Verona/Montclair, NJ - this medieval castle-like mansion was the cozy home of industrialist…read moreFrederic Ellsworth Kip in the early 1900s, and, saved from the ignominious fate of being developed into a row of townhouses during the modern era, the estate is now part of the historic Essex County Park System and thankfully is being preserved as an eventual resource center for the arts & culture. Although the 11-acre grounds of Kip's Castle Park is open from dawn to dusk year-round, the house itself is normally closed to the public except for a brief few days around Christmas, when the home is decorated in vintage holiday splendor and the first floor is open to viewing. The home looks grand but is charmingly intimate inside. It doesn't take long to tour but makes for a lovely little visit if you happen to find yourself in the area over the holidays.

I absolutely love castles! First visit!…read more Kips Castle is a replica of a Medieval Castle! Located in Verona and Montclair New Jersey. The Castle was closed but you can explore the 11 acres of land on the ridge of First Mountain. You have beautiful views of the New York skyline. On our way out, saw the deers!!

What a great little historic spot tucked along the Hudson River. We were trying to kill time before…read morean afternoon wedding and I came across this place while searching online. This historic site was home to pivotal decisions during the Revolutionary War, made by George Washington himself. The museum/buildings themselves have limited hours (which are listed on the parks website) but we were able to walk the grounds freely which was nice. There are gates/fencing surrounding the site, which were locked as we went around - but toward the opposite side of the site (where I believe their designated parking lot is? We weren't sure but it looked like their lot) there is an opening where you can walk a gravel path that will take you through the site. It was really cool being able to see the buildings here. Even though the park is nestled in a neighborhood/town, I felt pretty immersed in the history just walking along the paths. We got to see the buildings that George Washington was present in, plus the various monuments that were erected on site. The state parks put up informational signs around the area so we could easily read up on the history. It was a really nice way to get even just a taste of history while we were here, which was perfect for our constricted time frame. If I'm ever traveling this way again, I'd definitely try to make it for a tour of the interiors.

Very nice park to walk around. There are few historic monuments here. Great views. If you are…read morenearby, definitely worth visiting.

Fascinating Revolutionary War fort that affords an easy walk along a foot path to all the key…read morelocations. Along the way the interpretive kiosks tell the story of the 1779 Battle of Stony Point, a midnight raid that was conducted so expertly by Continental forces, led by "Mad Anthony" Wayne, that it would make SAS Commandos envious. Due to some construction the museum was not open on the day my wife and I visited, and there were no reenactors around but it was still well worth a visit. Much of that had to do with Eric, one of the site's docents. Eric was very informative, educational and just an all around great guy to talk to. I knew a bit about the battle but Eric's detailed information was illuminating. And it wasn't just history of the battle we learned about. He told us about everything from the 19th century lighthouse to the ancient glacial fjord that formed the Hudson to the Eastern Cicada-Killers! Thanks, Eric! All in all, Stony Point Historic Site is well worth a visit. You could probably cover most of it in an hour or two but if you're history freaks like us you'll want to plan for three to four.

PROS: this place was very neat. Loads of hiking trails, scenic roadway to the parking lot…read more CONS: no museum, historic signs, or anything that would teach you about the battle OVERALL: for hiking and scenic roads this place is good, especially since there's free parking, but it isn't the best for history

Beautiful ground and mansion. We were here on a Saturday morning. We walked around the ground…read morebefore they were open. Paid for the self guided tour of the mansion. The staff here are all very friendly and knowledgeable. Beautiful decoration inside the mansion during Christmas time. Highly recommended!

Led by a very highly skilled federal staff and volunteers…read more Wonderfully kept and truly q great place to visit. A Pike County PA treasure.

It was fall, we were headed up north for apple picking but it was raining, and my girl likes…read moretouring old homes. You do the math... As far as old home tours go, this one was pretty interesting, and our guide was a veritable font of knowledge! Not only about the home, but also the residents and the transitions from one to another, etc. A horror movie was filmed here so that's pretty cool. I watched it once we got home. Sadly, it was not good...

