Van Buren's Home and Thomas Cole's Studios
A day trip took us to the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site in Kinderhook (map ), where we stepped into the world of America’s eighth president. At Lindenwald, Van Buren’s post-presidential home, we got a glimpse into the life and times of a man whose career spanned the years from the American Revolution to the Civil War.
The afternoon was quite warm and the home is not air conditioned, nor do they have open windows or doors. Rather than subject ourselves to an oven, we elected to just walk the grounds and read the interpretive displays in the park visitor center. We’ve put this on our return trip list to do earlier in the day the next time we’re in this area.
Then it was on to the Thomas Cole National Historic Site in Catskill (map ), the home and studios of the artist who founded the influential Hudson River School of landscape painting. Surrounded by the scenery of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains that inspired Cole, it was easy to understand how the Hudson Valley became such an important subject in American art. Kate elected to peruse the grounds, seeing the artist’s studio, renovated home, and rebuilt second studio. If you love art, this is a good one to visit.
Keep in mind that while this is a National Historic Site, it is managed privately. The current entry fee (July 2026) is $20 per person.
