Spring is in the air in New York, with a series of exciting openings, launches, events and tourism developments taking place across the state. Below is what’s new, what’s happening and what’s coming up for travellers to the Empire State.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AND WHAT’S COMING UP
New York State welcomes spring season with the launch of new ‘Blooms Report’
The first ever New York Blooms Report showcases popular flowers blooming throughout the state, helping visitors make the most of their spring getaway. Updated weekly and available until June, the interactive online map shows how popular florals are growing across New York, allowing travellers to plan which garden destinations they want to visit and what else is on offer nearby, as well as add spring-themed hikes, nature programmes and other events hosted by New York State Parks.
Ryder Cup returns to New York in 2025
The 45th Ryder Cup returns to the United States in 2025. It will take place at Long Island’s Bethpage State Park, a mecca of public golf, which features five impressive 18-hole golf courses, with the Black Course as the crown jewel. Designed by famed golden-age architect A.W. Tillinghast, Bethpage Black first opened for play in the spring of 1936 and has a lengthy golf history. Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester is the only other courses in New York State to host the Ryder Cup, in 1995.
Get lost among the world’s oldest forests in upstate New York
North of the Catskill Mountains, the towns of Gilboa and Cairo are known for their rare fossil forests. At 385 million years old, they are recognised as the oldest on Earth, dating back to the Devonian period, and featured trees as tall as 65 feet, with trunks up to five feet in diameter. Appealing to hikers and rockhounds alike, this summer the Gilboa Museum will launch its first fossil walks, while New York State is also in the process of establishing a dedicated Geological Trail.
Soho House to open new property in Hudson Valley
Soho House has revealed plans to open its first Hudson Valley resort with Grasmere House, which will be based at a former 250-acre farm in Rhinebeck. It will be the hospitality brand’s first property in the state outside New York City. The new venue will blend the balance of nature and experience with restored 19th-century buildings. Anchored by a historic manor house, the restoration of the Grasmere estate will emulate Babington House, the company’s Georgian manor in Somerset.
Niagara Heritage Gateways Project to break ground this spring
Work is scheduled to begin this spring on the $12 million Niagara Heritage Gateways Project, which aims to create a multi-use public space that serves as a landscaped connection between the natural wonder of the Niagara Falls State Park and downtown Niagara Falls. The first phase of a broader Downtown Niagara Falls Heritage Walk concept, which will include the Hydraulic Power Plaza and Niagara Gorge Gateway Park sites, it will be followed by the construction of a Riverway Tree Walk.
New York City’s Little Italy welcomes new Italian American Museum
Opening this spring, the new Italian American Museum will serve as a cultural hub and community nexus for Italian Americans and the Little Italy neighbourhood. Through permanent and temporary exhibitions and a robust educational and cultural event programme, the Italian American Museum aims to preserve, promote and celebrates the culture and history of Italian Americans and serve as a bridge between the remarkable past and the evolving future of the community.
Long Island Rail Road implements new schedules to encourage rail tourism
The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) announced in March new timetables across all branches as part of a strategic initiative to boost railroad tourism to the region by enhancing the overall travel experience. With services from Manhattan’s Penn and Grand Central stations, travellers can use LIRR to explore Long Island by train, including Huntington, where they can visit the famed Gold Coast mansions, the famous Hamptons and Montauk, the state’s easternmost point.
ANNIVERSARY NEWS
Mark the 75th anniversary of Frank Lloyd Wright’s only design built after his death
Following a successful debut last summer, the tours of the masterpiece Massaro House, in Hudson Valley, will return this June running three times a week (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays). Massaro House is Frank Lloyd Wright’s only design to be built posthumously, on the exact location it was intended for, with 2024 marking the 75th anniversary since it was originally commissioned, in 1949.
New stop for fans of ‘The Twilight Zone’
With 2024 marking 100 years since Rod Serling, the creator of cult TV series ‘The Twilight Zone’, was born, Binghamton, Central New York is welcoming this summer a new tourist attraction: an 8-foot tall statue of the screenwriter who called Binghamton his home and often professed his pride for the city he grew up in. Binghamton commemorates the screenwriter with the annual SerlingFest festival, while fans of ‘The Twilight Zone’ can also visit the Rod Serling archive in the city’s Bundy Museum.
New York State Parks releases ‘Centennial Challenge’
As part of its 100th anniversary, New York’s State Parks and Historic Sites has created a list of 100 suggested activities to encourage visitors and locals to get outdoors, discover the state’s parks and learn more about its history. These include: spotting New York State’s official tree, the sugar maple; walking across a covered bridge; renting a kayak or canoe for a water-themed adventure; visiting a Revolutionary War battlefield; sketching a wildflower; or taking part in a free ‘Learn to Fish’ event.
