Draw your own pre-show itinerary from the many Hudson Valley hotspots below and build your perfect staycation! Most are right in our backyard or a quick drive from the HVSF Theater Tent. For more recommendations, check out the Cold Spring Area Chamber of Commerce, Putnam County Tourism, Westchester Tourism, and Travel Hudson Valley.

We Recommend:

Outdoor Recreation

HVSF is surrounded by hiking trails, swimming holes, mountain vistas, and – of course! – the mighty Hudson River. Explore all our region has to offer, such as:

  • Appalachian Trail
  • Bear Mountain
  • Breakneck Ridge
  • Clarence Fahnestock State Park
  • Constitution Island
  • Constitution Marsh
  • The Fjord Trail
  • Hudson Highlands State Park
  • Little Stony Point
  • Storm King Mountain
  • Walkway Over the Hudson
  • West Point

Arts and Culture

  • Buster Levi Gallery: This Main Street staple in the village of Cold Spring offers new exhibitions every month of work by local, contemporary artists. Learn more.
  • Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts: This multi-arts hub in eastern Westchester County is situated on a 19th-century estate that boasts a historic Italianate mansion full of arts and antiques, lush gardens and walks, and a summer music festival featuring jazz, classical, American roots music, and more. Learn more.
  • Chapel Restoration: Built in 1833 in the Greek Revival style on the Cold Spring waterfront, the Chapel is a national historic landmark known for its summer concerts and reading series. Learn more.
  • Dia:Beacon: Occupying a former Nabisco box-printing factory on the banks of the Hudson River, Dia:Beacon presents the majority of Dia Art Foundation’s collection from the 1960s to the present, as well as special exhibitions, new commissions, and public and education programs. Learn more. 
  • Garrison Art Center: GAC offers workshops, exhibits, and programs for all levels of arts experience and all ages on the historic Garrison Landing. Learn more.
  • Hudson Valley MOCA: HVMOCA offers rotating exhibitions and drop-in classes (from plaster-sculpting to life-drawing to gallery tai-chi) housed in a 12,000 sq. ft. facility in Peekskill. Learn more.
  • Philipstown Depot Theatre: Housed in the historic Garrison train station, the Depot offers community theater, kids programming, musical performances, and more. It’s also home to HVSF2, our new play reading series. Learn more.
  • Powerhouse Theater at Vassar College: For six weeks every summer the Powerhouse Season brings fully-produced plays, musical workshops, and readings of works-in-progress to the college campus before these titles move on to the world’s stages. Learn more.
  • Storm King Art Center: Across the river in Orange County lies a 500-acre outdoor museum where visitors can experience large-scale sculpture and site-specific commissions under open sky. Learn more.

Hudson Valley History

  • Boscobel House and Gardens: Our summer home on the Hudson also houses one of the valley’s most extensive collections of early New York design. Boscobel offers tours, guided walks, kids’ programming, and more between April and December. Learn more.
  • Putnam History Museum: Less than a mile from our Theater Tent, PHM is the home of all things Putnam County and Hudson Highlands. Explore their rotating exhibitions on niche local history and search their extensive collections database. Learn more. 
  • Bannerman’s Island/Pollepel Island: The grandfather of today’s Army/Navy surplus industry housed his collection of explosives and retired combat materials in a Scottish-inspired castle at the northern tip of this island (in ruins but visible today) off the coast of Beacon. Access by boat and walking tours are available. HVSF often brings our regional touring productions here during the summer season! Learn more. 

Farm and Food Culture

  • Cold Spring Farmers’ Market: Hosted every summer Saturday on the grounds of Boscobel House and Gardens, the CSFM brings the best in regional food, dry goods, and provisions vendors together, along with live performances and incredible food truck offerings. Learn more.
  • Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming: Glynwood works to advance regenerative agriculture in service of the natural environment, local economies, and human health. They offer farmer training programs, farm-fresh dinners, and public programs a few miles from the Theater Tent. Learn more. 

Shopping and Gifts

  • Joseph’s Fine Jewelry: Longtime supporters of HVSF, Joseph and Bridget Immorlica offer a gorgeous selection of new and used jewelry in their home-grown shop on Cold Spring’s Main Street. Learn more.
  • Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique: A glamorous one-stop for all things beautiful bride in downtown Beacon! Learn more.
  • Sophia Rose Antik/Sophia Rose Interiors: Offering interior decorating services for a wide range of projects and a curated collection of antiques, Sophia Rose is among the newest additions to Cold Spring’s burgeoning Main Street. Learn more.
  • Split Rock Books: Having opened in the summer of 2018, Split Rock’s owners, Heidi and Michael Bender, have already made an indelible mark on the village and its families with their laid back community reading programs, discussions, and extensive collection of reads. Learn more.

Local Services

  • Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley: CFHV helps locals put their money where their heart is (which may include Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival!). Learn more. 
  • Fabhaus: Across the river in Newburgh, Fabhaus offers custom fabrication and engineering for experiences, scenery, brands, and creatives. Learn more.
  • Gergely Pediatrics: Local pediatrician and longtime friend of the Festival, Dr. Peter Gergely, keeps local kids happy and healthy. Learn more.
  • Houlihan Lawrence: Cold Spring realtor Abbie Carey is ready to help you find your permanent home in the valley! Learn more.
  • Kagan Law Group: Our next door neighbors offer business transactional law and corporate counsel services from Cold Spring and New York. Learn more. 
  • Manitou School: Our partners at Manitou offer independent, full-immersion Spanish and Enlish study for pre-schoolers through 8th grade on a stunning, historic campus a stone’s throw from the Theater Tent. Learn more.
  • McKee Therapy: Dr. Michael McKee specializes in the treatment of anxiety and depression in Garrison. Learn more.
  • United Rentals/Reliable On-Site Services: This Wappingers-based office of United Rentals supports HVSF’s operations all summer long. Learn more.