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Rhinebeck Voyage Tips and guide

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    Rhinebeck is a township in Dutchess County, New York. The township encompasses the village of Rhinebeck and the hamlet of Rhinecliff. The downtown area of Rhinebeck is small enough to walk around within an hour or so, exclusive of extra time to visit churches and shops, have a meal, etc., and well worth it, as it is full of beautiful, lovingly decorated houses. It also has a beautifully preserved, functioning Roosevelt-era post office with murals that depict the history of the area and other interesting documentation.

    A view of downtown Rhinebeck as of 2010 (some of the businesses have changed, but the buildings are the same)
    The Maples, one of five buildings in Rhinebeck that are individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places in the United States

    Understand

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    Local information

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    Get in

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    By plane

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    By train

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    See also: Rail travel in the United States

    By car

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    US Route 9 is the main north-south road in the area. The major east-west route is called Market St. in downtown Rhinebeck. It is East Market St./State Route 308 east of Route 9 (Mill St./Montgomery St.) and West Market St./State Route 85 west of Route 9. West Market St. becomes Rhinecliff Rd. and enables access to the Amtrak station in Rhinecliff.

    Get around

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    Downtown Rhinebeck is easily walkable for people with an average level of fitness, but if you need to get to or from the Rhinecliff train station, you will need a car or taxi or at least a bicycle, unless you want to walk 2 miles on roads without sidewalks.

    See

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    Wilderstein sits on a hilltop overlooking the Hudson River.
    • Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, 9 Norton Road, ☏ +1 845-752-3200. A "living" aviation museum (airworthy vintage aircraft) covering the 1903 through 1939 era of vintage aviation (including aviation engines and operable period ground vehicles), May through October, 10AM-5PM. Airshows, June through October, weekends at 2PM. For $75, take a biplane ride over the Hudson River; Sa-Su, June through October. (updated Jan 2018)
    • Rhinebeck Post Office, 6383 Mill St, toll-free: +1 845-876-9652. M-F: 9:00AM-5:00PM, Sa: 9:00AM-3:00PM, Su: closed. Functioning post office built in 1939, with original wooden doors and other elements, WPA-era murals depicting the history of life in the region, photos of the dedication ceremony attended by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, other Roosevelt Administration officials, the King of Denmark and Iceland, and many locals, and many other historic photos and documents about the history of the village. (updated Aug 2025)
    • Wilderstein, 330 Morton Rd, ☏ +1 845-876-4818. Stunning Queen Anne-style mansion set in park-like grounds designed by Calvert Vaux. Open May though October, Th-Su noon-4PM (last tour at 3:30PM). Call for special holiday events: Halloween Party, Victorian holiday tours, Yuletide high tea. The mansion is several miles outside town, so not practical to walk to. 

    Do

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    • Upstate Films, 6415 Montgomery St, toll-free: +1-866-345-6688. A non-profit member-supported arts organization, primarily serving as an independent cinema. 

    Buy

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    • The Epicurian, 11 Shatzell Ave (corner of Charles St., Rhinecliff), . This store sells some quality products, at varying values (some are overly expensive, others not), but what may be most important to you is that this is a place you can go if you have time before your Amtrak train departs from Rhinecliff Station and you want tea or coffee and maybe a snack. Iced tea was $3 in July 2024, and the counterwoman graciously brewed some hot tea and then poured it over ice. (updated Jul 2024)
    • Migliorelli Farm Stand, 668 River Road, ☏ +1 845-876-1999. Daily 9AM-5PM. Excellent little farm stand, with delicious fresh peaches in season, tasty jams, etc. Well outside of the built-up area of town and requires a vehicle to access, but if you have one, it's worth going to to see what's in season. (updated Aug 2025)

    Eat

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    The Beekman Arms Inn, where George Washington stayed, is the oldest continuously-operated inn in New York State if not the United States as a whole

    The eateries in Rhinebeck are mainly along a 2-block strip on East Market Street east of Route 9, plus several on Route 9 and a few others in strip malls and so on, slightly removed from these two streets. You will see just about all of these in the course of a walk in the built-up area of downtown.

