I absolutely love this park for hiking. I usually hike along the coast and the views are amazing! I…read morelove a nice water view and this park provides it. You get views of New York City from here. There is a small fee to park in the parking lot here. During my last visit, we encountered a friendly trooper who gave us a park map. We didn't need it, but it was a nice gesture. There is a beach like area along the trail and I enjoy stopping in this section and looking for seashells. If you're not into hiking or biking, this still seems like a nice park to sit and enjoy the day for a few hours. Pack a picnic lunch and go!

Hiking and biking in Alpine, with views of the Hudson River and plenty of shade and rocks. Its…read moreproximity to the Palisades Parkway can be either a plus for convenience or a con because you're not really escaping cars or noise. Trails are pretty well maintained and there are a few hikes of varying lengths to do. Ive never been to Huylers landing which has bathrooms and some basic food and drinks for sale but parking is paid. Not my favorite place to hike but not bad every once in awhile.

If you want a thorough history of this cool spot, read the previous review. It's excellent and what…read moreinspired me to come visit. As someone who had a grandfather who survived WWII and a great uncle that did not, it was poignant to see such a nice depiction. I'd recommend it to anyone else who had relatives serve for the same reason.

For 1.3 million World War II American soldiers, Piermont, NY was their last stop in the country…read morebefore they sailed across the Atlantic to join the war in Europe. They were housed in nearby Camp Shanks, and on the day they left America to join the war, 40,000 men a month walked down the pier, and boarded either a ship to France or a ferry to New York on their way to England. For many, the walk down the Piermont pier was their final walk on American soil. This striking monument features a statue of a helmeted GI in full uniform. He has a hand grenade and a shovel on his belt, and a sash with many pockets for equipment storage. His right hand is raised in a sign of farewell. His left hand is resting on a stone whose plaque bears the following inscription: Last Stop U.S.A. During World War Two, 40,000 U.S. troops per month, including many Piermont residents, passed this spot enroute to the end of Piermont Pier, the largest port of embarkation on the East Coast, where ships were waiting to transport them to military duty in war-torn Europe. Many of these troops landed on the shores of France where the invasion began on June 6, 1944. Thus this area came to be known as "Last Stop U.S.A." After the war came to a victorious conclusion, some 533,869 men returned home to the U.S.A. first setting foot on their homeland at the end of that same Piermont Pier. "Lest We Forget," many of the men who embarked from Piermont never returned. This plaque is dedicated to the honor of those who served and the sacred memory of those who never returned. Dedicated 1994

PROS: This castle has been here for about 100 years which was funded by the womens federation in…read moreorder to preserve the cliffs. Nice view of the Hudson and still in mint condition. You can climb to the top if you'd like as well. The path to it is very simple and it's a great place to take pics around CONS: They keep the ground floor locked up so you can't go inside even though its safe OVERALL: a great place to go to if you want to see a piece of palisades cliff history

The Women's Federation Monument is located inside the Palisades Interstate Park, accessible from…read morethe Long Path and the Forest View Trail. It's really quite cool. It was built in 1929 to honor the women who helped turn the Palisades into a park. There's also a small bit of landscaping in the area, with some flower gardens and plaques. You can climb up to the top of the monument and get a good view, or you can explore the structure in general. Sadly, there's a bit of graffiti spoiling it as of our visit, hopefully that will get cleaned up.

Such a cool place! I heard about this place the other day, and decided to stop by. I'm so glad that…read moreI did! As a musician, I found this place to be fascinating and learned a lot about Percy. It's so neat that he lived in WP!

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.

I was in New York earlier this year for a friend's wedding. We stayed in New Rochelle but the…read moreceremony was in Yonkers so I wanted to make sure to check out some of what Yonkers had to offer. Unfortunately, when I visited, the Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site was closed due to Covid. As a result, I was only able to check it out from the outside. After parking in their parking lot, we walked around the exterior. There were a few placards to read. And we peaked through the windows to see what we could see inside. I'd definitely like to return one day and get the full experience! Within walking distance from Philipse Manor Hall is a park and several restaurants.

It used to be nestled in a vast area, now this mansion is reduced to small lot. Newly renovated…read morelast year, the house is not that big but it's super interesting. There are many displays that you can play around. We didn't think we would spend an hour here. We thought, maybe 20 minutes at most. If you love old historical building and its interiors, this one might not for you because the house itself now is just a shell. But if you like history from different perspectives, you'll love this place. The stories here balance between Munsee tribes, slaves and Philipse's family. The staff here were very friendly, polite, and helpful. Admission $6. Oh and if you collect NPS passport stamp cancellations, this place is part of Hudson Valley NHA passport program.

If you like historic home tours and museums and would like an easy day trip from NYC or the…read moresurrounding areas, check out Kykuit! It is a beautiful place and also nearby other Hudson River mansions if you want to make a day of it. I did the version of the tour that includes the art collection downstairs and enjoyed it.

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.

Joe made my trip! I had an excellent experience…read more My father was born and raised in the Bronx, but this is my first time in NYC. I am very interested in my father's upbringing, and wanted to see his neighborhood, as well as important personal landmarks. Several people- including other local tour guides, told me this neighborhood was too dangerous and I should do something else with my time. Joe met me at my hotel, and we took the subway together to the old neighborhood. Not only did Joe make me feel safe, he was friendly, knowledgeable, and prepared. He brought pictures of special landmarks, like my father's apartment building (which no longer exists) and my father's favorite candy shop, which has been a bodega for decades. He was also able to tell me a great deal about the history of the neighborhood. I strongly recommend Joe to anyone looking for a tour guide.

Joe is awesome! If you are thinking about a tour of Harlem or any tour that Joe offers, do it. We…read morebooked the Harlem tour at 10pm the night before. He met us at our hotel promptly the next afternoon, took us on the subway and chatted with us the whole time. Joe is very personable. We arrived in Harlem in 15 -20 mins later and began our tour the minute we exited the station. We were stopped a few times, because Joe is well-known in Harlem, being a native. Folks love him, and we understand why. He is a genuinely nice guy who loves his city and is proud of his and its culture. Joe's knowledge of the city and it's history made for an informative experience. If we had more time in NYC, we certainly would have booked him again for another tour in a different part of the city. Do yourself a favor and book a tour with Joe!

Such a fun and engaging tour with Jean! I learned so much--not just about the lighthouse itself,…read morebut also the rich history of the Tarrytown area. Highly recommend if you're looking for something both informative and enjoyable.

What a beautiful sight this newly refurbished light house is. I'm only sad that it's not yet open…read moreto the public. The sign on the gate says it'll be open by the end of 2024. The River walk behind it is nice but there's a TON of construction going on around it that maybe is timed for end of 2024 as well. One can hope!