montgomery place

It is rare to find a gorgeous historical mansion that has not only original furniture and owners belongings but also the original wallpaper which is in great shape after all these years! Each room has many interesting items to view and Steven the tour guide brought it all to life. It is obvious he loves the house and his enthusiasm was infectious. Janet Livingston Montgomery was way ahead of her time and an admirable lady. And the grounds are breathtaking, little surprises everywhere. Next time I will take a picnic and spend more time exploring.

I really enjoyed my visit to Montgomery Place. The man leading the tour did a great job and did his best to bring the family to life. It worked how they used different rooms to move chronologically through the ownership of the house. It was clear he was not just repeating a script. The grounds were beautiful and I really enjoyed walking through them and viewing the gardens.

Well worth a visit. Close to Rhinebeck and next door to Bard College. Take the 45-minute tour of the house, which is the only way to get inside. When you're inside, look for the signed photos of Eisenhower, FDR, Coolidge and Hoover. If you can, take the Sawkill Trail walk to the waterfall and old power station which stopped working in 1965 but the turbine is still there. There's a $10 fee for the house tour but you can walk around the grounds for free.

The grounds are beautiful and nationally significant (read the brochures instead of relying on the tour guide). The tour is just of the first floor of the house, which is actually lovely but needs work.

This property has so much potential, and is clearly architecturally and historically significant for many reasons. Nice grounds, beautiful house, and interesting history - but because of the quality of our tour, the knowledge of the tour guide, and the limited access in the house, we had to discover most of this own our own. The tour was disjointed and did not fully explain the history of the house or the family, and information about the landscape and how to find many of the outbuildings was lacking. Our guide could not accurately answer questions or provide any information that was not in the prepared script. Only the first floor is open for a tour, which should be very clearly stated on the website. It is such a shame that such an interesting place is not done more justice.

Montgomery Place is one of the Hudson Valley's gems. The views are just breathtaking. There's usually very few people there, so it's a great getaway when you just need to be in nature alone with your thoughts. I've visited in winter and in spring - it is equally beautiful. I've never actually been inside the house - just toured the grounds and sat on the steps overlooking the view of the river and mountains. There are also some nice hiking trails and a waterfall on the grounds! I once spotted a turkey while on the trail from the waterfall!

No one was there when I visited on a cool, drizzly day. No one. A tour was noticed to begin much later than my visit, but I had the exterior of the house, the charming terrace with wicker chairs, the woods and the river vista to enjoy in solitude. I could look in the (hand blown glass) windows of the ground floor and see the elegant furniture, the china and crystal laden dining tables and the beautiful wall treatments, which made me want to learn more. All in all, a delightful place.

I've now visited Montgomery Place three times, in Spring, Summer & Fall. The house, of course, is a pleasure to tour no matter the season, and the tour guides are knowledgeable, friendly, and very willing to answer questions. A house tour is a very reasonable $10, but the grounds are open at no charge, which is not universally true of many other of the estates in the Hudson Valley like Kykuit & Sunnyside. The grounds at Montgomery Place are well kept but not over-groomed, and there are 2 well marked trails to walk and discover the wooded areas leading down to the river. Both offer serene, unspoiled opportunities to enjoy the beauty of this area. Neither walk is unduly strenuous, but wear sturdy shoes. Sandals are not a good idea! If you'd prefer a more leisurely visit, a walk around the more formal areas of the estate is just as lovely, and you can sit on the thoughtfully provided benches at the back of the mansion and drink in the marvelous view to the Hudson below....And if you are a birdwatcher, Montgomery Pl. should be on your must-do list when you're in the area. Woodpeckers, bluejays, larks, red-breasted nuthatches, little blue herons...and that's just a casual inventory from one afternoon. In short...Go! Whether you're a history buff mainly interested in the house & it's architecture or a nature lover, or both, it's a wonderful way to spend a day in a glorious part of New York State. And nearby Tivoli and Red Hook have a range of dining and shopping options to please anyone.

The house is interesting for the history of the family that settled in the Hudson River Valley before the Revolutionary War. There are walking trails throughout the grounds. The day we were there, an antique car show was taking place, adding to the fun. Only the first floor is open to tourists.

Terrific architectural gem in a perfect setting. Very informative tours and opportunity to take in the best of the Hudson Valley

We visited Montgomery Place the last week in October. The mansion is very nice but the tour is limited to the first floor only. Our tour guide was very good. We would go back in the summer when the gardens are in full bloom and you can see the waterfalls. The mansion is closed for the season now. They have so many opportunities to make this a great place to visit. They could decorate the home for Christmas and have special events but they must have a limited budget to operate the mansion.

It's fun to imagine living on an estate like this. The house, grounds and views are spectacular. Very well maintained. We bring a picnic lunch and enjoy at least 3 trips a year here.

Nice grounds for a lovely old home. Cute little hiking trails. Nice place to picnic with gorgeous views.

We almost didn't visit this property, but I'm glad we did. Highly recommend the walk to the falls--they were running high and fast after rains and were awesome. A real Catskills/Hudson River Valley experience without much exertion. Great photo opps. There are two paths to choose from. We went down the woodland trail. Well marked, mulched, but steeper of the two. We walked up the old road. We lingered at the falls where they have placed benches. What a great spot! Oh, and the view from the mansion porch with its wicker furniture isn't too bad either. Didn't go in the house, so can't comment on that. Quiet place. Great view of fields and farmland.

Grounds , house and garden very pleasant and easy to manage. Near Bard College and Poet's Walk which you could do in a day. All on the Hudson!!!!