What to See in New Paltz - Top Sights and Attractions

Museum in New Paltz, New York. Historic Huguenot Street is located in New Paltz, New York, approximately 90 miles north of New York City. The seven stone houses and several accompanying structures in the 10-acre National Landmark Historic District were likely built in the early 18th century by Huguenot settlers fleeing discrimination and religious persecution in France and what's now southern Belgium. After negotiating with the Esopus Indians, this small group of Huguenots settled on a flat rise on the banks of the Wallkill River in 1678. The settlers named the site in honor of Die Pfalz, the region of present-day Germany that had provided them temporary refuge before they came to America. Recent archaeological finds indicate that the immediate area settled by the Huguenots was occupied by Native Americans prior to European contact. The site is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the United States.

The house museums of Historic Huguenot Street are in their original village setting. The street has been included in the National Register of Historic Places since the Register was created in 1966, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960.

In addition to the houses, the 10-acre (4.0 ha) site features a burying ground dating to the earlier 18th century, a reconstructed 1717 stone church, a visitor center, a library and archives, and spaces for other programming.

The site is owned and operated by Historic Huguenot Street (HHS), which was founded in 1894. In 1899, Historic Huguenot Street purchased the Jean Hasbrouck House as the first house museum on the street. In the 1950s and 60s, the organization and related family associations purchased most of the remaining stone houses in the district and subsequently opened them as museums. These acquisitions were funded in large part by descendants of the original Huguenot founders. Their family associations play a key role in supporting the institution today.

In the 1980s, the organization began offering related educational and informative programming to the public—which it continues to do today. The site is open to the public and programming is offered year-round. "In the Moment" interpretations, delivered by staff in authentic historical clothing, are now part of the core experience, along with other types of programming. Visit the official website for current schedules & rates.^[1]

Museum in Gardiner, New York. Locust Lawn is a surviving 19th-century farm complex situated on the bank of the Plattekill Creek on New York State Route 32, outside of New Paltz, Ulster County, New York.

The centerpiece of Locust Lawn is the Jeffersonian mansion of Colonel Josiah Hasbrouck which remains without modern heating, plumbing and electrical systems. The site also features the earlier Evert Terwilliger House.

Locust Lawn has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974. The site was donated to Historic Huguenot Street by Hasbrouck descendant Annette Young in 1958. In 2010 the house and collections were transferred to the Locust Grove Estate, another museum property founded by Annette Young. The site is open to the public by appointment.^[4]

Public library in New Paltz, New York. Elting Memorial Library is the public library that serves the residents of the village and town of New Paltz, New York. It is located at 93 Main Street in the village's downtown area. In addition to a collection typical of most college town libraries, Elting Memorial Library houses the Haviland-Heidgerd Historical Collection, the non-circulating genealogical and historical research collection, with a focus on the history of the Town and Village of New Paltz. This collection features "house books" that detail the history of local homes and buildings, including historic structures. The library gained notoriety in 2007 for a videotaped ghost visit that became the most popular online video about New Paltz.^[5]