The long wall of the Catskill escarpment across the valley, seen from Olana

Live Music Venues

18 places 12 towns $16 one-time

The Hudson Valley has collected an unusual number of working theaters and concert halls. Many are restored to better condition than originally built. Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie still runs its 1928 Wurlitzer. Bearsville Theater in Woodstock reopened in 2024 with a Meyer Sound system after decades of vacancy. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts occupies the exact pasture where the 1969 festival took place, now with a 15,000-seat amphitheater. Daryl Hall built Daryl's House Club in Pawling himself as a 250-seat listening room, and Basilica Hudson converted an 1880s solar-powered factory on the Hudson waterfront into one of the valley's best-sounding spaces. The Rapp brothers' 1930 Art Deco palace in Peekskill, performing-arts venues in Mamaroneck and beyond all program diverse acts that draw musicians and listeners from across the Northeast.

What we thought of each of these 18 places is in the guide. $16 for all 460 places.

Live Music Venues 18 places

Poughkeepsie

Bardavon 1869 Opera House

Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie is New York's oldest theater, with a 1928 Wurlitzer organ that still plays and sounds right.

Cost: Ticket prices vary by event ($12–$254+); box office open Tue–Fri 10am–4pm, day-of until final intermission
Hours: Event-dependent; box office Tue–Fri 10am–4pm
Season: Year-round
Access: Accessible seating available; call box office at 845-473-2072

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Woodstock

Bearsville Theater

Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, rebuilt in 2024 with Meyer Sound, overlooks Sawkill Creek. Indie and Americana acts sound great from every angle.

Cost: Tickets $30–$65+
Hours: Box office hours vary; check website for show schedules
Season: Year-round programming
Access: Accessible venue with accommodations; contact for details

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Free to read

Top pick Bethel

Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

This is the actual pasture the 1969 festival happened on, preserved down to the 37 acres, with a 15,000-seat amphitheater built beside it that books everyone from James Taylor to Billy Strings against a backdrop of the Catskills.

Cost: $$-$$$
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm during summer concert season; extended hours on event days
Season: May–October (museum year-round, select hours)
Access: Wheelchair accessible, designated ADA parking

Heads upParking is ample and free. Rain-or-shine policy means shows proceed in bad weather. Bring a blanket or lawn chair for the amphitheater. Festival seating on the lawn; reserved seats available for a premium. Long walks from parking to gate; comfortable shoes recommended. The venue strictly prohibits re-entry once you leave the pavilion or grounds.

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Pawling

Daryl's House Club

Daryl's House Club in Pawling is a 250-seat barn Daryl Hall built for live music, with tribute nights and blues bills. Reserve ahead, shows sell out fast.

Cost: $
Hours: Wed-Thu 3:30 PM-11:00 PM; Fri 3:30 PM-11:00 PM; Sat 11:00 AM-11:00 PM; Sun 11:00 AM-11:00 PM; Closed Mon-Tue
Season: Year-round
Access: Limited parking; free shuttle service available

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Tarrytown

Jazz Forum

Jazz Forum in Tarrytown is a 90-seat room with a 7-foot Steinway, hosting headliners most weekends. Sunday afternoons feature deep Brazilian jazz sets.

Cost: Ticket prices vary ($15–50+ depending on artist); affordable by jazz venue standards
Hours: Fri 6pm–11pm; Sat 6pm–11pm; Sun 3pm–8pm
Season: Year-round weekend shows; monthly jam sessions; free summer outdoor concerts in Hudson Valley parks
Access: Wheelchair accessible; intimate 90-seat room

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Woodstock

Levon Helm Studios

Levon Helm built this barn in 1975 in Woodstock; the Midnight Ramble he started in 2004 still runs under his daughter Amy. Seats fill fast, reserve ahead.

Cost: Ticket prices vary by artist ($25–75+ typical)
Hours: Varies by event; contact for show schedule
Season: Year-round; peak season spring–fall
Access: Limited; barn venue with natural terrain

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Woodstock

Maverick Concerts

Maverick Concerts in Woodstock: the 1916 barn where David Tudor gave John Cage's 4'33 its premiere. Oldest unamplified chamber-music festival.

Cost: $
Hours: Season June 27–September 13, 2026; various show times
Season: June through September
Access: Accessible; contact for details

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Tarrytown

Tarrytown Music Hall

An 1885 Queen Anne theater on Tarrytown's Main Street where all 843 seats feel good, with comedy, music, dance, and silent film organ accompaniment.

