locust grove estate

The gardens here are something to be emulated! Its a nice place to visit with the kids. Not sure if they are open during the winter.

The tour of the Home is nice and walking the grounds even better. You can walk along the trails down to the Hudson River.

Whether you are a historic garden officianado, flower lover, snowshoer, hiker, wine-loving foodie, or just need a great venue for an important event, make sure to put Locust Grove at the top of your list. LG is the home of Samuel Morse (yes, THAT Morse) of famouse radio and code fame, but it turns out Mr. Morse had many more interests that just telecom. There are miles of trails on the property and never a crowd. In fact, when we snowshoe or hike there, we usually see less than 5 people all day. The "Sunset Sensations" wine and food pairing events that occur at LG on second Thursdays from April to Nov are a fun way to experience local eateries' finest dishes, all paired with interesting wines. The food preparers are always experienced chefs and usually CIA graduates, and they focus on ingredients from the historic LG gardens. The wines are chosen by a very experienced local wine merchant. During the breaks between courses, horticulturists give personal tours of the gardens, and there is something different growing every month. If weather permits (and it almost always does), the final course is served on the bluff just above the Hudson River and in front of the beautiful Morse mansion......hence the "Sunset" in Sunset Sensations. Be sure to reserve your tickets early as these events sell out every month.

Locust Grove is the former estate of Samuel Morse located on the outskirts of Poughkeepsie. The grounds are beautiful overlooking the Hudson River below. We were unable to go in the estate as our visit was after hours. You can walk the property for free. It's a worthwhile visit if you visiting Poughkeepsie.

As a travel photographer , I picked the best time to visit Locust Grove Estate, late September.My camera and eye was delighted to see the beautiful estate, fall foliage, gardens still in full bloom. Vegetables dangling in the sun, waiting to be plucked for that night's supper. All this and the gorge leading down to the Hudson River. This place is outstanding any time of year and is waiting for you.Locust Grove is a National Historic Landmark estate located on US 9 in the Town of Poughkeepsie, New York. The 180-acre park like estate includes homes, a carriage house, ice house, trails, a flower garden, vegetable garden, and overlooks the Hudson River from a bluff. The property includes a home designed by architect Alexander Jackson Davis for Samuel F. B. Morse, the inventor of the telegraph. An Italianate style mansion, it was completed in 1851.

If the house had not been built by Samuel Morse, whose code was so important for a long time, but has been outdated for a while, I would not have been attracted in the first place. On my way from Albany to NYC on a warm and overcast Sunday, December 28, I visited Locust Grove on Route 9. The parking is easy; the spiffy visitor center has a gallery and a nice gift shop, where I bought “Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area” for $10. The 2:00 tour cost $11, which was bit expensive. We watched a documentary first, but I could hardly remember anything. I vaguely remember that Morse was commissioned to painting the portrait of President Monroe. While writing, I am wondering if I dozed off. I had been exhausted during my travel on the Hudson. The house was rather large, and each room was associated with a Christmas carol. For example, in the hallway, it was called "Deck the Hall." The tour guide is a tall young man, who is courteous, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable. We spent almost one hour there. The view of the Hudson was fine, but limited. It would be nice to take a walk in the trail, since the place is rather spacious.

Don't miss this house tour during the holidays. The house is beautifully decorated for Christmas and the Open House I went to was very nice and fairly priced admission. The docents and volunteers made the visit very pleasant and I had a wonderful time learning about the families that lived there.

The Locust Grove is located next to our hotel. There the mansion that was the home of Samuel F.B. Morse, inventor of the Morse Code, is located there. We didn't go see that, but we checked out the museum on the premises and spent time there, for a modest fee. There are also walking trails on the area, and they afforded lovely views. We went back the next day when they had a book sale and bought a book for $2. Very peaceful lovely place to visit.

We enjoyed this place so much. It's absolutely gorgeous. Touring the house where Samuel Morse used to live was such a treat. It was like a trip back in time with everything that we saw so beautifully preserved for our enjoyment. If you love antiques, you have to see this place. The grounds are so beautiful. In the spring, we want to come back and do one of the hikes. The hiking trails are free and available to the public. As, we were leaving, we could see that they were setting up for a wedding. What a scenic and beautiful place to have a wedding or any type of special event. They also hold hands-on-classes here for groups of children. They have an awesome one on simple machines and the children get to take a walk to a real barn and see these machines up close. There are so many reasons to visit this place. It is so nice to have this historic gem in the Hudson Valley. I highly recommend it!

The buildings are really interesting with Samuel FB Morse, but the grounds are wonderful. Great hiking trails to the river, cascading brooks, ponds, old barns, and great exercise. Can get to the overlook of the train tracks to view the Hudson River. You get away from busy route 9 in an instant. Great for snowshoeing and cross country skiing in the winter. I love taking photographs of the trails and grounds. Beautiful gardens in the spring.

Locust Grove was the home of Samuel F.B. Morse. The home, and visitors center. is open to the public and offers tours of the home. The grounds are enjoyable, and the overall experience makes it a must see.

You get a little bit of everything here. In the spring/summer they have beautiful gardens. They have hiking trails. They have an art gallery with rotating exhibits. They have the history of locust grove with signs posted around the grounds and in the building. They have a cute gift shop and restrooms. We went with teens and young children and they enjoyed the gardens and the trails most. Most of the trails are easy for all ages.

The grounds have pretty gardens in the summer, but at any time of year, it is a nice place to hike and see gorgeous trees and other interesting flora. Can get glimpses of the Hudson River here and there, but there are better places to get river views if that's what you are after. There is an interesting display of Samuel Morse's inventions, historic house tour is interesting (but another family lived there for many years after Morse did and almost entirely refurbished it.) One of the best parts of Locust Grove is their beautiful venue where they have catered events--- a spacious room having a high-ceiling with wood beams, and large windows bringing the bucolic outdoors in. There is an outdoor patio, and surrounding gardens. I have been to several events there, and they are done just beautifully. I always love going there.

It was not crowded when we were there so have much of the site to ourselves. The home is worth seeing but not noteworthy. We had a knowledgeable and friendly docent. The hiking trails are quite nice and well marked, with varying length options. Most are downhill to the Hudson, so be prepared for a potentially long hike back to your car. Gift shop is sub par and no food on site - but you're moments away from many restaurants on route nice.

Beautiful setting, exceptional food, superior service. I do not know the price as I attended a wedding, but this was first class in every way.