Hyde Park Station

Although the Hyde Park Train Station was just up the road from his childhood home, there are only two confirmed times President Franklin Delano Roosevelt used the station at the foot of River Road - in 1939, when the King and Queen of England visited Hyde Park; and when his body was returned to his hometown following his death in 1945.

The station was built in 1851 and then demolished and replaced in 1914 to accommodate the expanding tracks of the New York Central Railroad. Architects of the Grand Central Station in New York City, Reed and Stern and Warren and Wetmore, also designed the Hyde Park Station, a miniature version of its grandiose counterpart to the south. 

After the last passenger train pulled into the station 1958, the New York Central Railroad sold the property to the Town of Hyde Park. Despite efforts to work with local youngsters to turn the site into a Teen Center, it quickly deteriorated and was slated for demolition. The town reached out to the Hudson Valley Railroad Society, who now rents the site from the town for one dollar a year. After much restoration, the society has restored the station into a museum rich with historical photographs and memorabilia, as well as running model trains tooting past tiny towns, including local settings in Hyde Park and Poughkeepsie. 

On Monday night, the museum will host its annual family-friendly event, Polar Express Night. The evening will include storytelling, music, crafts and a visit from Santa! Free with donations greatly appreciated.

Polar Express Night
Monday, December 17, 2018
Two seatings 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Hyde Park Station

address: 32 River Road, Hyde Park

hours: Year-round on Monday nights,  5 p.m. to 9 p.m. During the summer, the station is open Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays noon to 5 p.m. 

admission: Free with donations accepted

website: hydeparkstation.com