Wonderguide by

Tracey Walsh

Visit Putnam

Nestled between the Hudson River and the Connecticut state line, Putnam County offers an abundance of adventures and experiences to suit every lifestyle. From hiking and boating to dining and shopping, Putnam is a small but mighty treasure.

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My Recommendations

Place

Boscobel House and Gardens

Tracey:Historic House Museum containing one of the finest collections of decorative arts from the Federal period, Boscobel offers admission to 68 acres of our grounds, featuring lush gardens and a woodland trail. Located in the heart of the Hudson Valley, Boscobel directly overlooks Constitution Marsh toward the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, showcasing dramatic views of the Hudson River.

Place

Chuang Yen Monastery

Tracey:Chuang Yen Monastery is a Buddhist temple situated on 225 acres in Kent, Putnam County, New York, in the United States. The temple is home to the largest indoor statue of a Buddha in the Western Hemisphere.

Place

Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival

Tracey:Founded in 1987, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVSF) is a critically acclaimed (The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal), professional, non-profit theater company based in Garrison, NY, one-hour north of Manhattan. The Festival has established a reputation for lucid, engaging, and highly inventive productions staged under an iconic, open-air Theater Tent overlooking the Hudson River.

Place

Magazzino Italian Art

Tracey:The 20,000 square-foot structure, designed by Spanish architect Miguel Quismondo, opened its doors in 2017, creating a new cultural hub and community resource within the Hudson Valley. The museum is a space in which visitors can engage with, observe, and contemplate the relationship between postwar and contemporary Italian art.

Place

MANITOGA / The Russel Wright Design Center

Tracey:Located in Garrison, New York, approximately one hour north of New York City, Manitoga is the former home and 75-acre woodland garden of American industrial designer Russel Wright (1904-1976), envisioned with his wife Mary Einstein Wright (d. 1952) for their family. Manitoga is a National Historic Landmark, an Affiliate Site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and one of the few 20th century modern homes with original landscape open to the public.

Place

Putnam History Museum

Tracey:The mission of the Putnam History Museum is to collect, preserve, interpret, and present the history of Putnam County, Philipstown, the West Point Foundry, and the Hudson Highlands. Through exhibitions, programs, and events, the museum uses its collections to engage the community with the vibrant history of our region, and to foster greater understanding of the role it has played in the growth of our nation.

Place

Stonecrop Gardens

Tracey:Perched in a dramatic setting in the Hudson Highlands, just sixty miles north of New York City, Stonecrop Gardens has become an important destination for garden visitors and plant enthusiasts since opening to the public in 1992. Inspiration may be found in all seasons, from the spring show of bulbs and the explosion of colour on the cliff ledge, to summer’s profusion in the flower garden, and the subtleties of fall foliage and fruit throughout the garden.

Place

Graymoor ~ Friars of the Atonement

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Thunder Ridge Ski Area

Tracey:Located in the rolling hills of Patterson, New York, we are just 60 minutes north of NYC! With 22 trails, 3 chairlifts and 4 magic carpets, we have slow and gentle slopes to meet the needs of the newest skiers and snowboarders and advanced trails for the daring and adventurous! We offer a spacious, slopeside lodge with cafeteria and pub and panoramic views!Day and night skiing and riding, it’s a mountain of fun for the whole family!!

Place

West Point Foundry Preserve

Tracey:Explore one of America’s most important industrial sites at this “outdoor museum.” COLD SPRING, Putnam County (90 acres) — The murmur of Foundry Brook will accompany your walk through the preserve — a far cry from the din greeting 19th-century visitors to the ironworks that manufactured some of America’s first steam engines, locomotives, pipes for New York City’s water system and cannons that helped win the Civil War. Trails pass remains of foundry buildings and interpretive features that tell the story of the site’s contribution to the Industrial Revolution and the Civil War, as well as the land’s astonishing ecological renewal. It’s a great place to escape life’s background noise while connecting with the valley’s past and its wildlife.

Limited offer

Gift from Tracey. Get a discount off all experiences!

Art

Galleries and Shows

Magazzino Italian Art

Place

MANITOGA / The Russel Wright Design Center

The Studio Around The Corner

Place

Boscobel House and Gardens

Farms

Family fun. Fresh produce. CSA Shares.

Place

Boni-Bel Farm & Country Store

Tilly Foster Farm Museum

Tracey:Welcome to Tilly Foster Farm & Educational Institute, Putnam County’s premier destination for culinary arts, natural beauty and historic attractions.

Place

Glynwood

Featured Dining

Check back frequently to view our list of featured restaurants!

Hiking

Check out some of the best hiking, walking and backpacking routes in Putnam County, New York.

Place

Hudson Highlands State Park

Tracey:A mostly undeveloped preserve of over 8,000 acres with over 70 miles of trail, Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve consists of a series of separate parcels of land stretching from Annsville Creek in Peekskill, north to Dennings Point in Beacon. The Park Preserve protects a mosaic of special habitats from the estuarine shore of the Hudson River, through young deciduous forest, to the rocky ridges and summits towering above the surrounding area, providing a haven for many plants and animals just 50 miles north of New York City. The Hudson Highlands and Hudson River provide spectacular backdrops for the many outdoor activities that can be enjoyed here, such as hiking, boating, fishing, and birding. The park's extensive hiking trail network includes terrain that varies from easy to challenging.

Place

Breakneck Ridge

Tracey:Breakneck Ridge is a mountain along the Hudson River between Beacon and Cold Spring, New York, straddling the boundary between Dutchess and Putnam counties. The time it takes you to hike Breakneck Ridge Trail will depend on the route you are taking. If you are only doing the 1-mile short loop, you should plan about 1 hour or so. The moderate loop which is 2.1 miles will take around 2 hours. For the long loop of 2.8 miles, you will need about 3 hours.

Place

Cornish Estate

Tracey:Flanking Mount Taurus, these ruins combine impressiveness and accessibility. A short, slightly uphill walk on the estate’s former driveway leads right to the crumbling confection, built ca. 1910 and owned for 20 years by NYC businessman Edward Cornish and his wife. Areas to explore include the house’s dramatic stone and brick remains overlooking the Hudson River and a nearby barn-garage complex. Ironically, in the 1930s Cornish hoped to bequeath his 650-acre property to New York State. It decided the mountainous site was no place for a park and turned him down. It didn’t become part of Hudson Highlands State Park until the late 1960s.

History

Putnam County formed in 1812 from Dutchess County and is named for Israel Putnam, a hero in the French and Indian War and a general in the American Revolutionary War.