Travel back to the past in New York State! Whether you prefer to walk the halls of dazzling Gold Coast estates on Long Island, fly in a real vintage biplane over the Hudson Valley, or explore the historic homes of equal rights leaders in the Finger Lakes, there are all kinds of ways to experience history. From presidential sites to historic country villages, read on to check out some of the state’s coolest places to step back in time. Photo credit: @usa.fotos on Instagram
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Stroll through historic country villages
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Genesee Country Village (Finger Lakes)
📍 1410 Flint Hill Rd, Mumford, NY 14511
⏰ Open year-round
Home to 68 19th-century buildings, Genesee Country Village is the largest living history museum in the state. Pop into the country tavern, explore a Victorian Mansion, and encounter costumed interpreters to hear the stories of daily life, culture, and trades of the time like blacksmithing and broom-making. You can also meet 10 heirloom breeds of animals and catch a vintage baseball game on Saturdays in the summer!
Fenimore Farm & Country Village (Central New York)
📍 5775 NY-80, Cooperstown, NY 13326
⏰ Open April-October except for special programs and events
Feel like you’ve stepped into a time machine as you experience New York circa 1845 at the Fenimore Farm & Country Village. Visit the Blacksmith Shop, Empire State Carousel, and Lippitt Farmstead, and don’t miss out on live craft demonstrations, interactive exhibits, and signature events like Sugaring Off Sundays with maple syrup making demos.
Old Bethpage Village Restoration (Long Island)
📍 1303 Round Swamp Rd, Old Bethpage, NY 11804
⏰ Open Friday-Sunday
Old Bethpage Village Restoration transports you to Long Island in the mid-19th century with more than two dozen original homes and buildings spread across 200+ acres of preserved farmland. You’ll find costumed guides and knowledgeable staff to teach you about the old ways of life, plus annual events including a military timeline, candlelight evenings, and old time music weekends.
Historic Richmond Town (NYC)
📍441 Clarke Ave, Staten Island, NY 10306
⏰ Open Friday-Sunday from January-March, and Wednesday-Sunday from April-December
Dive into the diverse stories of Staten Island at Historic Richmond Town! Experience history firsthand as you walk through real restored homes and other historic buildings, dating back to as early as the 1660s. Admission also includes access to the museum with exhibits portraying the many aspects of American life, either the Two Centuries Guided Tour or the 1820s Village Life Tour (offered seasonally), or open village (May-August), where daily programs and live demonstrations are held.
Museum Village (Hudson Valley)
📍 1010 NY-17M, Monroe, NY 10950
⏰Open Friday-Saturday during the summer and Saturday-Sunday in the spring and fall. Closed from mid-November through mid-April
Take a journey through 19th-century, small town life in the United States at Museum Village. Explore various interpreted buildings like the candle shop, where you can make your own candles, the one-room school house, or the broom and weave shops. Be sure to stop into the authentic log cabin, dating back to the 18th-century, and the Natural History Museum, which houses a skeleton of Harry the Mastodon!
Become part of the action at historic sites with live reenactments
Fort Ticonderoga / Carl Heilman II
For visitors looking to get in on the action, New York State is home to historic sites and battlefields offering live reenactments, hands-on activities, and demonstrations.
Fort Ticonderoga (Adirondacks)
📍102 Fort Ti Rd, Ticonderoga, NY 12883
⏰ Open Tuesday-Sunday from May-October
Just weeks after Lexington and Concord, British Fort Ticonderoga was captured by a band of Green Mountain Boys, marking it as the first offensive victory in the American Revolution! Today, you can explore the historic site for yourself, home to the restored fort, museum galleries, and acres of beautiful land overlooking Lake Champlain. Watch history come to life through reenactments, hands-on activities, live demonstrations, and more.
Fort William Henry (Adirondacks)
📍46 Canada St, Lake George, NY 12845
⏰ Open daily form May-September. Hours vary during off-season
The sights, sounds, and stories of the French and Indian War come to life at this colonial fortress located at the strategic south end of Lake George. At one of the fort’s Living History Tours & Military Presentations, expert guides dressed in 18th-century military uniform, take you through the realities of fort life. Be sure to check the full event schedule for live black powder musket and cannon demonstrations and Haunted History Ghost Tours.
