Sometimes you discover geographical gems not far from where you live. Then you wonder, how did I not know this was here? This is the case with Hyde Park, New York. There are several amazing places to wander in the area and this post is all about them! Here is how I spent a day in Hyde Park.

Hyde Park is a town along the Hudson River and a place of luxury during the Gilded Age. People of prominence lived in New York City and had a summer mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. I knew this and have toured many mansions in Newport. What I didn’t know was that these folks had spring and fall homes in upstate New York.

The spring/fall mansion of the Vanderbilt family was in Hyde Park. I started my day, along with my sister, at the mansion when they opened at 10 a.m. This is a location that is free with an America the Beautiful Pass (highly recommend!). The only way to explore inside the Vanderbilt mansion is with a guided tour. With our tickets in hand and after using the restroom at the visitor’s center, we joined in with the first tour group of the day.

My first reaction was, “this feels like Versailles!” Come to find out, the Vanderbilt’s designed it with the French palace in mind. Mrs. Vanderbilt loved everything French and even modeled her bedroom after Marie Antoinette’s. The mansion was just as you would expect from a Gilded Age seasonal home. Over the top opulence and dripping of wealth.

After our tour (an hour later), we walked the grounds. I loved the gardens and views of the Hudson River. Early spring flowers were in bloom, including the cherry trees along what they called Cherry Lane.

Once our tummies started growling we left the grounds and decided on a local diner for lunch. Our food and coffee at Eveready Diner was delicious! Highly recommend :)

From there, my sister and I drove to the FDR compound. President Roosevelt was born and raised in Hyde Park and lived there on and off his entire life. He and Eleanor raised their children at their home, called Springwood. We began at the Visitor’s Center, where our tickets for the house tour were once again free with my America the Beautiful pass. We did have to pay for entrance into the museum and library. There are many restrooms and a cafe on site. We bought a few things at the store too.

The museum took almost an hour to explore and then we walked around the rose garden. FDR and Eleanor are both buried there together. I’m sure once the roses are in bloom in June the garden is spectacular. We had a 2:30 tour of the house and made our way to the stables to begin.

What struck me most about FDR’s private home is its decoration, which has remained unchanged. A year after his passing Eleanor donated it to the government and it became a museum. She left it exactly as it was when President Roosevelt passed. Everything is original and untouched since 1946. The difference in the Vanderbilt home and FDR’s home was dramatic. Both stately, but one gilded and gold, the other down-to-earth and full of life.

After the home and grounds were donated by Mrs. Roosevelt, she moved to her cottage nearby. We decided to go see the grounds even though the house wasn’t opened for the season (it opens late May). Val-Kill is the name of the home and grounds where Eleanor spent the rest of her days.

From there we returned to Springwood and sat at a picnic table to eat our leftover sandwiches from lunch. Made for an easy dinner! The Bellefield home onsite (offices for NPS) has a hidden garden to the side of the house. Go see it! It’s gorgeous! That is where we ended our beautiful day in Hyde Park, New York.