Be Inspired at Locust Grove Estate

Locust Grove Estate is a great place for the whole family including the chubby dog to visit. They have art, history and lovely trails. A great combo for a day of adventuring at a Hudson Valley Location. 

Getting to Locust Grove Estate-

Locust Grove is conveniently located on rt 9 in Poughkeepsie NY. There is plenty of parking and handicapped accessible. Enter through the gift shop. This is always dangerous for us. Abby got a stuffed animal Eagle that makes the sounds because we saw one on the side of the road on 343 eating with vultures the day before. But, anyways, super easy to find and get into. Say hello to the lovely person or people behind the desk and head through the doors to the grounds. If you need a restroom, it is to the left and down the hall where you first entered before heading into the gift shop.

The estate grounds-

Without even going on the trails, the grounds are lovely to either sit and look at the view behind the house or wander through the gardens. There are also two old cemeteries on the grounds with one for pets and one for people. We love the old horse carriage and big bellowing trees that dot the property. Currently, Locust Grove is having a fairy house scavenger hunt for a ten-dollar suggested donation. We saw one on our way to the trails. But, if you pay the ten dollars suggested donation, they give you a map to find the houses. It will be on weekends through June. 

Fun Fact: According to the Locust Grove Estate Website, the grounds and gardens have been restored to what they were pre-WWII. That’s pretty nifty.

The Trails-

Follow the path down past the two cemeteries and picnic area all on your right and you will see a big fence/gate. Just go through there to access several trails. There is a trail down a bit to the right. It’s a really easy trail that just brings you back around to the main grounds,

However, on our last trip, we went straight down the hill past the old barn that looks like a beautiful New England painting and followed signs for the Hudson River. You can loop around for a several-mile hike. We decided to just follow a dead-end trail down and then out and back our trip. On our way back from the dead-end trail, we saw a huge black snake on the side of the trail. Not even telling a fishtail, it was seriously huge. You know the arms you make when you say it was “this big,” it was that big, and then some. 

We have traveled many trails over the past few years at Locust Grove and love the varying scenery and even though it can get a little crowded especially on weekends, it is still a really nice place to navigate the trails. It’s also moderately easy. Some hills and rocks. But not bad. 

Tip: Wear bug spray and stay on the trail

Other Events at Locust Grove Estate-

Locust Grove holds other events throughout the year as well. They have artists that show throughout the year too. So there seems to always be something happening at Locust Grove for all people to enjoy

The History of Locust Grove-

Locust Grove was once home to Samuel Morse and Locust Grove now hosts permanent exhibits from his career as an artist and inventor. 

Locust Grove first belonged to the Morse family. After that, it was rented by the Young family. Eventually Annette Young would become the sole owner and her mission was to make this a historic site. This was achieved in the late 1970s. To read the full history, go here. 

Final Thoughts About Locust Grove Estate-

Locust Grove is a great place to visit. It’s rich in history, available for events, and even hosts some cool events. They have wonderful art on display and beautiful hiking trails to explore. Bring your art canvas and some paints and become inspired like other Hudson Valley artists such as Morse from a time long ago.

Looking for more places to adventure in Hudson Valley? How about along the Hudson River? We have been to so many spots along the river, we couldn’t even list them all in this one post! Visit it here!