If you live near the New York area, Westchester County, New York, can be a location for a quick weekend getaway, and if you live more than a few hours away, it can be the destination for a longer vacation. Westchester County is the home of various historical sites, museums, art galleries, shopping centers and rural attractions.
Those interested in political science and history will be interested in visiting the Thomas Paine Memorial Museum, which houses original artifacts and documents. The Yorktown Museum features items and information centered on the history of the area over the last 250 years, including tools, clothing, Mohegan Indian artifacts and architectural miniatures.
Great works by famous artists can be viewed at the Neuberger Museum of Art at Purchase College, and the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art offers gallery talks and educational programs.
Thomas Paine Memorial Museum
983 North Avenue
New Rochelle, NY 10804
914-740-5343
thomaspaine.org
Yorktown Museum
1974 Commerce Street
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
914-962-2970
yorktownmuseum.org
Neuberger Museum of Art
735 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY 10577
914-251-6116
neuberger.org
Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art
1701 Main Street
Peekskill, NY 10566
914-788-0100
hvcca.com
The grounds of the John Jay Homestead include the fully furnished and restored main house, formal gardens and herb garden, which the first U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice and his descendants called home. Reenactments and tours are available at the restored St. Paul's Church in Mount Vernon, a Colonial structure once used as a Revolutionary War hospital. The White Plains home of Ann and Elijah Miller, which still stands and is now a museum, was used as General George Washington's headquarters during the Battle of White Plains in 1776.
John Jay Homestead State Historic Site
400 Route 22
Katonah, NY 10536
914-232-5651
johnjayhomestead.org
St. Paul's Church National Historic Site
896 South Columbus Avenue
Mt. Vernon, NY 10550
914-667-4116
nps.gov/sapa
Elijah Miller House/Washington's Headquarters Museum
140 Virginia Road
White Plains, NY 10603
914-949-1236
Stuart's Farm, Westchester's oldest working family farm, boasts more than 200 acres, hayrides and pick-your-own apples and pumpkins. An educational center for many things farm-related, the Stone Barns Center offers workshops, lectures, book groups, cooking classes, tours, tastings and other events changing monthly. The farm also features a restaurant serving food cooked from local produce. The Hilltop Hanover Farm & Environmental Center features structures dating to the 17th century, and Mangone's Farmers' Market and Outhouse Orchards sell fresh produce and other seasonal goods.
Stuart's Farm
62 Granite Springs Road
Granite Springs, NY 10527
914-245-2784
stuartsfarm.com
Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture
630 Bedford Road
Pocantico Hills, NY 10591
914-366-6200
stonebarnscenter.org
Hilltop Hanover Farm & Environmental Center
1271 Hanover Street
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
914-962-2368
hilltophanoverfarm.org
Mangone's Farmers' Market
1427 East Boston Post Road
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
914-698-3865
Outhouse Orchards
130 Hardscrabble Road
North Salem, NY 10560
914-277-3188
outhouseorchards.info
