Families can see zoos, codes and Pluto

By Rebecca Rothbaum
Poughkeepsie Journal

The Trevor Zoo may be one of the region’s most overlooked resources. Set on the picturesque campus of the Millbrook School, the zoo was founded in 1936 by Frank Trevor, the prep school’s first biology teacher. Today the American Zoo and Aquarium Association-accredited zoo is home to more than 120 exotic and indigenous animals, including seven examples of endangered species, such as the ring-tailed lemur, the golden lion tamarin and red panda.

Poughkeepsie’s Locust Grove, the former home of Samuel Morse, the inventor of the electromagnetic telegraph, is always a popular family destination. But the mornings of every fourth Saturday of the month, the sprawling Hudson River estate caters to kids ages 8 to 13 with hands-on activities that explore the worlds of electricity, electromagnets, switches and codes.

Snacks 101

The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park really lets kids get hands-on experience in one-day courses like Kids in the Kitchen, which teaches young chefs to make Italian food, and Kids CIA Culinary Boot Camp, a crash course in kitchen basics that equips kids with enough culinary knowledge to recreate family snacks at home.

Parents can get into the action with the CIA’s family course, three Saturdays during which parents team up with their kids to prepare a four-course meal.

‘‘They really seem to enjoy it,’’ CIA marketing director Sue Cussen said. ‘‘It’s a nice bonding experience.’’

For families looking for something to do farther afield, there is the longtime favorite Howe Caverns in Schoharie County. Discovered in 1842 by Schoharie County farmer Lester Howe and opened to the public in the 1920s, Howe Caverns is an enormous limestone cave 156-feet below ground and carved by an underground river over the course of six-million years. Visitors take an 80-minute tour that includes a boat ride on the quarter-mile Lake of Venus.

To the south, there is the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, Westchester County, which is a favorite among families for its Andrus Planetarium. The planetarium features age-appropriate and theme shows, with a free program on Friday.