luykas van alen house

Wew stop by every chance we get at least once a season. We were not disappointed this year as suual. The house and grounds are metoculously kept and we did some some new photos of the original restoration of the house in a glass case on the main floor. Docent was very knowledgable and was actually thge same young lady who gave us the tour in 2012. It was great to get some additional tidbits of Van Alen geneology on this tour. Its a must to walk the grounds as well even though this time we were battling mosquitos since it was close to 4 pm. For those who crave the Dutch Farm and Stone house experience, toruing on Route 9 and 9H from Kinderhook to Hudson, NY is agreat way to experince some of the most lovely homes and scenary of the Hudson River Valley.

This meticulously restored and furnished piece of early Dutch history is a pleasure to behold. The brick home is a rare example of early architecture in the area. The knowledgeable docents of the Columbia County Historical Society provide engaging and provocative insights into the lives of the early settlers whose history is together with many of the surrounding families . . . the Van Alstyne's, Hams, Dingmans, et als. including even the infamous Washington Irving whose prototype for one of his characters is said to be the lovely Katrina Van Alen.

I really shouldn't give this a review since we were not able to get in to see it. We stopped by on Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon, but there was no one around. Sunday when we passed by the house was open, but it was raining and we decided not to walk through the rain. The Columbia County "Let's Play" pamphlet gives the hours as open until 4:00pm. We were disappointed.

A great example of a Dutch Colonial House from 1730's. Columbia County Historical Society gets Kudos for keeping this house in such fine shape. The grounds and house are meticulously kept and available to stroll through. Tours are usually conducted by very knowledgeable volunteers and best of all ... You can talk photos inside the house and on the grounds ...Driving in Columbia County with its plethora of historical sites is a joy! Check out Hudson, Claverack, Martin Van Buren HS, etc etc etc ..... Luykas Van Alen House & Ichabod Crane SchoolhouseRt. 9H, KinderhookOpen Friday, Saturday & Sunday 12-4, Memorial Day through Columbus DayAdmission: $7 includes admission to all four buildings!