Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area

Have you seen our new brochure on Dutch & Native American Heritage In the Hudson River Valley yet? This new brochure map guide highlights Dutch history and early interactions with Native American tribes in the Hudson River Valley. You can download and order a paper brochure for this and all of our brochures at https://www.hudsonrivervalley.com/order-brochures-guidebooks (brochures listed after our Heritage Site Guidebook, which is also a fantastic guide for those traveling in the Hudson Valley).

Reminder: Heritage Development Grants are due May 7, 2021. Grants up to $5,000 are available to eligible non-profits and municipalities located within the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area for programming, marketing, and promotional projects. https://www.hudsonrivervalley.com/heritage-development-gran

The National Park Service is inviting the public to input on a study to determine the feasibility of designating the Finger Lakes region of New York as a national heritage area. The 90-day comment period for the Finger Lakes National Heritage Area Feasibility Study will extend from March 1 to June 1, 2021. https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=91275

There are still a few spots left for Historic Huguenot Street's Virtual Beginner Lunaape Language Workshop Series, running tonight through May 5!

USS Slater will be opening tomorrow at 10am! Guided tours start every 30 minutes. While no reservations are required, visitors can call ahead a reserve a time slot. https://ussslater.org/

April 2021 Heritage Spotlight: Poets’ Walk Park In 1849, members of the Astor and Delano families, who lived in adjacent estates, commissioned German-born landscape architect Hans Jacob Ehlers to make improvements on these grounds. The classic wooded vistas, sunlit fields, and thick forest were the main focus of Ehlers’ vision for the property. He fashioned a series of outdoor rooms, using stands of foliage and stone walls to break up the landscape, which includes rolling m...eadows, forests, and a ravine. Ehlers also created a shaded, streamside path, dubbed Poets’ Walk in honor of Washington Irving and other literary figures who reputedly strolled here. Today, the 120-acre park features two miles of trails through woods with rustic pavilions, bridges, and benches. Conservation easements protect 780 acres of private lands around the park, ensuring serenity while enjoying outstanding Hudson River and Catskill Mountain views. Poets' Walk Park is open daily at 8:30 am, closing times vary depending on the season, see website for details. https://www.hudsonrivervalley.com//Poets-Walk-Park-/details See more

The next deadline for Heritage Development grant applications is February 5, 2021. Download the application and materials now. https://www.hudsonrivervalley.com/grants

NYSDOS Announces Completion Of New EST Segment In Ulster County

January 2021 Heritage Spotlight: Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center (Vassar College) The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, designed by architect Cesar Pelli, opened in 1993. The entrance pavilion (a hexagonal glass atrium) and glass-enclosed walkway afford views across campus lawns. The rectangular brick building housing the galleries features numerous skylights, allowing natural light to filter into the spacious rooms. The objects in the collection which was begun at the colleg...e’s inception in 1861 are displayed in multiple galleries. Highlights include Greek and Egyptian sculptures, as well as paintings by Cézanne, Picasso, and Pollock. Matthew Vassar purchased one of the very first collections of Hudson River paintings from the Reverend Elias Magoon in 1864; these works by Church, Cole, Cropsey, Gifford, and others are on display. An enclosed outdoor sculpture garden includes a variety of unusual trees and vines as well as modern works. Please note the Loeb will reopen for public weekend hours on January 2, 2021. The museum is open to the general public on Saturdays from 10a-5p and Sundays from 1p-5p. https://www.hudsonrivervalley.com//Frances-Lehman-/details See more

January 2021 E-newsletter: Hudson River Valley Greenway and National Heritage Area

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced completion of the Empire State Trail, now the nation's longest multi-use state trail, which will be fully open on December 31. The trail spans 750-miles total, 75 percent of which is off-road trails ideal for cyclists, hikers, runners, cross-country skiers and snow-shoers. The new recreational trail, which runs from New York City through the Hudson and Champlain Valleys to Canada, and from Albany to Buffalo along the Erie Canal, will provide a safe and scenic pathway for New Yorkers and tourists to experience New York State's varied landscapes. The Empire State Trail is expected to draw 8.6 million residents and tourists annually.

2020 marks the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. The story of women’s rights in the Hudson Valley includes not just the right to vote, but also the struggle of being heard in a man’s world, owning property when it wasn't the norm (or even legal), raising families on their own, and fighting for human rights. The Hudson River Valley is home many sites that tell the story of women and the fight to gain rights, including several Hudson River Valley Des...ignated Heritage Sites like Clermont State Historic Site and Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site! You can listen to audio clips and learn about famous Hudson Valley women like Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton and Eleanor Roosevelt. https://www.hudsonrivervalley.com/womens-rights