Bronx Zoo marks 125th anniversary with new ‘Animal Chronicles’
The historic zoo celebrates its 125 years with the launch of ‘Animal Chronicles’ on 20 April. The new walking trail features immersive eco-sculptures that showcase key achievements in its history of saving animal species and connecting the public to wildlife. Visitors can also join for parades, performances, crafting and other special events on select dates until September, while Conservation Conversations will be taking a look at how the zoo has changed since it opened in 1899.
‘Bicentennial Voyage’ to celebrate the Erie Canal’s 200th anniversary
A traditionally built, full-sized replica of Seneca Chief, the boat that opened the Erie Canal in 1825, is under construction at the Buffalo Maritime Center. Over 200 volunteers are working on the project, which is being built on public display. In 2025 the Seneca Chief will depart on a ‘Bicentennial Voyage’ from Buffalo to New York City to commemorate 200 years of the ‘Inaugural Voyage’ on the Erie Canal, the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes.
HOTEL OPENINGS
The Rounds, Scribner’s Catskill Lodge, Catskills Opened December 2023
Since 1966 the Scribner’s Catskill Lodge has gained legendary status thanks to its distinctive architecture and decadent indoor swimming ‘grotto.’ The property expanded last December with the addition of The Rounds, 11 guest cabins that feature unique, 12-sided designs, a curated collection of contemporary and vintage furniture pieces, as well as private, outdoor cedar soaking tubs. A central building, the Apex Lodge, anchors the cabins as a communal place to gather and dine.
Warren Street Hotel, New York City Opened February 2024
Situated in the vibrant and creative Tribeca neighbourhood, Warren Street Hotel is a celebration of contemporary art and design. Opened last February, each of the hotel’s 69 bedrooms, suites and residences are individually designed, some with beautifully landscaped private terrace gardens and spectacular skyscraper views of lower Manhattan and the Hudson River. Guests will also find on site an inviting drawing room, an airy orangery and the Warren Bar and Restaurant.
The Ranch Hudson Valley, Hudson Valley Opening spring 2024
The trend-setting wellness retreat’s first East Coast property is set on a historic, private lakefront estate that spans 200 forested acres. Opening on 15th April and offering a choice of 3 and 4-night programmes, the daily fitness schedule includes morning hikes, afternoon fitness classes, massages and plant-based cuisine. Yoga and meditation classes are held in The Ranch Gym, the former 2,000-square-foot ballroom, while a new 5,000-square-foot solarium features an indoor heated pool.
Our Habitas on Hudson Opening spring 2024
The luxurious hospitality group’s first US property reopens this spring following a series of renovations. Based at a historic mansion and envisaged as a summer camp for grown-ups – it offers activities around adventure, learning and culinary experiences – the adults-only countryside retreat has 30 rooms with a minimalist design and spa and wellness facilities. Open to guests and visitors alike, Social, the hotel’s restaurant, fuses creative global dishes and fresh, locally grown ingredients.
WHAT’S ON
- Rochester Lilac Festival, Finger Lakes (10-19 May): Having celebrated its 125th edition last year, this is the largest free festival of its kind in North America, welcoming spring in upstate New York. Visitors enjoy expansive collections of lilacs, featuring more than 1,800 bushes and over 500 different varieties.
- Belmont Stakes Saratoga Festival, Capital-Saratoga (6-9 June): Witness history in 2024 as the world famous Belmont Stakes comes to Saratoga for the first time ever, with the third leg of the Triple Crown being held this June. Saratoga has horse racing sewn into the town’s DNA: founded in 1863, its Race Course is one of the oldest sporting venues in the country.
- The Great New York State Food & Wine Festival, Thousand Islands-Seaway (7-9 June): Taste the best New York has to offer as exhibitors come from every region of the state to offer their ‘Made in New York’ goods – from maple products, apple cider and ice cream to cheeses, sauces, herbs and spices, and, of course, New York State’s acclaimed wines.
- The Time Capsule: What We Found Under Philip Schuyler, Capital-Saratoga (until 23 June): In summer 2023, a time capsule dating back to 1925 was found buried in the foundation of the Phillip Schuyler Statute in Albany; now, you can discover for yourself the contents of the lost copper box at the Albany Institute of History & Art.
- WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, Adirondacks (27-29 September): The world’s premier mountain biking circuit is coming to Lake Placid for the first time this September. With a loyal following of thousands of fans, the event will bring the top professional mountain bikers in the world to compete in three UCI Mountain Bike World Cups.
For more information on New York State, please visit www.iloveny.com
