Arts and Culture
Port Jervis Fire Department Museum
The museum at 8 Orange Street, housed in the old Engine Company #1 fire station, displays award ribbons, photographs, old equipment and a horse-drawn steam pumper from the 1890's. Available to tour by appointment only. Contact the mayor’s office for arrangements, (845) 858-4017.
The Tri-States Railroad Museum
Inside the old Elks Home Building on Pike Street is an exhibit by the the Tri-States Railway Preservation Society. The exhibit includes Erie Railroad artifacts and photographs and is open to the public on weekdays from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Saturday from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
UpFront Exhibition Space
UpFront is an exhibition space and gallery displaying art exhibits and hosting special events. Check out their facebook page for updates.
Port Jervis Free Library
The Port Jervis Free Library is a Carnegie Library that was built in 1903. Check out their Stephen Crane exhibit, "At Port Jervis", an oil painting by John Newton Howitt and a collection of works by Zane Grey.
Art Studio on Main
The studio and workshop of artist Julia Schmitt Healy is housed in this Greek Revival Mansion on East Main Street. Small classes are offered in painting, drawing and printmaking, as well as other media. Check out her website to learn more or view her art.
The Foundry Theater Company
The Foundry Theater Company was founded by Mandy Bruno and Cooper Boone in 2019. The program offers acting classes for students of all ages and performances open to the public. For more information, visit their website.
Marsh Hall
Marsh Hall is named for Donald Stuart Marsh, the former Director of Arts of the First Presbyterian Church and the founder and director of the Presby Players, the oldest community theater in Orange County. The brick chapel built in 1889 is home to the Presby Players performances. For information on upcoming performances, visit the Presby Players facebook page.
Jazz Port
Beginning in 2019, Upfront Gallery began serving as the venue for regular jazz performances open to the public. Check their facebook page for upcoming performances.
The Delaware Valley Dance Company and Dance Center
The Dance Center on Sussex Street in Uptown Port Jervis provides instruction for students from beginner to pre-professional. The Dance center offers three annual performances: a spring concert, a spring ballet and the Nutcracker.
Recreation
Delaware and Hudson Canal Trail
There are two miles of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Trail in the city, half of which is along Main Street and Canal Street. The other half follows the filled in canal bed. There is parking at the corner of Grandview Avenue and West Main Street. Follow the D&H trail blazes pictured above for the on-road sections.
The Pump Track
The pump track in Port Jervis is one of the largest on the East Coast. The track, located in Riverside Park, opened in 2019. It was built by the Outdoor Club of Port Jervis.
Port Jervis Watershed Park and Recreation Area
The Watershed Park has over fifty miles of trails, built by the Oudtdoor Club of Port Jervis, for bicycles and hikers. You can hike up to Point Peter from Lyric's Lullaby in Port Jervis or park at one of the five trailhead parking lots. View or download the Outdoor Club's trail maps.
City Parks
Visit the parks page to find more information about parks in the city. Pictured here is Church Street Park, which is home to basketball courts, tennis courts and a playground.
Winter Sports
Opportunities for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are available on the Delaware and Hudson Canal Trail, pictured here, Elks Brox Park and at nearby High Point State Park in New Jersey. Visit Sawkill Creek Outfitters or Action Bikes in Port Jervis to buy cross-country skis or snowshoes and see what events are planned. Sawkill Creek Outfitters also offers snowshoe rentals and ice climbing gear rentals. For downhill skiing, Holiday Mountain, Mount Peter, Mountain Creek and Big Bear are all less than a forty-five minute drive from Port Jervis.
Biking
With over fitfty miles of trails in the Port Jervis Watershed, two state bicycle routes in the city (Route 17 and Route 209), The Delaware and Hudson Canal Trail (pictured) and plenty of bicycle friendly streets in the city, there are ample opportunities for biking in the city. You can rent bikes from Port Jervis Bicycles or Action Bikes.
Golf
The Lynx, formerly known as the Port Jervis Country Club was designed by famed golf course architect, A.W. Tillinghast around several oxbow lakes of the Neversink River. The 18-hole public course with views of the Shawangunk Ridge was built in 1915.
Zip lines and aerial parks
Proposals for zip lines have been discussed in recent years for Port Jervis' Riverside and Elks-Brox Park. There are a number of existing zip lines and aerial ropes courses in the area, including Kittatinny Canoe's zip line, TreEscape at Mountain Creek (pictured) and Pocono TreeVentures.
