The Woodbine Inn History

The Woodbine is one of the area's few remaining Inns and Boarding Houses that date from the 1800s.

In its colorful past it has housed painters of the Hudson River Landscape School and the bar was a watering hole for notorious prohibition gangsters such as Legs Diamond and Dutch Schultz.

In its long lifetime the Woodbine has operated as speakeasy, honkey-tonk, flophouse, and Jazz club. The old-house piano was signed "To The Gang at The Half Note” by Louis Armstrong's bandsman Shorty Jackson. The rock group NRBQ played many sessions at the Woodbine, and the venue was shut down frequently during its years as a rowdy punk club.

The Woodbine Inn is one of the area's few operating Inns and Boarding Houses that date from the 1800s, its sturdy post-and-beam construction a testament to the simple life of 19th century upstate New York. 

The bar, and the restaurant (now the Woodbine's ballroom) were added in the '20s, operating as a speakeasy and jazz club, and the bar was a regular haunt of notorious prohibition bootlegger Legs Diamond.

A full, loving renovation in 2004 has brought the Woodbine gently into the 21st century, complimenting and restoring its 19th century charm. And upgrades in 2020 making the Woodbine Eco-fiendly and more comfortable for our guests.