Montgomery Place at Bard College

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Montgomery Place at Bard College

The 380-acre property is an amazingly intact example of Hudson Valley estate life.

Each of the estate's features has a story to tell about changing American attitudes toward nature, landscape, and home design over time. Bard College purchased the Montgomery Place estate, which is adjacent to the Bard campus, from the Historic Hudson Valley in January 2016, and is now in the process of creating a master plan to guide the integration of the two campuses and utilize the new facilit

ies in a manner consistent with the College’s commitment to historic preservation, public access, and the environment. The Montgomery Place Campus grounds include gardens, an arboretum, and three miles of hiking trails with views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains.

10/31/2022

Happy Halloween!
Today’s collection spotlight features a ghostly mourning locket commemorating the death of General Richard Montgomery. Most likely worn by his widow Janet, the miniature painting depicts a female mourner leaning on a domed plinth, while a shrouded figure of death approaches from behind. The reverse holds a paper inscription under glass:

“Sweet ivy twin'd with myrtle form a shade, around the tomb where brave Montgomery's laid! Beneath your boughs shut from the beams of the day. My ceaseless tears shall bathe the warriors clay. And injur'd freedom shall a while repair, to dwell with me, weeping hermit here."

Mourning Locket
ca. 1775
Watercolor on ivory, seed pearls, mother of pearl, paper, glass, gold
3.81 x 5.24 cm
Collection of Bard College, Montgomery Place Campus

07/21/2022

Long-time Montgomery Place volunteer, Henry Woods, has been working in the archives and on the ground to uncover the original ‘Morning Walk’ trail described by A.J. Downing in his publication The Horticulturist, published in October of 1847.

Pictured here with Bard professor, Lothar Osterburg, they are photographing various 1980s trail maps in the Montgomery Place archives. Henry has been comparing different versions of the trail to Downing’s descriptions, and then letting the woods tell its own story about where the original walking trail was located.

To experience this trail for yourself, join Henry at Montgomery Place for one or both of his Hudson River Valley Rambles : September 17 at 10am, or October 1 at 1pm. Historical highlights include the cascading waterfalls, the original hydro-power station, the 19th century arboretum, the A.J. Davis-designed carriage house, and the formal gardens.

Henry says: “There’s a combination here of natural beauty, of tranquility, a pastoral and peaceful sense at Montgomery Place. It is also an historical narrative, one which has been opened up by Bard.”

All are welcome!

For more information about the Hudson River Valley Rambles see our linkinbio.

07/08/2022

Sign-up is now open for the Bard Childrens’s Afterschool program next school year at Montgomery Place.

The program is a free-form forest exploration experience designed to immerse children in the natural world and encourage independence and self-motivation while utilizing the incredible land/facility that Bard offers us at Montgomery Place. If you are new to this program and considering it for your child please don't hesitate to contact Nora at [email protected]

We offer 2, 3 and 4-day/week schedules for K - 5th students.

While many of our participants come to us from Mill Road School (bus service is available) we also welcome children from other area schools and we can try to help arrange carpooling for those not coming from Mill Road.

The program runs in (almost) all weather from 3:30 - 6 with occasional days off for professional development. Calendar forthcoming!

The cost is $30/day. financial aid is available.

10/01/2021

Hello friends! As we head into a gorgeous fall weekend let us remind you that the Montgomery Place grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk. Come visit!

(Throwback photo from 2016—leaves aren't quite this bright yet!)

06/21/2021

Our new summer hours begin today. Montgomery Place will be open to the public from sunup to sundown on Mondays only through August 13—except for July 5 when the site will be closed—in order to host Bard SummerScape events at the property. Check out the Fisher Center website for SummerScape tickets, and some visit us at Montgomery Place on Mondays in the coming weeks! https://fishercenter.bard.edu/summerscape/ (Image: rendering of the SummerScape stage at Montgomery Place, by Tessellate)

06/18/2021

Please note: this is the last weekend of open hours at Montgomery Place for the next several weeks. Starting this Monday, June 21, we will be open to the public from sunup to sundown on Mondays only through August 13, except for July 5 when the site will be closed. This is due to the Bard SummerScape rehearsal and performance schedule. We encourage you to come see us during our new hours, and to visit the Fisher Center website for tickets to SummerScape events: https://fishercenter.bard.edu/summerscape/. (Throwback photo: A Celebration of Americana Music featuring Simi Stone and Spirit Family Reunion, a Fisher Center at Bard performance at Montgomery Place; photo by Chris Kayden, 2018)

06/10/2021

Hello, friends of Montgomery Place! Please note that we've had a schedule change for this weekend. The property will be closing to the public early on June 12, at 3:00 pm. Enjoy your weekend and come see us soon! (Photo by Jaime Martorano)

06/09/2021

Great news! Montgomery Place is hosting a number of Bard SummerScape events this summer. Check out the exciting schedule of music, dance, opera, and performance, culminating in the 31st annual Bard Music Festival, "Nadia Boulanger and Her World." Note that we will be open on Mondays only from sunup to sundown June 21 to August 13 to accommodate the SummerScape rehearsal and performance schedule. Tickets available here: https://fishercenter.bard.edu/summerscape/ (Throwback photo: Souleymane Badolo’s "Yimbégré;" a Fisher Center at Bard performance at Montgomery Place; photo by Chris Kayden, 2018)

04/02/2021

You never know what you'll find at Montgomery Place! Today we bring you some spring-themed items from the collections—which came first, the chicken or the egg? You decide!