Old Fort Niagara (Greater Niagara)
📍102 Morrow Plaza, Youngstown, NY 14174
⏰ Open Wednesday-Sunday from January 2-March 31 and October 16-December 31. Open daily from April 1-October 15 and December 26-31
Home to the oldest building in the Great Lakes region, Old Fort Niagara has dominated the entrance of the Niagara River since 1726. Pay a visit to the fort and discover an amazing collection of military architecture, and be sure to catch one of the special events, where reenactors perform musket-firing and artisan demonstrations, or military themed weekends like Civil War Garrison Weekend and War of 1812 Weekend.
Credit: @deana.1014 on Instagram
Saratoga National Historical Park (Capital-Saratoga)
📍 648 Route 32, Stillwater, NY 12170
⏰ Battlefield grounds and Victory Woods are open year-round. Visitor Center and other sites are open seasonally.
Two hotly-contested Revolutionary War battles were fought at the famed Saratoga Battlefield, marking the turning point of the American Revolution. Step back to 1777 throughout the park’s top landmarks like Victory Woods, where General Burgoyne’s forces made their last stand, the Saratoga Monument, General Philip Schuyler’s 1777 home and estate, and the Saratoga Surrender Site. Be sure to check out the special events calendar for live battlefield reenactments, living history events, and more.
Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site (Thousand Islands-Seaway)
📍 504 West Main Street, Sackets Harbor, NY 13685
⏰ Grounds are open year-round. Museum Shop, gallery, navy yard buildings, barn and Hall House exhibits open Saturdays through October 11
Nestled along the US-Canadian border, the Sackets Harbor Battlefield played a major role in the War of 1812, seeing two monumental battles. In addition to exploring the engaging exhibits and sprawling 70-acre grounds overlooking Lake Ontario, the Battlefield also offers a series of free 1812 living history events from mid-May through October.
Walk in the footsteps of Equal Rights leaders
From Underground Railroad hero Harriet Tubman to women’s suffrage pioneers like Susan B. Anthony, New York State is a hub for leaders in liberty and justice. Walk in their footsteps and learn the essential stories of the state’s path through equal rights.
Matilda Joslyn Gage House (Finger Lakes)
📍 210 E. Genesee St, Fayetteville, NY 13066
⏰ Open Wednesday-Saturday from June-September and Friday-Saturday from October-May
Feel inspired in the home of human rights leader Matilda Joslyn Gage, who was an advocate in both the women’s rights and abolition movements and an activist for Indigenous rights among other monumental causes. Her home in Fayetteville was once a stop on the Underground Railroad, where she lived and worked for 44 years. Today, it’s a museum and center for social justice, open for tours and events.
Harriet Tubman National Historical Park (Finger Lakes)
📍47 Parker Street, Auburn, NY 13021
⏰The church and parsonage are open seasonally. The Harriet Tubman Home reopens March 10, 2026.
Called the “Moses of her people,” Harriet Tubman was the best known conductor of the Underground Railroad, delivering hundreds of slaves to freedom. In 1857, she settled in Auburn, NY, where she continued the fight for human rights and dignity until her death in 1913. Today, you can learn about her life and legacy at the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, home to sites including the Thompson Memorial A.M.E Zion Church, Tubman’s church of 22 years, the Harriet Tubman Home, the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged.
Credit: National Susan B. Anthony House and Museum
National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House (Finger Lakes)
📍17 Madison Street, Rochester, NY 14608-1928
⏰Open Tuesdays through Sundays
Explore the site where women’s rights leader, Susan B. Anthony lived during the 40 most politically-active years until her death in 1906. When she wasn’t campaigning for women’s suffrage she was here, organizing with other reformers. Dive into her life and work with exhibits and artifacts like original furniture, her famous black silk dress, and a statue with Anthony and abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton House and Wesleyan Chapel (Finger Lakes)
📍32 Washington St, Seneca Falls, NY 13148
⏰ Open daily from May-August, Tuesday-Sunday in spring, and Friday-Saturday in winter
Found at the Women’s Rights National Historical Park, admire the restored historic home of feminist pioneer Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Wesleyan Chapel, the location of the first Women’s Rights Convention. Honor those who fight for equal rights and those who started the fight in Seneca Falls 175 years ago through special events, speakers, and exhibits held throughout the year.
