KINGSTON – The Hudson River Maritime Museum’s solar-powered tour boat, Solaris, is returning this spring.
After a winter break, the museum’s crew and docents are excited to bring passengers back for regularly scheduled lighthouse tours and sightseeing cruises from mid-May through the end of October.
The season preview begins on May 11 with a full day of free cruises from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. as part of the City of Kingston’s Earth Day Festival. Admission to these cruises cannot be booked in advance; interested passengers can reserve on a first-come, first-served basis via a sign-up booth in the yard of the Museum day-of, beginning 30 minutes prior to each cruise.
Public, ticketed cruises begin on Saturday, May 18. Throughout the season, regularly scheduled cruises will operate Thursday through Sunday from home port at the museum’s Kingston waterfront. Cruises depart at 1pm, 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. daily, with an additional 10am cruise on Sunday mornings. For July and August, Wednesday cruises will be added to the schedule for additional opportunities to catch a ride.
The schedule includes daily trips to the historic Rondout Lighthouse, which stands on the breakwater jetty where the Rondout Creek meets the Hudson River. During lighthouse tours, passengers disembark and are led through the lighthouse by the museum’s knowledgeable crew and docents, culminating in unique 360-degree views from the observation deck at the top of the lighthouse. Other cruises include routes upcreek to explore historic wrecks along the Rondout’s banks and gentle sunset cruises on the Hudson River.
The 2024 season is also packed with exciting, themed cruises. In addition to cruises departing from Kingston, Solaris will serve the Dutchess County side of the river in weekly trips departing from the Rhinecliff Landing Boat Launch, including Sunday afternoon Rondout Lighthouse tour offerings throughout the season, and Wednesday evening cruises in July and August.
Solaris will be making special trips downriver to Poughkeepsie from June 17-19 and July 1-3, and upriver to Hudson from July 8-10 to offer public cruises from these respective waterfronts. Solaris tickets are now on sale at www.hrmm.org/all-boat-tours.
