Annual Pine Bush UFO Fair in Upstate New York Returns

More things to do near Pine Bush 

The Patchett House, one of the most haunted buildings in the Hudson Valley, is a fifteen-minute drive southeast of Pine Bush in the town of Montgomery. First operating as a tavern in the early nineteenth century and serving as a funeral home at one point in its history, the building now holds the Wallkill River Center for the Arts with exhibits from local artists and art classes for both adults and children. As an added bonus, the drive there takes you past Searsville Road, a popular skywatching area in the ‘90s.

South of Pine Bush in Middletown, The Switch Inn, a bar and restaurant built as a railroad hotel in 1874, purportedly has a ghost in its basement that has regular run-ins with the staff when lights flicker on and off and doors close shut. As an act of reverence towards its paranormal patronage, the Switch Inn holds tarot card readings on Tuesday nights.

Restaurants and bars in Pine Bush 

Right next door to the UFO & Paranormal Museum is Longstreet Tavern, proudly boasting a sign out front about winning “1st place in the intergalactic restaurant competition.” Guided tour groups get discounts on offerings like burgers and wings while visitors can have post-museum discussion over a round of local craft brews.

For something on the sweeter side on nearby Main Street, The French Connection, serves handcrafted desserts like macarons and cannoli cookies. Similar to Longstreet, this spot participates in the UFO Fair and themes their pastries with appropriately green frosting. A signature dish is a massive breakfast wrap called the Mother Ship, stuffed with a plate’s worth of an entire breakfast of eggs, maple bacon, home fries, and bananas. The cafe also serves hot tea to guests during the UFO Museum’s Haunted History Lantern Tour.

While enjoying a pastry outside, be sure to look up to spot a window on the top floor of the building. Few have set foot in this attic out of fear of its unnervingly haunted presence.

Where to stay near Pine Bush 

To keep the eerie theme going, sleep at one of the most famously haunted accommodations in the Hudson Valley, The Shanley Hotel. Located in the nearby town of Napanoch, it first opened in 1845 and was rebuilt in 1895 after a fire. An assortment of reported ghosts reflect its long history of serving people with both a barbershop and a bordello. Nightly paranormal investigations offer a chance for visitors to interact with the spirits of the Shanley’s former customers.

If you’re not feeling brave enough, you can sit down to have afternoon tea with these spirits with the help of some ghosthunting equipment or get a haunted history tour during sunlight hours. Luckily, you can opt for a package tour that includes both the Shanley Hotel and the Pine Bush UFO & Paranormal Museum. The Shanley Hotel fills up quickly and rooms are booked weekends in advance, so plan early.

If you’re looking to stay outdoors in your exploration of the ‘Gunks, Boulder Point Campground offers glamping and a pool alongside more traditional campsites. And who knows? Maybe you’ll look up at the stars and catch a glimpse of something beyond this world.