The Beat

In Honor of 100th Anniversary Celebration

New ‘Events’ Calendar Feature Allows App Users to Discover Upcoming Events at Parks and Historic Sites through Filters of Their Choice 

Online and Offline Trail Maps Help Visitors Navigate Their Surroundings and Enhance Safety

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) today announced a new events feature and refreshed icon design for the New York State Parks Explorer app. The New York State Parks Explorer app is a free, user-friendly resource for visitors to plan trips and stay connected to their favorite locations throughout the State’s unparalleled collection of parks, historic sites and recreation trails.

 Provides Improved Trail Access and Protection of Natural Resources

Helps Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Highlands Conservation Act Grant Program

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the addition of 763 acres to Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park in Putnam and Dutchess counties helping conserve a scenic and undeveloped parcel in the Mid-Hudson Valley and one of the largest privately-owned undeveloped blocks in the Hudson Highlands region. The protection of these lands as part of the New York State Park system was a unique opportunity to safeguard sensitive natural resources and represents a valuable addition for accessibility and future recreational improvements.

First Installation at General George Washington’s Headquarters in Newburgh

Displays Planned for 20 State Historic Sites for 250^th Anniversary of American Revolution in 2026

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation today announced that the first of 20 planned interactive video displays highlighting New York’s rich history in the American Revolution is installed at Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site in the Hudson Valley. The video kiosks will be installed at state historic sites, state parks and the state Capitol in the coming months to showcase New York’s role in the American Revolution ahead of its 250^th anniversary.

Hudson, NY (September 2024) – Neverstill Wines, led by an all-female team, opens a sophisticated new tasting room in Hudson, New York. The space, designed by Amy Ilias (@thelavenderghost), a Hudson-based designer/consultant and former EVP of Art & Design at the famed ABC Carpet & Home, pays homage to the beauty of the Neverstill vineyard near New York’s Seneca Lake- the water, the soil, the climate.

The group of new acquisitions features oil paintings and pastels from American artists including Mary Cassatt, William Merritt Chase, Georgia O’Keeffe, John Singer Sargent, and others.

All 27 works are currently on view in the museum’s exhibition American Masterworks.

Cooperstown, NY -- Fenimore Art Museum announced that its acquisition and installation of 27 major works of American art valued at $33.8 million is now complete. The final two pieces, both pastels, were recently installed. Campanile at Lido (1879) by James McNeill Whistler and Still Life with Fruit, Vase and Cup (1910) by Max Weber are on view through December 29, 2024, as part of the exhibition American Masterworks. Acquisition of these works was generously funded by the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.

Project Awarded $32 Million From the Governor’s $230 Million Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition

Fly-Through Video Offers First Look at Major Upgrades Planned as Part of Ongoing Modernization Project

Video of Rendering Available Here 

(September 9, 2024) Governor Kathy Hochul today unveiled a new fly-through video rendering that offers viewers their first glimpse of a reimagined Greater Binghamton Airport. The two-and-a-half-minute video depicts the major upgrades planned for the Greater Binghamton Airport. Announced by the Governor in November, the project is being funded with $32 million from the Governor’s $230 million Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition. The video, which was produced by the airport’s consultants, is available for viewing here.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Designation Makes Lake Ontario New York’s First National Marine Sanctuary & 16th Site Nationwide

New “Underwater Park” Protects Over 1,700 Square Miles of Great Lakes Maritime History

Governor Kathy Hochul today celebrated the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) historic designation of the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary. The Lake Ontario Sanctuary will become only the 16th site in the National Marine Sanctuary System and the first to be designated off New York State’s coast.

The Sullivan Catskills celebrates another record year in visitor spending and job creation in 2023

Sullivan Catskills, NY (Sept. 4, 2024) – The Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association is thrilled to announce the tremendous impact of tourism on the Sullivan Catskills in 2023. According to recent data from Tourism Economics, the region experienced another outstanding year of significant growth in visitor spending and job creation, reinforcing the vital role tourism plays in the local economy.

Historic 306.3 Million Visitors Explored the Empire State in 2023 – the Most in New York State History

Tourism Generated $88 Billion in Direct Spending and $137 Billion in Total Economic Impact, Exceeding Previous Highs in 2022

Ahead of Fall Travel Season, I LOVE NY Fall Foliage Reports Begin on September 12 

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that New York welcomed a record-setting 306.3 million visitors in 2023, while also setting new historic highs for direct visitor spending and total economic impact associated with the state's tourism industry. Visitors to New York State contributed to a record-high $88 billion in direct spending, and supported a historic $137 billion in total economic impact across the state. The Governor made the announcement at the Great New York State Fair, a perennially popular seasonal tourism attraction and economic driver. This data, compiled in a series of reports prepared by Tourism Economics, represents significant gains over the then-record-setting numbers from 2022, and far surpass the highest numbers achieved prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Project To Extend Walkway From Gorge to Prospect Point

Part of Governor Hochul's Summer Campaign to Help Kids and Families "Get Offline, Get Outside"

Renderings Available Here

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced construction is set to begin on the extension of the ‘Crow’s Nest’ at Niagara Falls State Park. The expansion project includes the construction of new stairs and an overlook structure which will connect the existing ‘Crow’s Nest’ feature to Prospect Point at Niagara Falls State Park, providing a new close-up view of the Falls. Today's announcement builds on Governor Hochul's summer campaign to help kids and families “Get Offline, Get Outside.”…