Antique Boat Museum: La Duchesse

Credit: Antique Boat Museum

As we set out to explore Clayton, we were excited to visit one of the area's main attractions -- the Antique Boat Museum. It's a sprawling complex, comprised of 10 buildings on 4.5 acres along the St. Lawrence shoreline. Their mission: Preserve and showcase America's boating heritage.

We are fortunate to get a private tour of the museum from their executive director, Rebecca Hopfinger. She starts by showing us one of their crown jewels, the La Duchesse -- "The Duchess" --  a 106-foot houseboat built in 1903 for hotel magnate George Boldt, who once managed the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. For well over 100 years, this area of the St. Lawrence River was a playground to the rich and famous, whose mansions populate the islands and towns along the water. Boldt was among the richest of the rich, and we'll see more evidence of that later on this trip.

Ms. Hopfinger told us the La Duchesse was donated to the museum by the McNally family (of Rand McNally fame) and opened for tours in 2005, welcoming some 20,000 visitors a year. Over the years, it's been lovingly restored and maintained. Inside one can imagine the lavish parties and summer outings she has hosted.

But don't just imagine it. Take the tour:

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Photos by North Palm Beach Life