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

Nightlife & Indoor Fun

5 places 4 towns $16 one-time

Rainy weekends and winter nights don't mean staying home. The Hudson Valley has indoor spaces that pull people in: a 13,000-square-foot climbing gym in Poughkeepsie with 40-foot walls; skateparks in Peekskill where you can rent a board and take lessons; escape rooms in Tarrytown ranging from vampire hunts to corrupt-cop heists; a cat lounge in Beacon where adoptable cats live in a glass room while you sip coffee; and an arcade bar in Beacon stocked with original cabinets (Pac-Man, Centipede, pinball worn smooth by decades of play) pouring regional New York beer. Five essential stops across Peekskill, Poughkeepsie, Tarrytown, and Beacon.

What we thought of each of these 5 places is in the guide. $16 for all 460 places.

Nightlife & Indoor Fun 5 places

Peekskill

2nd Nature Skatepark

2nd Nature in Peekskill packs 8,000 square feet of terrain in a skate shop: mini ramp upstairs, street course below. Saturday lessons for beginners.

Cost: $-$$
Hours: Sun 12pm-8pm, Mon 2pm-8pm, Tue 3pm-8pm, Wed 3pm-10pm, Thu 3pm-8pm, Fri 3pm-10pm, Sat 12pm-8pm
Season: Year-round
Access: Ground-floor accessible

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Poughkeepsie

The Gravity Vault

The Gravity Vault in Poughkeepsie spans 13,000 square feet with 65 top-rope stations and 40-foot walls. The Hudson Valley's only gym of that scale.

Cost: Day pass; memberships available
Hours: Sun 9am–8pm; Mon–Fri 9am–10pm; Sat 9am–8pm
Season: Year-round
Access: Wheelchair accessible; age 5+ for bouldering, 6+ for top rope with instructor

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Tarrytown

The Puzzle Parlour

The Puzzle Parlour runs four escape rooms in White Plains, a short drive from Tarrytown: vampire hunt, alien cover-up, heist, surgical thriller.

Cost: Moderate
Hours: Tue-Thu 12pm-9:30pm, Fri 12pm-11pm, Sat 12pm-11pm, Sun 12pm-8pm, Mon closed
Season: Year-round
Access: Wheelchair accessible

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Beacon

Beans Cat Cafe

Beans Cat Cafe in Beacon is a working cat lounge where rescue cats are available for adoption. You can watch them for a half hour without handling them.

Cost: Coffee & pastries $4–7; Cat Lounge admission is separate and reservation-based, about $8 per person for a half hour or $13.50 for the hour
Hours: Wed–Fri 9am–6pm, Sat 9am–6pm, Sun 9am–6pm; Mon–Tue closed
Season: Year-round
Access: Street-level entry; small space suitable for wheelchair access

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Free to read

Worth it Beacon

Happy Valley Arcade Bar

Thirty-some original arcade cabinets (Pac-Man, Centipede, pinball with all their original wear) sit inside a bar that pours regional New York beer and spills into a string-lit courtyard. Kids are welcome until 7pm, and the room goes adults-only after.

Cost: $0 entry; games (quarters); drinks/snacks: $8–$15
Hours: Mon–Thu 12pm–11pm, Fri–Sat 12pm–1:30am, Sun 12pm–11pm
Season: Year-round
Access: Ground-floor accessible

Heads upFriday and Saturday nights can be crowded; $10 cover fee sometimes charged. Adult-only after 7pm. Games require quarters (bring or ask bar for change). Limited food menu. Outdoor seating weather-dependent.

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Quartz cliffs rising from the still blue water of Lake Mohonk

In the guide

We rated all 5 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 455 places in the other categories.

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

Towns covered

BeaconPeekskillPoughkeepsieTarrytown

More in Hudson Valley Field Guide

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