The highlight of our Lower Hudson River Valley get away was a tour of Kykuit. This was a suburban home of the Rockefellers. It is perched 500 feet above the Hudson River. I’m sure the views must be remarkable. It was misty the day of our tour so we could not gain the full effect of the river and palisades. However, misty or not, the 3 hour tour was well worth the trip. We were fortunate to have Linda as our guide. She had been a staff member to the household at one time. She was excellent. Linda was friendly, enthusiastic, and politely kept us moving if we lagged. Several tours occur simultaneously so punctuality is essential. The 3 hour tour includes the interior of the house, the gardens, the basement gallery, and the carriage house (should be called a carriage mansion ) There is not enough space here to relate all my favorite parts. I will limit to 1 – the family owned 60 large Picassos. They were too cumbersome and fragile to move frequently, so the Rockefellers had a French atelier weave identical tapestries of 18 of these pieces with Picasso’s consent. Picasso signed them.
If you go:
Photography is not permitted in the house. I would not recommend this trip for small children.
There are many tours of different lengths and points of interest from which to choose. A shuttle bus leaves from Phillipsburg Manor on Route 9 and takes about 10 minutes to arrive at Kykuit. I definitely plan to return. The gardens and sculptures are absolutely splendid.