McCarthy Riverside Walkway
This paved walkway along the Delaware River follows the length of River Street from its start at West End Beach to its southern end at Lumber Street.This scenic trail is part of the Dealware River Heritage Trail and was dedicated in 2020 after former councilman Michael W. McCarthy
The Delaware River
The Delaware River in and around Port Jervis is a popular spot for recreation for visitiors and locals. West End Beach, pictured here, is a popular spot for swimming, launching kayaks and tubing down the river. Learn more about the Delaware River in Port Jervis. Buy tubes or kayaks from Action Bikes and Outdoor or Sawkill Creek Outfitters in downtown Port Jervis. You can rent canoes, kayaks, rafts or tubes from Silver Canoe, Kittattinny Canoes and Indian Head Canoes.
Delaware River Heritage Trail
The six mile Delaware River Heritage Trail follows a loop around the city, highlighting sites of interest and historical sites around the city. See an online guide or order a printed guide and map by sending an order form and $6.95, postage included, to the Minisink Valley Historical Society. The Society can be reached at PO Box 659, Port Jervis, New York 12771
Sites of Interest
William Crane House
This building at 19 East Main Street was the home of Judge William Crane, the brother of author Stephen Crane, from 1890-1901. Stephen, often stayed with his brother at this house.
Erie Depot
The Erie Depot on Jersey Avenue downtown is a former passenger station for the Erie Railroad. The Queen Anne style station, built in 1892, served passengers until 1970.
Fort Decker
Fort Decker at 127 W. Main Street is the oldest remaining house in Port Jervis. It was built in 1793 from the stone remains of the original fort and trading post. The fort is named for Lieutenant Martinus Decker. In 1826, John Bloomfield Jervis, the namesake of Port Jervis, stayed here while working on the Delaware and Hudson Canal. Today, the Minisink Valley Historical Society operates the building as a museum.
The Erie Turntable
The Erie Turntable was built in 1854 and was used by the railroad until the 1980's. It was restored to operating condition in 1996. The roundhouse, which surrounded the turntable was destroyed by arson in the 1980's. Check one of the largest operating turntable in the country as well as some of the old train cars on the adjacent track. There is an information board on the east side of the turntable with more information.
Park Avenue Observatory
Park Avenue was constructed in 1933 and the observatory in 1934 as a WPA (Works Progress Administration) project. The observatory, on the side of Mount William, offers a view of the Riverside and West End neighborhoods and the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania.
Tri States Monument
Tri States Monument marks the point where Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey meet. It is located at Carpenters Point and can be accessed by driving or walking to the southern end of historic Laurel Grove Cemetery.
Point Peter
Point Peter is one of the two peaks in Elks-Brox Park. Point Peter, offers panoramic views of Port Jervis, the Delaware River, the Pocono Mountains and the Kittatinny/Shawangunk Ridge, including High Point Monument in New Jersey. Point Peter can be accessed via Skyline Drive in Elks-Brox park or by hiking up Lyrics Lullaby Trail.
The Erie Caboose
This caboose in a parking lot on Jersey Avenue was built in 1941. It is most likely an old Pennsylvania Railroad caboose repainted with the Erie logo.
Main Street Ball Grounds
The Main Street Ball Grounds were home to a number of 19th century baseball teams in Port Jervis, such as the Actives and the Eries, but most notably the Delawares and the Red Stockings. The field remains today between the middle school and high school.
Silk Mill Condos
The Silk Mill Condos at the corner of Church Street and Barcelow Street were originally opened in 1917 as the Katterman & Mitchell silk mill. The company was started in Paterson, New Jersey by Fred Mitchell and Fred Katterman. In 1986, the old K&M silk mill was converted into condominiums.
Gillinder Glass
In 1912, William T. Gillinder, Edwin Bennett Gillinder, and James Gillinder purchased the Orange Flint Glass Works in Port Jervis, New York. Gillinder Glass opened in 1913 and has been operating at 39 Erie Street in the West End since then. The company has manufactured glass for many different applications. They continue to provide lenses and domes for many different industries, including airports and theaters.
Machackemech Burying-Ground
This cemetery is the burial place for early settlers of Port Jervis. It was located behind the original Dutch Reformed Church, the oldest church in Port Jervis.