The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College is located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, situated on the east bank of the Hudson River in the beautiful Hudson Valley, about 90 miles north of New York City and 220 miles southwest of Boston. It is surrounded by several beautiful Hudson Valley estates, including Montgomery Place, Clermont, Olana, Mills Mansion, the Vanderbilt Estate, and the Roosevelt Home and Museum, all of which are open to the public. Other nearby attractions include the Culinary Institute of America, Cary Arboretum, Innisfree Garden, country auctions, wineries, pick-your-own vegetable and fruit farms, nature sanctuaries, and historic river ports. Special events during the Bard Music Festival include daily tours of the Hudson River houses and riverboat excursions.

For more information about tours of the building click here .

By car
From southern Connecticut, follow I-84 to the Taconic State Parkway, take the Taconic north to the Red Hook/Route 199 exit, drive west on Route 199 through the village of Red Hook to Route 9G, turn right onto Route 9G, and drive north 1.9 miles. Follow sign for Center for Performing Arts.

From northern Connecticut, take Route 44 to Route 199
at Millerton, drive west on Route 199, and proceed as from southern Connecticut.

From Massachusetts and northern New England, take the Massachusetts Turnpike to Exit B-2 (Taconic Parkway), take the Taconic south to the Red Hook/Route 199 exit, and proceed as from southern Connecticut.

From New York City, New Jersey, and points south, take the New York State Thruway to Exit 19 (Kingston), take Route 209 (changes to Route 199 at the Hudson River) over the Rhinecliff Bridge to Route 9G at the second light, turn left onto Route 9G, and drive north 3.8 miles. Follow sign for Center for Performing Arts.

From Albany, take the New York State Thruway to Exit 19 and proceed as from New York City or take the New York State Thruway to Exit 21 (Catskill). Exiting toll plaza, turn left onto Route 23B, then turn left onto Route 23 East. After crossing Rip Van Winkle Bridge, turn right onto Route 9G and drive south for approximately 15 miles. Follow sign for Center for Performing Arts.

By train
Amtrak service is available from Penn Station in New York City or from Albany to Rhinecliff, about 9 miles south of Annandale. Taxi service is available at the station. For schedules visit amtrak.com or call 1-800-872-7245.

Click here to download a PDF of the Fisher Center Venue Map and Driving Directions.

Click here to download a PDF of the Area Map.

During the summer the Fisher Center features an exciting multi-purpose venue, the SPIEGELTENT.  Along with sensational cabaret, musical, and late-night performances, the SPIEGELTENT offers perfect casual summer fare a la carte--burgers from the grill, salads and more.  Seating will be available indoors and out, and a number of local and other outstanding products, including specialty ice cream and micro-brewed beer, will be featured. 

The SPIEGELTENT will be the place this summer for audiences and SummerScape performers of all stripes to meet over a drink or an ideal summer meal.  Dinner will be served from 5:30PM - 7:30PM, with drinks available throughout the evening's show and during SPIEGELCLUB, from 10:00PM on.  Contact Steve Millikin, at (845) 758-7926, for more information about attending the Gala Opening.

Click here for a sample SPIEGELPALAIS MENU.

The Manor House Café is open during the academic year Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 7:30 pm and is closed on weekends.  During the summer season dining is available in the SPIEGELTENT.

For more information about restaurants in the area,

please call the Box Office at (845) 758-7900.

Please check with the box office for schedules, availability and further information.

Bard College sits in the northwest corner of historic Dutchess County in the beautiful mid Hudson Valley. Today the region's many communities, with their galleries, restaurants, shops, and cultural events; its exciting outdoor activities, including paragliding, kayaking, and mountain biking; and its numerous historical sights make it a vibrant place to live.

Once home to various Algonquian-speaking tribes of the Mahican confederacy, the area was settled by Europeans at the start of the seventeenth century, after Henry Hudson traveled the river that now bears his name. The area that would come to be Dutchess County was ruled by the Dutch and then the English before the Revolutionary War.

By the start of the eighteenth century this fertile region was home to self-sufficient farms, and the Hudson River provided opportunities for commerce, industry, and transportation. During the Revolutionary War, its farms supplied the Continental armies with great quantities of food. The booming agricultural industry continued after the war, as Dutchess County farmers began to supply the New York City market. Brickmaking, whaling, and iron mining joined agriculture in contributing to the prosperity of the region, and soon numerous great estates were built along the Hudson.

The extraordinary beauty of the Valley also drew artists to the area. Painters Frederic Edwin Church, Thomas Cole, and other members of The Hudson River School were attracted by the majestic Catskills on the west side of the river, the region's numerous waterways, and the rolling hills on the river's east bank. Writers Washington Irving and Edith Wharton set many of their stories in the Hudson Valley. The area also nurtured great historical figures; national leaders such as Robert Livingston and Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt called the Hudson Valley home.