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POINT OF INTEREST

Locust Grove Estate

2683 South Road, Poughkeepsie, New York

Built in 1851 for artist and inventor Samuel Morse as a summer home, Locust Grove Estate overlooks the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, New York. Today, the estate is a museum that primarily offers a snapshot of a place and time, with an extensive collection and expansive grounds.

Visitors can tour the mansion, which houses a 15,000-piece collection of historic artifacts, antique furniture, artwork, and decorative arts collected by the Young family, who owned the estate after the Morse family. A visitor center exhibits Morse’s telegraph equipment and paintings, as well as rotating exhibits of contemporary art. Visitors can also explore the gardens and 5 miles (8 kilometers) of hiking trails that wind through meadows and groves on the 200-acre (81-hectare) estate.

  • The mansion can only be accessed through a guided tour.

  • Visitors to the grounds should check in and out at the front desk.

  • There’s a gift shop at the estate offering souvenirs, books, and local arts and crafts.

  • Wheelchair-accessible features include the parking lot, visitor center restroom, and gardens. The mansion is not accessible.

Locust Grove Estate is located on South Road in Poughkeepsie. By train, take the Metro-North Railroad’s Hudson Line to the northern terminus of Poughkeepsie, then a taxi 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) to the estate. By car, take Interstate 87, 84, or the Taconic State Parkway to Route 9.

The visitor center, gardens, and mansion are open at different times throughout the year. The visitor center is typically open Monday through Fridays. Mansion tours are offered five times a day between Friday and Monday between May and October; private tours during the week are available by appointment.

Annette Young, the last owner of Locust Estate, also owned Locust Lawn Farm, which dates back to 1814. It was once a gentleman’s farm of Colonel Josiah Hasbrouck, who served in the Revolutionary War and was later a US Representative. Located in Gardiner, New York, the Federal-style mansion is now a museum and nature preserve, and can be visited by appointment between May and October.

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