Senate House  State Historic Site

Site Alert: Due to ongoing restoration, guided house tours and museum access are suspended until further notice. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we undertake this important work. Site grounds are open year-round from dawn until dusk. During construction, Senate House is offering outreach programming to educational institutions in lieu of site visits. Please visit www.parks.ny.gov or contact the site at 845-338-2786 for details on how to book your group.

In the Fall of 1777, amidst the turmoil of a British military offensive, the elected representatives of rebellious New Yorkers convened in Kingston to form a new state government. The session, New York's first Senate, met in September and October in the simple stone house of Abraham Van Gaasbeek, a local merchant.

The treasures housed in its museum include major art works by John Vanderlyn and other members of the Vanderlyn family of Kingston, dating from the 1720s through the 1870s, as well as paintings by Ammi Phillips, Joseph Tubby, James Bard, and Thomas Sully. The Senate House State Historic Site is now listed as a significant stop along the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Revolutionary War Trail.