Kingston is a city in New York's Hudson Valley, 91 miles north of New York City and 50 miles south of Albany. It is the county seat of Ulster County and was the first capital of New York state. It was ransacked and burned by the British during the American Revolution in 1777 but has preserved its historical buildings very well from then on. Due to the size and beauty of its historic zones, Kingston is probably one of the best cities in the state for a 1-to-3-day trip if you are a fan of 18th- and 19th-century American architecture.

Understand

View of boats in Rondout Creek and a few of the buildings in the Rondout-West Strand Historic District — one of three historic districts in the city

Kingston is rather extensive but only moderately built up, so its feel is of a medium-sized city as compared to much smaller Rhinebeck across the Hudson but quite different from the impressive though compact historic downtown of Troy further north, which has much more of the feel of a former big city.

Get in

By plane

By car

Frank A. Palen House

From points north and south, access Kingston via the New York State Thruway, exit 19. From points east, use the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge.

By bus

Trailways has buses from New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal to Kingston that take between 2 hours and 2 hours 10 minutes, with many departures throughout the day. Regular fares are $28 one-way. Buses from Albany take 1 hour, with several departures daily. Regular fares are $16.

By train

  • Amtrak serves Rhinecliff station from New York City's Penn Station and other points. Rhinecliff is across the Hudson River, via the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge, and a little bit to the south. You need to have someone pick you up, take one of the cabs in the parking lot when you arrive at the station or use a ridehailing app.

Get around

There are Ulster County bus routes, which are free, but they often run only once an hour or less and stop running after 8-9PM. That said, the Blue Line that mostly runs on Broadway is useful for connecting Uptown and Downtown, if it happens to fit your schedule.

Taxis and ride shares are available for those off hours, or you can drive your own car.

Kingston is a good city to walk in, but be aware that a walk between the Waterfront (Downtown) and Stockade (Uptown) Historic Districts can be about 2 miles long, and if your walk is from downtown to uptown, part of it will be uphill. That walk is best done before nightfall, so that you can see your steps better.

See

Boice House

Historic districts

There are three historic districts and many gorgeous historic buildings in this city:

  • Chestnut Street Historic District. This is a smaller area of town than the other two historic districts, along a few blocks of West and East Chestnut Street (map here). (updated Jul 2023)
  • Rondout-West Strand Historic Waterfront District. Featuring the waterfront onto the Roundout Creek and extending some ways uphill from there, this district comprises the historic downtown area of the city. It's full of 19th-century low-rise brick buildings that were related to industry and river shipping, as well as ornately decorated private houses and numerous churches. Quite a few of the churches and private houses have beautiful multi-colored tiled roofs. You could easily walk through this district for an hour or more, to see all the buildings and the waterfront. (updated Jul 2023)
  • Stockade Historic District. Called "Uptown" by locals, this district, though smaller as an official historic district than Downtown, is probably the largest of the historic districts, though that could be difficult to say because there are also historic buildings interspersed with modern ones on streets such as Broadway in what locals call Midtown, begging the question of where Uptown stops and Midtown starts. Be that as it may, the Stockade District contains a larger quantity of ornate private houses than the historic downtown, plus Academy Green Park, the town green (bounded by Albany Avenue, Clinton Avenue and Maiden Lane), which features grand, larger-than-life statues of important personages for the European settlement and development of New York (explorer Henry Hudson; Governor of New York DeWitt Clinton; and Director-General of New Netherlands, Peter Stuyvesant). This is also the neighborhood that contains the 17th-century Old Dutch Church, the 18th-century Senate House, which functioned as New York State's first capitol, and the still functioning early 19th-century Federal-style Ulster County Courthouse where Sojourner Truth won a lawsuit that freed her son from slavery in Alabama. If you want to see some of the stone houses still standing, several of them are on Green Street. Seeing all of the historic houses and other buildings in this neighborhood in a single day by foot may be challenging, but walking down several streets is itself rewarding. (updated Jul 2023)