    • Aba's Falafel, 54 East Market St (between Center St and Mill St), ☏ +1 845-876-2324. Daily 11AM-3:30PM. Delicious falafel, sabich and hummus made with fresh ingredients, including organic chickpeas. They have a few outdoor tables and a bit more space inside. Takeout is also available. Sandwiches: $10.75-12.75; platters: $17-18. (updated Jul 2024)
    • Bread Alone, 45 E Market St (between Center St and Mill St). Daily 7AM-5PM. In spite of their name, this informal cafe also sells some tasty sweet and savory pastries, sandwiches, a couple of egg dishes and salads and breakfast burritos and does a brisk business selling coffee and tea. The peach tea has a very nice flavor and is not sweetened. Many people hang out and use their Wi-Fi. This is part of a small chain, as they also have a cafe in Woodstock and a cafe and bakery in Boiceville, and their breads are also for sale in various grocery stores and markets. Staff is sometimes very busy, but they are extremely kind. (updated Aug 2025)
    • Cinnamon, 51 East Market St (between Montgomery and Center Sts.), ☏ +1 845-876-7510. Unusually delicious, robustly spiced cuisine from regions throughout the Indian Subcontinent (though mild on request). Unusual touches like including plentiful caramelized onion in the white rice that comes with main dishes by default. Full bar with a fairly long list of interesting cocktails and other drinks. No outdoor seating. Starters: $12-15, soup/salad: $8-10, dosas: $12-15, poultry: $22-23, seafood: $25-32, lamb: $23-36, vegetables: $19, bread: $6-8, sides: $2-6, dessert: $9, cocktails: $15-18. (updated Aug 2025)
    • Gigi Trattoria, 6422 Montgomery St., ☏ +1 845-876-1007, . Tu-Th noon-9PM, F Sa 11:30AM-10PM, Su 11AM-8:30PM. You can have an expensive meal at this restaurant, but you don't have to. The "skizza"s are great: The crust is crunchy through-and-through without being cracker-like, and they use fresh, high-quality ingredients. Two people with normal appetites can easily split a soup or salad (they offer "half bowls" of soup that are a full bowl to almost anyone else) and two pizzas and be full and satisfied. Good service, too. Gluten-free pizza is also available. Lunch: Antipasti: $9-15, salads: $8-12; "Skizza" (flatbread pizza, 10-inch): $13-15, panini/soups: $6-14, pasta: $11-16, contorni (sides): $8-15, burger: $14. Secondi ("main courses") are mostly not listed on their online lunch menu but cluster in the $20s for lunch. The dinner menu is similar, but without panini and with more secondi. It is more expensive, with secondi in the high $20s, $30s and beyond. 
    • Smoky Rock Barbeque, 6367 Mill Street (Route 9) (across the street from the Rhinebeck Reformed Church near South St), ☏ +1 845-876-5232. M Tu F Sa 11AM-9PM, Su noon-9PM, closed W Th. The pitmaster believes that he has created a new style of barbecue, New York barbecue. He may be right as, for example, the tender, deliciously spice-rubbed smoked Angus brisket owes a lot to traditional Jewish delicatessen food. For sides, if you like spicy food, consider getting some chipotle coleslaw, which is quite robustly spiced and unique. They also have some excellent local IPAs and hard ciders. They have plenty of space indoors and a fairly sizable patio. Meats: $19-42 à la carte and $6 more as a meal with 2 sides; sides a la carte are $8 for 8 oz and $12 for 16 oz. (updated Jul 2024)

    Drink

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    View across the Hudson from near Rhinecliff, with some of the Catskills visible in the background

    Sleep

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    Splurge

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    Go next

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    If your next stop requires an Amtrak trip, beware that Rhinecliff Station is not reasonable to walk to from Rhinebeck, and if you try to get a ridehail to the station in real time, you may be at serious risk of missing your train. You are best off arranging for someone to drive you there or reserving a ride at least hours if not a day in advance of your train trip.

    • Kingston, on the other side of the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge, has a much larger and in some cases considerably different selection of historic buildings than Rhinebeck.
    • In addition to visiting other places in the Hudson Valley, consider going to the Catskills for some good hiking.
    Routes through Rhinebeck
    Albany (Rensselaer) ← Hudson ←  N  S  → Poughkeepsie → New York City
    Buffalo (Depew) ← Albany (Rensselaer) ←  N  S  → Poughkeepsie → New York City
    Albany ← Red Hook ←  N  S  → Hyde Park → New York City


    This city travel guide to Rhinebeck is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.


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