📍99 Margaret Corbin Dr. in Fort Tryon Park, Manhattan, NY 10040
⏰ Open Thursday-Tuesday
Credit: @southsideverandagarden on Instagram
Discover the wonders of medieval Europe at The Met Cloisters in New York City’s Fort Tryon Park. The main building is constructed from medieval stone abbeys in France and the cloister gardens overlook unparalleled views of the Hudson River. As you stroll through the enchanting museum, admire masterpieces of medieval sculpture, stained glass, tapestries, and architecture from the Gothic and Romanesque periods.
Experience 100 years of NYC history at the Tenement Museum
📍103 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002
⏰ Open daily
Learn the stories of the generations of immigrants who helped shape the New York City we know today at the Tenement Museum. On one of the guided walking tours, you’ll get to walk the hallways of restored 19th and 20th-century Lower East Side apartments, each telling the story of a different immigrant family.
Ride, fly, or float back in time
Don’t just learn about transit history, ride, fly, and float through it in New York State! From historic steam engines to real vintage biplanes, check out these terrific transportation museums.
New York Transit Museum (NYC)
📍99 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
⏰ Open Wednesday-Sunday
Housed in a preserved 1936 subway station, the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn is the largest museum in the country dedicated to urban public transportation history. You’ll literally get to walk through transit history as you explore 20 authentic vintage subway and elevated cars dating back to as early as 1904.
Arcade & Attica Railroad (Greater Niagara)
📍278 Main Street, Arcade, NY 14009
⏰ Open during scheduled train rides
Train lovers can take a ride back in time with the Arcade & Attica Railroad, home to the last operating steam train excursion in the state, open-air cars, and themed train rides. Explore the history of railroading in the United States at the historic station, where you’ll see everything from antique railroad lanterns to switch locks, plus nostalgic original photographs depicting an era gone by.
Credit: @nysmuseums on Instagram
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome (Hudson Valley)
📍9 Norton Road, Red Hook, NY 12571
⏰Museum is open open May 1-Oct 31. Airshows are on Saturdays and Sundays from June-October
Fly through history in a real vintage biplane at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in the Hudson Valley, home to one of the country’s largest collections of antique airplanes in an outdoor setting. Check out historic aircraft including a 1902 Wright Glider, a British Sopwith Camel, German Fokkers, and other mainstays of World War I dogfights.
The Cradle of Aviation (Long Island)
📍Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, Garden City, NY 11530
⏰ Open Tuesday-Sunday
The Cradle of Aviation (pictured) on Long Island is home to one of the most diverse aerospace collections in the world. Explore eight exhibit galleries containing 70 air and spacecraft, including an original full size lunar module and World War II-era planes.
Erie Canal Museum (Finger Lakes)
📍318 Erie Blvd. E., Syracuse, NY 13202
⏰ Open daily
Learn about the engineering marvel that changed the state and country at the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse. Housed in the 1850 Syracuse Weighlock Building, you can explore a full-size canal boat, hands-on exhibits, vignettes about life along the canal, and an outdoor locktender’s garden.
Explore one of the largest free Black communities in pre-Civil War America
📍158 Buffalo Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213
⏰ Open Tuesdays-Saturday
PHOTO CREDIT: JESS BROCK
Located in Brooklyn, Weeksville Heritage Center is one of the first free pre-Civil War African American communities in the country. Dating back to the 1840s, hear the stories of this historic community on a guided tour, where you’ll get to see the interior of homes, artifacts such as newspapers and household items, and learn about the lifestyles of the families who resided there.
Tour the house of a jazz legend
📍34-56 107th St., Queens, NY 11368
⏰ Open Thursday-Saturday
The Louis Armstrong House Museum allows music fans to take a peek into the life of jazz legend Louis Armstrong. Wander through the Queens home, still furnished as it was when Louis and his wife lived there, and check out the collection that features awards, plaques, recordings, instruments, photos, video, and more.
Step into an era of elegance at historic mansions and estates
Credit: @ambientevents on Instagram
From gorgeous Gilded Age manors to Scottish-inspired castles, revel in royal vibes at these elegant estates and historic mansions in New York State.
Old Westbury Gardens (Long Island)
📍71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568
⏰ Open April-October
Located on Long Island’s dazzling Gold Coast, Old Westbury Gardens offers visitors a chance to walk the halls of this 23-room English manor house and wander on the wooded paths that lead through the formal gardens and grounds.
Oheka Castle (Long Island)
📍135 West Gate Drive, Huntington, NY 11743
⏰ Tours are offered daily
If you’re looking to explore another iconic Gold Coast mansion, Oheka Castle (pictured) is a gorgeous French chateau-style estate. Plus, you can stay overnight in one of the 34 luxurious guest rooms or explore the mansion and grounds on a guided tour.