Museums

  • 🌍 Hudson River Maritime Museum, 50 Rondout Landing, ☏ +1 845-338-0071. May–October, F–M 11AM–4PM. Exhibits on the maritime history of the Hudson River and the regional industries—such as agriculture, brick, and, before the advent of refrigeration, ice—that depended on the river for transportation. Also has collections of paintings and boats. (updated Sep 2021)
  • 🌍 Trolley Museum of New York, 89 East Strand (Rondout waterfront), ☏ +1 845-331-3399. Memorial Day Weekend–Columbus Day, Sa, Su & holidays, noon–5PM. Trolley rides Sa & Su, May-October, from the museum to Kingston Point Park. 

Do

  • Hudson River Cruises, 1 East Strand Street (under the John T. Loughran [Route 9W] Bridge overpass, just east of Broadway), ☏ +1 845 340-4700. 90-minute Hudson River cruises are given aboard the Rip Van Winkle II. Tickets are usually non-refundable, but if they decide to sail during a thunderstorm or other severe weather, they are likely to make an exception and allow you a choice of a refund or exchange if you prefer. For standard Hudson River sightseeing cruise, adults: $36, seniors: $33; children 4-11: $25; for sunset cruises, adults: $41; seniors: $39; children 4-12: $24. (updated Jul 2023)
  • 🌍 Catskill Mountain Railroad, Westbrook Lane Station in the Kingston Plaza, 55 Kingston Plaza Road, toll-free: +1 845-332-4854, . Trains at 11AM, 1PM and 3PM. A heritage railroad. $17.00 – Adults $11.00 – Children (Ages 2-12) $16.00 – Discount Adult (Senior/Military/Veteran) $0.00 – Toddler (Under two on lap). (updated Jul 2023)

Buy

Hudson Valley Mall

Eat

George J. Smith House
  • Opa! Gyros, 333 Wall St, ☏ +1 845-338-4976. M-Sa, 11AM-8PM. Delicious mainly Greek food, advertised by the aroma of its exhaust fan, with several outdoor tables in good weather in addition to a fair-sized dining room, and friendly service. The salads are served in generous portions, and the pita comes nicely toasted and tastes of sesame seeds. One main includes locaniko sausage, not the most common offering on a Greek menu. Apps: $8.95-14.95; dips: $8.95; salads: $11.95-19.95; sides: $1-9; entrees: $16.50-24.95; pita sandwiches: $9.95-11.95; burgers: $6.00-11.95; desserts and sweet crepes: $4.95-9.95. (updated Jul 2023)
  • Savona's Trattoria and Bar, 11 Broadway, ☏ +1 845-339-6800, . M - Th 11:30AM-9:00PM, Fri - Sat 11:30AM - 10:00PM, Sunday 11:00AM - 9PM. Delicious Italian restaurant with lots of outdoor seating that serves big portions. Sauces are of refined quality, and the menu includes some high-quality seafood offerings such as lobster ravioli with impeccable lobster filling. A couple that is not ravenously hungry can easily do well with one primo, one entree and one side, plus complimentary garlic bread. Cocktails ($13 as of July 2023) are well worth trying, too. Primi: $12.95-18.95; salads: $12.95-26.95; entrées: $21.95-38.95; sides: $7.95-9.95; pizza: $15.95-18.25. (updated Jul 2023)

Drink

Sleep

Stay safe

Be careful when walking on the historic sidewalks of this city. They may use quaint old stone and brick, but they aren't all in good repair, so you could have a nasty fall or badly sprain your foot in an unexpected hole if you are not alert.

Go next

  • The lovely, much smaller town of Rhinebeck, with its own selection of historic houses, is across the river and slightly to the south and east.
  • New Paltz, about 15 miles to the south, is a much smaller town that has some of the same kinds of old stone houses you can see in Kingston, but a different feel as a somewhat New Agey college town.
Routes through Kingston
Albany ← Saugerties ←  N  S  → New Paltz → New York City
Albany ← Saugerties ←  N  S  → Milton → Fort Lee
Herkimer ← Oneonta ←  W  E  → END


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