A visit to Columbia County can be as relaxing or stimulating as one desires. There is culture, history, recreation, antiques and unique boutiques, farm markets and u-pick orchards; bike trails and even a zip line adventure park. For art lovers, galleries, studios and an open air sculpture garden showcasing artists’ works from around the world. The architectural masterpiece, Olana, the home of Hudson River School artist, Frederic Church, and the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site anchor Columbia County’s many heritage sites. Miles of country roads take you through expansive breathtaking vistas where one can leave the city behind and embrace the countryside either by car or bike. Along the way, stop and visit one of the many tasting rooms on the Scenic Sips Craft Beverage Tour. Year round theater performances, concerts and seasonal summer stock musicals and dance offer entertainment for all ages. So come and enjoy from dawn to dusk or just sit back and relax, you decide.
Things to Do & See
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Austerlitz Historical Society
11550 Route 22, Austerlitz, NY 12017
Directions Website
518-392-0062“Old Austerlitz” is a living history museum complex and home to the Austerlitz Historical Society, with its collection of artifacts, photos … Read more
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Austerlitz History Center
812 Route 203, Spencertown, NY 12165
Directions Website
518-392-7207The Center portrays the history of the Austerlitz area from its settlement in the 1750’s to 2021, through a series of wall panels and exhibi … Read more
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Clermont State Historic Site
87 Clermont Avenue, Germantown, NY 12526
Directions Website
518-537-4240Seven generations of Livingston’s lived at Clermont, a riverside mansion with a rich and varied history. Now a museum, it holds a wealth of … Read more
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Columbia County Historical Society Museum & Library
5 Albany Avenue, Kinderhook, NY 12106
Directions Website
518-758-9265The CCHS Museum & Library has two galleries of changing exhibitions of art and historical artifacts, as well as the Barbara P. Reilly Me … Read more
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Copake Iron Works
35 Valley View Road, Copake Falls, NY 12517
Directions Website
518-329-3993One of the most intact examples of 19th century industrial iron-making in the northeast, and home to many buildings and structures including … Read more
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FASNY Museum of Firefighting
117 Harry Howard Avenue, Hudson, NY 12534
Directions Website
518-822-1875With over 60 pieces of apparatus on exhibit, whether you’re a firefighter, a student of history, or a family looking for a fun and education … Read more
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Hudson Athens Lighthouse
Water Street, Hudson, NY 12534
Directions Website
518-828-5294The northernmost lighthouse on the Hudson River rises from the river like a tiny gem. Visitors may view the lighthouse from the Henry Hudson … Read more
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Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse c.1850
2589 Route 9H, Kinderhook, NY 12106
Directions Website
518-758-9265The Schoolhouse, along with the Luykas Van Alen House (same property) is currently self-guided. The Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse is a 19th-cen … Read more
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James Vanderpoel House c. 1820
16 Broad Street, Kinderhook, NY 12106
Directions Website
518-758-9265Also known as the “House of History”; originally the Federal-era home of prominent lawyer and politician James Vanderpoel and his family, th … Read more
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Livingston History Barn
119 County Route 19, Livingston, NY 12541
Directions Website
518-851-7637Small museum with historical artifacts from of the Town of Livingston and surrounding communities. Research room for genealogical work is av … Read more
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Luykas Van Alen House c. 1737
2589 Route 9H, Kinderhook, NY 12106
Directions Website
518-758-9265Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967, the Luykas Van Alen house is a restored house museum representing 18th century rural Dutch … Read more
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Martin Van Buren Grave Site
2 Kindertree Drive, Kinderhook, NY 12106
Directions Website
518-758-9689Burial place of Martin Van Buren, 8th President of the United States.
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Martin Van Buren National Historic Site
1013 Old Post Road, Kinderhook, NY 12106
Directions Website
518-758-9689The home and farm of the founder of the Democratic Party and the eighth president of the United States. Park grounds are open daily from 7am … Read more
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Olana State Historic Site
5720 Route 9G, Hudson, NY 12534
Directions Website
518-751-0344Olana is the greatest masterpiece of Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900), the preeminent American artist of the mid-19thC and the most importa … Read more
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Persons of Color Cemetery
15 Rothermel Lane, Kinderhook, NY 12106
In 1815 Kinderhook landowner John Rogers stipulated that a portion of his property be “intended as a cemetery for the people of color.” Alth … Read more
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Roeliff Jansen Historical Society
8 Miles Road, Copake Falls, NY 12517
Local history of the Roeliff Jansen area including the towns of Ancram, Copake, Hillsdale, Gallatin, and Taghkanic. Call for seasonal hours.
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Samuel Tilden Gravesite
Cemetery of the Evergreens, 382 Cemetery Rd, New Lebanon, NY 12125
1876 presidential candidate who won by 250,000 popular votes but lost the election by one electoral vote. Cemetery of the Evergreens.
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Shaker Museum
202 Shaker Road, New Lebanon, NY 12125
Directions Website
518-794-9100Seasonal calendar of exhibitions, lectures, tours and workshops at America’s most significant Shaker historic site, Mount Lebanon Shaker Vil … Read more
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The Mills at Green Hole
2136 County Route 11, Hillsdale, NY 12529
Directions Website
518-360-1715A fully operational set of water powered mills, including a sawmill, cider mill, blacksmith shop and woodworking shop. Dates back to the ear … Read more
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