It's summertime in the Hudson Valley, and here are some of the best places to visit with your family. There really is something for everyone at these local favorites. And if you haven't got to experience one of the following, be sure you do, and do let us know -- with pictures, too. (Send to MJ editor@excitingread.com.)
These were the top places to visit as voted by HVParent readers.
Places for Outdoor Fun!!
(Birthday party fun at Hurds Farm)
Hurds Family Farm: For the young and young-at-heart, enjoy apple and pumpkin picking, hayrides, bonfires, and a cornfield maze. Feed farm pets at the Critter Corner and play at the Kid's Corral. Visit an 18th Century Dutch Threshing Barn for country gifts and refreshments.
2187 Route 32
Modena
845-883-7825
Barton Orchards: This family owned farm is one of the few "Pick your own" farms remaining in the Hudson Valley. Not only do they take tremendous pride in caring for crops and livestock, but they provide excellent entertainment for the whole family.
63 Apple Tree Lane
Poughquag
845-227-2306
Sprout Creek: A working farm, an educational center, a retail market, a peaceful sanctuary, a summer camp, a place for intellectual inquiry, Sprout Creek Farm is all these things.
34 Lauer Road
Poughkeepsie
845-485-8438
Basha Kill Wildlife Management:
The BKWM is a place to breathe deeply and feel the beauty and peace of a unique, unspoiled natural place. Almost 200 species of birds, 30 varieties of fish, and innumerable plants, reptiles, mammals, and insects, live in the area.
Haven Road
Wurtsboro
845-754-0743
Apple Pond Farm: visit a working farm to refresh your spirit and clear your mind. Their fully-furnished guest house can be your farm vacation, available year-round. Join us as we do our daily chores, give grain and hay to animals, milk goats, clean the barn, work in the garden and vegetable hoop house, and cut and stack wood. We will show you how to pick from our garden and gather eggs, and tell you about our wind turbine, solar panels and solar hot water system.
80 Hahn Road
Callicoon Center
845-482-4764
For more places to visit in the HV, check out our Places to Go Guide!!
Places to Play
The Castle: Everything you can imagine for a fun-filled day, including mini-golf, arcade, go-karts, batting cages. Available for birthday parties.
109 Brookside Avenue
Chester
845-469-2116
SplashDown Beach: Water fun for ages, kid-only play areas, lazy river, wave pool, and rainforest show featuring exotic animals rarely seen!
16 Old Route 9 West
Fishkill
845-897-9600
Fun-E-Farm: Home to a wide array of inflatable structures including bounce houses, obstacle courses, slides, interactive bubbles and toddler bounces! They provide a fun, clean, and safe environment for families to spend some quality fun time together.
Hudson Valley Mall
1300 Ulster Avenue
Kingston
845-514-2431
MAC Park is the area's only giant indoor park and event space. The Park includes 20,000 square feet and features 3 turf fields and a 6-lane srint track. It's climate-controlled, secure, and offers countless amenities. Open to the public, MAC Park runs a variety of active programming for all ages.
Route 9W
Kingston
Places to Learn
Mid-Hudson Children's Museum: A hands-on children's museum with loads of interactive exhibits including a bubble machine, climbing wall, and Starlab Planetarium. Playgroups, and birthday parties, too!
75 North Water Street
Poughkeepsie
845-471-0589
(Oodles of hands-on exhibits at Mid-Hudson Children's Museum)
Museum Village: A living history museum committed to the exploration, interpretation and preservation of 19th century life
1010 Route 17M
Monroe
845-782-8248
Hudson Highlands Nature Museum: the HHNM is a center for nature with a focus on environmental education the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum offers a wide range of activities and exhibits. Our indoor Wildlife Education Center will introduce you and your family to animals you will find nowhere else. Birthday parties, and special weekend events.
100 Muser Drive
(across from 174 Angola Road)
Cornwall
845-534-5506
Storm King Art Center: One of the world’s leading and widely celebrated sculpture parks with over 500-beautifully landscaped acres, featuring fields, hills, and woodlands. More than 100 carefully sited sculptures await young and old alike.
Old Pleasant Hill Road
Mountainville
845-534-3115
Hudson River Maritime Museum: Dedicated to the preservation of the maritime history of the Hudson River Valley, and includes a self-guided tour of exhibits,the annual changing exhibit. With text, photographs, video footage, and moving images.
50 Rondout Landing
Kingston
845-338-0071