I visited the Armour-Stiner Octagon House, when I drove up to the area from the city last weekend,…read moreand it was a great tour. I had only visited one other octagon house before (Longwood in Natchez, Mississippi), and I'm still fascinated by this architectural trend (apparently octagon houses were big in the 1850s?!). The Armor-Stiner Octagon House is beautiful, and it has such an interesting history. First off, it's the only known fully domed octagonal house, which gives it a very different look from the others. It's also soooo Victorian - with gorgeous paint colors, gingerbread detailing, and veranda. The house was fascinating to tour for many reasons. One is that the house is privately owned. It's owned by the preservationist architect who painstakingly restored the house over several years, but it's open for tours. Another is just that it's an octagonal house - it's only the second I've seen in person. Another is that the house contains some pretty incredible rooms - the Egyptian Revival style music room took my breath away. The last and perhaps most important reason I loved the tour is the story about the Lombardi family and their work to restore the home. From how they found English wool carpets as close as possible to what would have been in the house when it was built to the story about an incredible bed and bedroom set, I was really inspired by how much they loved and honored this home. Our tour guide was lovely - informative, friendly. And the tour was really fascinating. This is definitely worth a stop if you're in the area! If you don't love octagonal houses yet - it might make you love them.

This was my first time visiting a dam, and it was absolutely breathtaking. There's a short trail…read moreyou can take to reach the top, and the view from up there is incredible. The park is spacious with plenty of spots to sit back, relax, and enjoy the sunshine. Parking was a bit challenging at first, but we were eventually able to find a place to park without too much trouble.

A damn nice place to check out! Damn good views, damn good walking/ biking paths, and plenty of…read moredamn history of this historic piece of infrastructure!

While I love history and learning new things, I'll be honest and admit that I'm not generally a fan…read moreof touring historic homes, it just doesn't do much for me, but even with that said, of the 4 old estates I toured this weekend, Kykuit was the least noteworthy. Though the guide's knowledge was great, the house itself... Meh. Age and apathy seem to have settled the house down into a state not quite approaching disrepair but not far off either. What once may have been grandiose is now just old, jaded, faded, and big, but not fancy, while the conservation service running the show seems disinclined to keep up with the grounds on any level other than blowing leaves away from the walkways. Even the cars in the museum have half flat tires. Waste of time and money.

Great experience at the Kykuit Highlights Tour…read more This tour is about 1.5 hours and covers the first floor of the estate and outside. There are other (longer) tours that include more of the estate if you like. All tours leave from the Visitor's Center. There is a large parking lot there...but there is also some overflow parking around the corner ii needed. The overflow lot is a short walk to the Visitor's Center. The center has a large shop with lots of gifts and souvenirs. There are also some snacks and bakery-items (coffee, tea, pastries) available for purchase. There are bathrooms and the ticketing area. You check in at the ticketing area and are given a hand band. A bus (very nice and comfy) will take the tour guests from the visitor's center to the estate...the ride is about 10 minutes. The tour guide will also be on the bus offering some information throughout the ride, including information on the structures and facilities within the larger estate as you pass those by. The tour itself was great...but I can see some may want to visit the other floors of the estate, which is only included in the longer tours. Lots of information throughout the tour. They do keep the schedule pretty tight though as I noticed our tour guide checking the schedule regularly to determine how much time to spend at each room. I understand this is crucial in order to accommodate the various timed tours but it does leave little room for asking questions and some of it felt a little rushed. Photography is ONLY permitted outside of the estate. You cannot take photos inside the estate. You are taken back to the visitor's center when the tour it completed. Overall I had a great visit. I would love to return to view some of the other offerings...such as the Philipsburg Manor. All staff I encountered were friendly and helpful.

This museum is located in the Bear Mountain. It's free to check out. There is also a hiking trail…read moreinside. Very nice place to take a walk on a nice day.

this is a quaint museum that's located in bear mountain. The size is appropriate for the location…read moreand it's free. Staff is very nice and the place sells souvenirs, refreshments, has a movie, and bathrooms. A lot of the stuff on display is also cool (bones from animals, weapons, everyday soldier items)

Love this wonderful residential street! Having lived in the neighborhood, it was one of the places…read morewould bring my visitors to see this amazing, quaint, picturesque remaining street of wooden row homes in Manhattan. Take time to also enjoy the adjacent historic Morris Jumel mansion - Washington actually slept here - and neighborhood brownstones. That being said, don't bring your tourbus! It destroys the tranquility of the space!

Absolutely loved this street! It's such a nice hidden gem. The houses are really nice and it feels…read morelike you're transported to another city or country. This street feels like your in Netherlands. They also had a flee market when I was there, selling stuff like jewelry, old electronics, DVDs, CDs, and vinyls. There are people that actually live in the houses, I saw plenty of people go in and out of the houses. What I like is that this street isn't too busy, or swarming with tourists. It truly feels like you're back in old New York.