The history of the Hudson Valley is as vast and rich as the antiques the area possesses. Named after an Englishman who sailed the Atlantic seeking the northwest passage to China, the Hudson Valley, located 30 miles up river from New York City, boasts over 60 shops and streets that recall an earlier time. Historic storefronts are filled with American pieces, English and European furnishings, Asian items, fine art, ceramics and objects dating as far back as the 16th century. The range of antiques in this area is extensive and so are the prices. The Hudson River Valley is also the inspiration for many early 19th century landscape painters who collectively became known as the Hudson River School.

Towns that comprise the Valley include Hyde, Park, Kingston, Saugerties, Beacon, Poughkeepsie, Red Hook and Chatham. Local auctions worth noting are the Copake Auction and the Hudson Valley’s largest antique shows, which take place in Rhinebeck and include a weekend show on Memorial Day weekend. There are also three shows, all indoors at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds on Route 9. These shows feature 200 dealers from New York, Pennsylvania, New England, the Midwest, the South and Canada. At these shows you’ll find French, English, and American furniture, hooked rugs, folk art, paintings, prints, textiles, garden items and more.

Other attractions in the area include the Hudson River Maritime Museum and the Stockade Historic District, an area of early Dutch houses, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s home, the Culinary Institute, Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving’s Cottage in Tarrytown, and the list of places to see, and things to do go on. You can get an inside peak into the lives and art of the Hudson River School painters at local museums as well. And if you’d like to get a good dose of fresh air, outdoor activities abound in the Valley, from hiking to kayaking. Art, antiques, history, nature, the Hudson Valley has it all.