The Vassar campus comprises over 100 buildings in architectural styles ranging from modernist to collegiate gothic and 1,000 picturesque acres ranging from the sweeping lawns of the main campus to the meadows and woodlands of the Vassar Farm. Main Building, designed by James Renwick Jr., and the Maria Mitchell Observatory are both National Historic Landmarks.
360° Video Tours
Explore our campus with these 360-degree videos—the next best thing to being here (especially if you wear your VR goggles)!
Designated a National Heritage Area by Congress, the Hudson Valley has more major historic sites per square mile than any other area in the United States. Fabulous mansions of the Gilded Age, quaint river towns, unparalleled hiking and climbing sites in the Catskills and the Shawangunks, world-class art museums—the valley is a national treasure. Poughkeepsie, Vassar’s hometown, is half way between Albany, the state capitol, and New York City.
Directions to Campus
Car
Via Taconic State Parkway
Exit at Route 55 westbound (6 mi.)
Turn left onto Route 376 Extension/Van Wagner Road (which becomes Raymond Avenue <1 mi.)
Main Entrance (gothic stone archway) on left
Via New York State Thruway
Northbound
Take exit 17 for I-84 East toward Newburgh across the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge
Take Exit 13 onto Rt. 9 North (9.59 mi.)
Turn right onto Spackenkill Rd. Rt. 113 East
Turn left at second light onto Wilbur Blvd. (0.5 mi.)
Turn right onto Hooker Avenue (<1 mi.)
Turn left onto Raymond Avenue (<1 mi.)
Main Entrance (gothic stone archway) on right
Southbound
Take exit 18 for Rt. 299 toward New Paltz/Poughkeepsie
Turn right onto Rt. 299 East (5.1 mi.)
Turn right onto Rt. 9W South (2.3 mi.)
Take exit ramp onto Rt. 44/55 East (<1 mi.)
Cross the Mid-Hudson Bridge and continue on Rt. 44/55 East(2.0 mi.)
Turn right onto Raymond Avenue (<1 mi.)
Main Entrance (gothic stone archway) on left
Via Route 9
Head east onto Spackenkill Rd. Rt. 113 East (0.7 mi.)
Turn left at second light onto Wilbur Blvd. (2 mi.)
The Dutchess County L Bus picks up at the train station and drops off on Collegeview Avenue, which is directly next to campus—the L bus’s schedule and route.
Air
For travelers flying into a New York City airport, the easiest way to get to Vassar is by Metro-North Train to Poughkeepsie from Grand Central Station. To get to Grand Central Station from the metro area airports, take the Newark Airport Express (Newark).
Other nearby airportsinclude: Westchester County Airport in White Plains, Albany International Airport in Albany, or the three major airports in the New York City metro area (LaGuardia, JFK, Newark Liberty).
Walkway Over the Hudson
The longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world (212 feet tall, 1.28 miles long).
61 Parker Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY (845) 454-9649
Powerhouse Theater
New plays, musical workshops, and readings of works-in-progress on the Vassar campus each summer.
124 Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY (845) 437-5907
Bardavon 1869 Opera House
The oldest continuously operating theater in the state, the Bardavon is home to the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and the primary venue for touring artists and musicians.
35 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY (845) 473-2072
Upstate Films
Foreign, independent, documentary, and animated films as well as lectures by guest filmmakers, scholars, and critics.
6415 Montgomery Street, Rhinebeck, NY (845) 876-2515
Trevor Zoo
At the Milbrook School, the zoo was founded by Frank Trevor, the school’s first biology teacher, and today houses 80 different species including nine endangered species.
131 Millbrook School Road, Millbrook, NY (845) 677-3704
Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum
A destination for families with young children with exhibits that focus on early literacy, art, and early STEM education.
75 N. Water Street, Poughkeepsie, NY (845) 471-0589
Poughkeepsie Galleria
Premier shopping destination with department stores, specialty shops, restaurants, and a multiplex theater.
2001 South Road (Route 9), Poughkeepsie, NY (845) 297-7600