Cost: $
Hours: Box office opens 3 hours before shows; Phone orders Mon-Sat 10am-8pm
Access: Wheelchair accessible

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Woodstock

The Colony

The Colony in Woodstock occupies a 1929 hotel ballroom with a 100-seat room and a stage barely off the floor. Blues, comedy, and theater play here.

Cost: $15–40 (tickets vary by act); 2-drink minimum per person
Hours: Wed–Thu 17:00–23:00, Fri–Sat 17:00–00:00, Sun 17:00–23:00, Tue closed
Season: Year-round
Access: Ground-floor accessible

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Hudson

Basilica Hudson

Basilica Hudson is a solar-powered 1880s factory on the Hudson waterfront hosting concerts and film. Rescued in 2010, it retains raw brick and iron beams.

Cost: Event tickets $15–50+; some free programming
Hours: Varies by event; typically Thu–Sun; check website for schedule
Season: Year-round; events year-round with seasonal programming
Access: Accessible main floor; some upper levels limited

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Mamaroneck

Emelin Theatre

Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck has been Westchester's longest-running performing-arts venue since 1972 with 264 seats. No seat is far from the stage.

Cost: Ticket prices vary by event; typically $$
Hours: Box office and event hours vary by show; see website for schedule
Season: Year-round
Access: Wheelchair accessible; parking available nearby

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Peekskill

Paramount Hudson Valley Theater

Paramount Hudson Valley Theater in Peekskill opened 1930 with Art Deco design. A 2007-2010 restoration brought back ceiling murals. Nearly 1,050 seats.

Cost: $$-$$$
Hours: Box Office: Tue-Fri 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Thu also 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM. On show days open noon to showtime.
Season: year-round
Access: Wheelchair accessible; elevator access; accessible seating available

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Kingston

Snapper Magee's

Snapper Magee's in Kingston is a dive with a jukebox that has outlasted three competitors. Bands play rock and punk several nights a month until 4am.

Cost: $ (cash only)
Hours: Daily 12pm-4am
Season: Year-round
Access: Check venue directly

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Catskill

The Avalon Lounge

Korean food and live music at The Avalon Lounge in Catskill: pajeon, kimbap, and soju. Three rooms with bar, pool table, dance floor.

Cost: $ (cover varies by show)
Hours: Wed-Thu 5:00–11:00 PM; Fri 5:00 PM–1:00 AM; Sat 5:00 PM–1:00 AM; Sun 5:00–11:00 PM; closed Mon-Tue
Season: year-round
Access: ground-floor bar with indoor seating and lounge area

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Beacon

Towne Crier Cafe

Towne Crier Cafe in Beacon has run jazz, folk, and blues since 1972 in a 100-seat room. Pete Seeger played here; Thursday open mic draws serious locals.

Cost: No cover for some events; ticketed shows $20–60+; food/drink minimum may apply
Hours: Thu 4pm–9pm, Fri 4pm–9:30pm, Sat 10:30am–9:30pm, Sun 10:30am–9pm; closed Mon–Wed
Season: Year-round
Access: Ground floor accessible; street parking available

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Kingston

Tubby's

Tubby's in Kingston is a dive bar opened in 2018 with breakfast tacos, 20-plus mezcals, and live bands on a stage you can touch from your seat.

Cost: $ (no cover Sun-Thurs; $ cover Fri-Sat for shows)
Hours: Tues-Sat 4:00 PM–12:00 AM (happy hour 4–6 PM); closed Sun-Mon
Season: year-round
Access: ground-floor bar with indoor seating

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Saratoga Springs

Universal Preservation Hall

Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs is an 1871 Gothic church rebuilt in 2020. It once hosted Frederick Douglass; now it runs rock and jazz.

Cost: $–$$$
Hours: Varies by event; box office hours and performance times on website
Season: Year-round
Access: Accessible; contact venue for details

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Kingston

BSP Kingston

BSP Kingston, a 1900s Wall Street landmark, closed permanently in 2020 and now operates as a private production facility.

Cost: N/A — permanently closed, not open to the public
Hours: Permanently closed since 2020; the building now operates as a private film/TV production facility (Kingston Studios), not open to the public
Season: N/A — permanently closed
Access: Contact venue

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Quartz cliffs rising from the still blue water of Lake Mohonk

In the guide

We rated all 18 of these.

The names and the practical detail above are free. The guide adds what we thought of each place, how we rated it and what to watch out for, including the ones we'd tell you not to bother with. It does the same for the other 442 places in the other categories.

You pay once. Access doesn't expire, and anything we add or correct later is included.

Towns covered

BeaconBethelCatskillHudsonKingstonMamaroneckPawlingPeekskillPoughkeepsieSaratoga SpringsTarrytownWoodstock

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