Boldt Castle (Thousand Islands-Seaway)
📍1 Heart Island, Alexandria Bay, NY 13607
⏰ Open May-October
The Thousand Islands’ Boldt Castle (pictured below) is a 120-room Rhineland-style castle and yacht house scenically-set on Heart Island. Only accessible by boat, visitors can roam the grounds and castle interior from May-October.
Singer Castle (Thousand Islands-Seaway)
📍1136 County Route 6, Hammond, NY 13646
⏰ Open May-October
Also on the St. Lawrence River is Singer Castle, a 28-room Scottish-inspired castle built between 1900 and 1905. Take a boat tour out to the island to explore the grounds which include a five-story clock tower, four-story boat house, pergola and rose garden, as well as hidden passageways into almost every room and outbuilding. You can even stay overnight in the Royal Suite!
Credit: @kevinwojcik on Instagram
Lyndhurst (Hudson Valley)
📍635 S. Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591
⏰ Grounds are open daily from April-December. Tours are offered from April-October and Thanksgiving-December
Nestled among the scenic Hudson Valley countryside, you’ll find a number of gorgeous Gilded Age mansions and estates. Lyndhurst in Tarrytown is one of the country’s finest Gothic Revival mansion, found on 67 beautiful acres overlooking the Hudson River. Follow an experienced guide on a tour, where you’ll visit two floors of the mansion adorned with original collections of paintings, furniture, and decorative artwork.
Kykuit (Hudson Valley)
📍381 N. Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591-1806
⏰ Open Saturday-Sunday from May 21-October 2 and Wednesday-Monday from October 5-November 13
Nearby in Sleepy Hollow is Kykuit, the six-story stone house that was once home to four generations of Rockefellers. Timed tours are offered from May through early November.
Vanderbilt Mansion (Hudson Valley)
📍119 Vanderbilt Park Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538
⏰ Open daily
In Hyde Park, you can tour Vanderbilt Mansion, the lavish country home of Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt from 1896-1938. Explore the 45,000-square-foot mansion with 54 rooms and six floors, featuring exotic wood paneling, imported marble, lush velvets, French tapestries, and antique building components salvaged from the great houses of Europe.
Climb aboard historic boats
Credit: @usa.fotos on Instagram
Experience New York’s maritime legacy firsthand aboard some of the state’s most storied vessels.
USS Slater DE766 (Capital-Saratoga)
📍1 Quay St Intersection of Broadway & Quay Street, Albany, NY 12202
⏰ Open April-November
In Capital-Saratoga, you can tour the USS Slater DE766, the only World War II-era destroyer escort still afloat and the only one in existence with its original battle armament. Take a guided tour of this floating museum, covering three levels which includes the galley, mess, crew quarters, officers country, private Captain’s quarters, chart room, and pilot house.
Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park (Greater Niagara)
📍One Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY 14202
⏰ Open late March-November and for guided tours only after Thanksgiving – March
Greater Niagara is home to the Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park, the nation’s largest inland naval park, offering tours of four historic vessels: the USS The Sullivans, USS Little Rock, USS Croaker, and PTF-17.
South Street Seaport Museum (NYC)
📍12 Fulton St, New York, NY 10038
⏰ Open Friday through Sunday
In New York City, the South Street Seaport Museum houses a renowned fleet of historic ships, including the 1885 Tall Ship Wavertree and 1908 Lightship Ambrose, which both allow visitors on board. You can even set sail aboard the one-of-a-kind 1885 Schooner Pioneer!
Intrepid Museum (NYC)
📍Pier 86, Twelfth Ave. at 46th St., Manhattan, NY 10036
⏰ Open Monday-Sunday and Holidays
The Intrepid Museum is another must-stop, where visitors can walk the decks of the legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid. Plus, you’ll get to see 28 aircraft and climb into a real Bell 47 helicopter and land a space shuttle in the Exploreum.
Find inspiration at artist estates
Credit: @buffalohomes on Instagram
New York State has long been a haven for artistic inspiration. Explore the gorgeous homes, studios, and projects of some of some of the state’s greatest artists.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House (Greater Niagara)
📍6472 Old Lake Shore Road, Derby, NY 14047 (Graycliff) and 125 Jewett Parkway, Buffalo, NY 14214 (Martin House)
⏰ Graycliff is open for tours every Friday-Sunday starting March 6. The Martin House’s Pergola and Conservatory are open daily and tours are offered Thursday-Monday.
