senate House State Historic Site.