7 Best Sights in Annandale-on-Hudson and Tivoli, Hudson Valley

A winding tree-lined road leads to this small college of liberal arts and sciences. The beautiful 540-acre campus encompasses two Hudson River estates, parklike grounds and gardens, and wooded areas.

Spectacular views of the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains are your reward for trekking through the fields and wooded trails (2¼ miles) at this 120-acre park. Rustic cedar benches, footbridges, and gazebos add to the park's charm and offer places to picnic and rest.

Robert R. Livingston Jr. (1746–1813), who helped draft the Declaration of Independence, was just one of the illustrious Livingstons who made their home on this estate between Tivoli and Hudson. The stately white house reflects the changes made by several generations: it was burned by the British during the Revolutionary War and rebuilt in the late 1700s on the original foundations. The rooms are furnished with family heirlooms and include splendid examples of decorative objects and of cabinetmaking.

This free museum is part of Bard's highly respected Center for Curatorial Studies. Located on the south end of the Bard campus, it's known for cutting-edge exhibits of contemporary art and includes more than 3,000 works by some of most prominent artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Donald Judd, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Cindy Sherman.

The centerpiece of this 1,569-acre park, Lake Taghkanic has two sandy beaches, picnic areas, boat rentals, playgrounds, restrooms, and trails for hiking. You may camp here from early May through October, choosing between tent or trailer sites or rustic cabins (with bathrooms and hot and cold water). Kids enjoy climbing the water tower. Cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, ice-skating, and ice fishing are options in winter.

This 23-room mansion, once the Livingston family estate, sits on 434 acres along the Hudson River north of Rhinebeck. Built in the Federal style, the mansion was remodeled in the mid-19th century by noted American architect Andrew Jackson Davis, who applied a classical revival style. The well-maintained house is closed for restoration, but the grounds alone are worth seeing; they encompass orchards, flower gardens, and ancient trees, and offer plenty of picnic-perfect spots.

Noted architect Frank Gehry designed Bard's extraordinary Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. Brushed-stainless-steel panels, draped like massive ribbons over the roof and sides of the 108,000-square-foot performing-arts center, reflect the light and colors of the sky as well as the hilly surroundings. Tours are given Monday through Friday at 2 most of the year. Call ahead to make sure the theater is open and tours are available.