There are more than 8,000 objects in the collections at Bard's Montgomery Place Campus. Bard students work at Montgomery Place photographing and cataloguing objects. Students also perform research on site in conjunction with art history courses.

The Montgomery Place grounds have reopened for public access on Saturdays and Sundays only from dawn to dusk. Come visit!

03/05/2021

Did you know? Bard College's Montgomery Place Campus houses a collection of over 8,000 objects that help tell the history of the estate and the local area. Bard Library and Montgomery Place staff have been collaborating to catalog and preserve this collection. Shown here is the compass that was used on Robert Fulton’s first steamboat, The Clermont, in 1807. The Clermont is regarded as the world’s first vessel to demonstrate the feasibility of using steam propulsion for commercial water transportation. Montgomery Place was the country seat of Janet Livingston Montgomery, sister of Chancellor Robert Livingston, the financial backer and partner of Robert Fulton. #

The Archives Hashtag Party is a campaign from the National Archives () that provides a way for archives, museums, and libraries to share their collections around a fun topic. This month’s topic is , for sharing all things relating to maps and navigation.

03/03/2021

We are excited to announce that the Montgomery Place grounds will reopen for public access on Saturdays and Sundays only from dawn to dusk, beginning on Saturday, March 6. We can't wait to welcome back visitors! (Photo by Chris Kendall)

01/11/2021

Due to the rising infection rate for COVID-19 in the local area, we have determined that we must again close the Montgomery Place grounds to the public, effective today. We are sorry to announce another temporary closure. We look forward to improved public health that allows us to welcome visitors back. We will continue to post updates to our website and page. We also invite you to join our mailing list for up-to-date notices on future opening dates and post-COVID programs. Sign up on our website: https://www.bard.edu/montgomeryplace/

Photo by Chris Kendall ’82

12/21/2020

We are thrilled to welcome visitors back to Montgomery Place starting today! The grounds will be open from dawn to dusk. The mansion remains closed and tours are suspended. Please remember to check out the guidelines for a safe visit on our website: https://www.bard.edu/montgomeryplace/visiting/. (Photo by Chris Kendall ’82)

10/21/2020

We are sorry to announce that Montgomery Place is temporarily closed to the public. This is a precautionary measure intended solely to preserve the health and safety of the Bard community. We look forward to welcoming visitors back, and will continue to post updates to our website and page. Please keep an eye out for more virtual exhibitions coming soon!

10/12/2020

We have a captivating new exhibition up at Montgomery Place: "Inside Out." Bard students in Professor Judy Pfaff’s fall sculpture class have created site-specific works installed across the Montgomery Place grounds. More info here: https://www.bard.edu/montgomeryplace/students/

Updated: We regret that the grounds are now temporarily closed to the public. Please keep an eye out for the virtual version of the "Inside Out" exhibition, coming soon!

06/25/2020

The grounds are reopening next Wednesday, July 1. We can't wait to welcome you back to Montgomery Place!

04/10/2020

Our gates may be shuttered due to COVID-19, but our digital exhibitions are up and running! Dive into the worlds of Alexander Gilson and Violetta Delafield online, or listen to a podcast about Montgomery Place. Visit our website and stay connected! https://www.bard.edu/montgomeryplace/

Pictured: One of Violetta Delafield's stunning mushroom drawings, on view in our digital collections.

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Gardner Way
Red Hook, NY
12571

Website

http://www.bard.edu/montgomeryplace/

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Our Story

The 380-acre property is an amazingly intact example of Hudson Valley estate life. Each of the estate's features has a story to tell about changing American attitudes toward nature, landscape, and home design over time. Bard College purchased the Montgomery Place estate, which is adjacent to the Bard campus, from the Historic Hudson Valley in January 2016, and is now in the process of creating a master plan to guide the integration of the two campuses and utilize the new facilities in a manner consistent with the College’s commitment to historic preservation, public access, and the environment. The Montgomery Place Campus grounds, including gardens, arboretum, and three miles of hiking trails with views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, are open daily, dawn to dusk. The Montgomery Place grounds are open every day from dawn to dusk free of charge. We offer regular mansion tours on Saturdays from June 1 through October 12, with tours at 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, and 2:30. The cost is $10 per person and no reservations are required. Depending on availability, private tours will be offered for groups of five or more at $20 per person.