7 Best Things to Do in Peekskill, NY

By VI Staff on March 28, 2020

Peekskill is a city in Westchester County, New York. on a bay on the east side of the Hudson River, right across from Jones Point. The first settlement was established in the early 18th century and by the time of the American Revolution, it became an important manufacturing center based on a number of mills along the several creeks and streams. Today, Peekskill attracted a number of artists from nearby New York by building artist live/work studios and lofts. Peekskill is home to the Paramount Hudson Valley, once a 1930 movie palace and today a performing arts center. Hudson Valley MOCA or Museum of Contemporary Art is a d non-profit arts and education organization with a 12000-acre exhibition space. The Peekskill Museum is a local history museum.

1.Paramount Hudson Valley

Paramount Hudson Valley was originally built in 1930 as a 1500-seat movie palace owned by Publix Pictures, a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures under the name the Peekskill Paramount Theater. Its inaugural program included an overture by the Paramount Symphony Orchestra, a speech by the village mayor, and The Big Pond, “a Paramount All-Talking Picture”, with Maurice Chevalier and Claudette Colbert. The theatre did well for decades despite the Depression and World War II until 1973 when Paramount sold the building. In 1977 the building was acquired by the City of Peekskill and was restored to its original glory. Today, under the name Paramount Hudson Valley, the theatre is the Westchester County landmark and a popular destination for live music and performing arts. It is operated by the non-profit Paramount Hudson Valley Arts with the mission is to provide high quality performing arts and arts education programs to the Peekskill and northern Westchester County.

1008 Brown St, Peekskill, NY 10566, Phone: 914-739-0039 ext. 2

2.Hudson Valley MOCA

Hudson Valley MOCA or Museum of Contemporary Art is a registered non-profit arts and education organization founded in Peekskill, New York by Livia and Marc Straus, major collectors of contemporary art. The museum works with a number of international renowned artists as well as local emerging talent. Hudson Valley MOCA has a 12,000 square foot exhibition space in the former home improvement warehouse in Peekskill. It is also the main sponsor of the Peekskill Project, citywide installations by international contemporary artists. Hudson Valley MOCA has installed a number of sculptures throughout the Peekskill business district and the Peekskill riverfront.

1701 Main St, Peekskill, NY 10566, Phone: 914-788-0100

3.Lincoln Depot Museum

The Lincoln Depot Museum is located in Peekskill, New York, by Peekskill Bay on the east bank of the Hudson River, inside the 3,000 square foot historic Peekskill Freight Depot. The Museum is managed by the Lincoln Depot Foundation, which was established with a mission to preserve the history of the link between Abraham Lincoln and Peekskill. The museum opened to the public in 2014. President-elect Abraham Lincoln stopped at the depot on February 19, 1861 to greet New Yorkers and give a brief speech during his inaugural ride between Springfield, IL and Washington, DC. After President Lincoln's death in 1865, his funeral train retraced the inaugural route and stopped in Peekskill again, on the way back to Springfield. A memorial stone was erected on South Street, overlooking the depot,

10 S Water St, Peekskill, NY 10566, Phone: 914-402-4318

4.Peekskill Museum

The Peekskill Museum is a community cultural organization in Peekskill, New York, established in 1946 after the acquisition of the former Herrick family home. The museum’s mission is to collect, preserve and display objects, photographs, documents, and other items related to the history of Peekskill and its surrounding area. The museum tells the story about Peekskill’s history through exhibits, programs and publications. The museum occupies a beautiful Queen Anne Herrick House, designed by William Rutherford Mead . The house was built for Dwight Stiles Herrick and his family, probably in 1877. The building next door to the Museum was the Herrick’s carriage house. The Peekskill Museum was originally part of the Field Library. It moved to the Herrick House and opened its door in 1946.

124 Union Ave, Peekskill, NY 10566, Phone: 914-736-0473

5.Homestyle Desserts

Homestyle Desserts is a family-run bakery in downtown Peekskill, New York known for its spectacular custom cakes for special occasions, strudel, apple-cider donuts, quiche and more. The bakery has been supplying locals, retail and wholesale, with sweet delights for more than 40 years. Homestyle Desserts started its life in 1970 as the Dutch Mill Donuts, a donut shop in the Village of Buchanan, offering apple dumplings baked in a coal oven. The business, and the choice of sweets they provide, grew significantly since. Homestyle Dessert today specializes in Viennese desserts, cakes, pies, cheesecakes, wedding cakes, special occasion cakes, cookies, macaroons and cupcakes. All their desserts are made from the finest and freshest ingredients. Whether you just need a piece of cake to satisfy your sweet tooth or a special three-tier cake for your daughter’s wedding, Homestyle Desserts is your destination.

24 S Water St, Peekskill, NY 10566, Phone: 914-737-4659

6.The Quiet Man Public House

The Quiet Man Public House is an Irish style tavern in downtown Peekskill, New York, with an old-world feel, colorful and warm. It has several different seating options depending on the guests’ mood, from private high-backed booths to two-person bistro tables, places along the long bar and outdoor seating on the sidewalk and on the back patio. The cuisine is traditional Irish American with a slight twist. You can expect the Irish favorites such as Irish stew and soda bread but also plenty of pub grub such as burgers, wings and fish and chips. There is a table in one corner with its own Guinness tap, where customers can pull their own pints. There are 16 taps at the bar, beautifully made from teak deck boards from the battleship North Carolina.

15 N Division St, Peekskill, NY 10566, Phone: 914-930-8230

7.Kurzhals Coffee

Located in Peekskill Central Market, Kurzhals Coffee is a cozy cafe located in a historic building that was at different times a hardware store, telegraph office, gunsmith’s factory, a theater and recruitment office during the Civil War. Beautifully renovated place has exposed brick walls, high ceiling and many original materials such as white tiles at the entrance. The bar is made from an oak tree trunk and antique lighting fixtures were found at Early Electrics. The café offers the usual: salads, soups, sandwiches and baked goods, coffee made with locally roasted beans, teas bottled in Dutchess County and milk from a Kingston-based dairy cooperative.

900 Main St, Peekskill, NY 10566, Phone: 914-930-7914