In Greater Niagara, you can explore some of Frank Lloyd Wright’s finest architectural gems: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House (pictured). Set on a cliff with sweeping views of Lake Erie, Graycliff was the beautiful summer home of Darwin and Isabelle Martin. Public tours of the house and grounds resume on March 6. You can also tour Wright’s other remarkable project, the Martin House which emphasizes his “Prairie House,” ideal.
Thomas Cole National Historic Site (Catskills)
📍218 Spring St, Catskill, NY 12414
⏰ Open Friday-Sunday
Dive into the world of the Hudson River School movement in its birthplace of the Hudson Valley and Catskills. The Thomas Cole National Historic Site (pictured below) in Catskill, NY is home to the historic home and two studios of Hudson River School founder Thomas Cole, where you can explore the buildings and admire original paintings.
Olana State Historic Site (Hudson Valley)
📍5720 New York 9G, Hudson, NY 12534
⏰ The park is open daily and tours are offered seasonally
On the other side of the river in Hudson, NY is Olana State Historic Site, one of Frederic Edwin Church’s greatest masterpieces. The 250-acre artist-designed landscape features the Persian-inspired house with unrivaled mountain and valley views, five miles of carriage roads, and exhibits highlighting Church’s work.
Credit: Escape Brooklyn
Edward Hopper House Museum (Hudson Valley)
📍82 North Broadway, Nyack, NY 10960
⏰ Open Wednesday-Sunday
Explore the birthplace and childhood home of iconic realist artist, Edward Hopper at the Edward Hopper House Museum in Nyack. Take a self-guided walking tour where you’ll catch a glimpse of the vibrant gallery space with exhibitions of 20th century and contemporary art, early Hopper work, memorabilia and rotating exhibits.
Dive into New York’s Presidential History
Credit: Marta Zielinska
New York State is packed with Presidential history. Not only have six New Yorkers become President of the United States, but a number of presidential moments have taken place in the Empire State.
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site (Greater Niagara)
📍641 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202
⏰Open daily year-round
Visit the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo, where President Theodore Roosevelt was sworn into office after the assasination of President McKinley. With state-of-the-art exhibits, you’ll experience the sights, sounds, and emotions surrounding this pivotal moment.
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (Long Island)
📍20 Sagamore Hill Road, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
⏰ Open daily year-round
You can also visit Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (pictured) in Oyster Bay which was President Theodore Roosevelt’s “Summer White House” from 1885 until his death in 1919.
Martin Van Buren National Historic Site (Hudson Valley)
📍1013 Old Post Rd, Kinderhook, NY 12106
⏰ Park grounds are open year-round. Lindenwald interior reopens June 2026
In the Hudson Valley, tour the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, home of Democratic Party founder and the first president born a US citizen, Martin Van Buren. Explore the mansion, known as Lindenwald, where Van Buren managed two presidential campaigns, wander the trails, and head into the historic Dutch village of Kinderhook.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum (Hudson Valley)
📍4079 Albany Post Rd, Hyde Park, NY 12538
⏰ Open daily year-round
The first presidential library in the country, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum (pictured below), is also found in the Hudson Valley, where you can learn about the Roosevelt presidency, the New Deal, and World War II through interactive exhibits, immersive audio‐visual theaters, and rarely seen artifacts.
Credit: @robstanforddesign on Instagram
Washington’s Headquarters (Hudson Valley)
📍84 Liberty Street, Newburgh, NY 12551
⏰ The museum building is open Fridays and Saturdays from October-Mid-April and Wednesday-Sunday from mid-April-October. The Hasbrouck House is currently closed for renovations.
From 1782 to 1783, General George Washington established headquarters in Newburgh at Jonathan and Tryntje Hasbrouck’s fieldstone farmhouse. Walk through the rooms where history was made in the crucial months of the American Revolution, see Washington’s office, and visit the museum.
Federal Hall National Memorial (NYC)
📍26 Wall St, New York, NY 10005
⏰ Open Wednesday-Sunday
Learn even more about George Washington at the Federal Hall National Memorial in New York City, where he took the oath of office as the first President of the United States. It was also home to the first Congress, Supreme Court, and Executive branch offices.
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