The Taconic Parkway’s Abandoned Relics

The Taconic Parkway isn’t exactly known for its modern design, but its quirks are part of the charm—or the chaos, depending on who you ask.

Among its many oddities, a few relics stand out:

First is the the lonely "Stop Sign" facing the wrong way and pointer towards the woods.

Located on the northbound side between Peekskill Hollow Road and Pudding Street, this abandoned exit faces nothing, leaving drivers to wonder if they’ve just spotted a glitch in the Matrix.

So, what’s the story?

In the late 80s and 90s, a wave of safety reforms closed many of the Taconic’s infamous at-grade intersections.

These were places where minor roads crossed directly onto the parkway, often forcing cars to merge into high-speed traffic without the benefit of an on-ramp.

It didn’t take long for these crossings to develop a reputation for accidents, which eventually led to their elimination.

This abandoned stop sign isn’t the only ghost of the Taconic’s past.

Further up, just before Route 301, you can find the remnants of a scenic overlook, now overgrown and forgotten.

And then there’s the curious case of the old Shenandoah Service Area.

In 1999, this service station was still operational, offering drivers a much-needed stop. However, it quietly shuttered its doors in the early 2000s.

For a few years after it closed, the Sunoco signage remained a faint echo of its past life.

The state eventually refurbished the building’s exterior and tore up all of the surrounding pavement, leaving behind what now looks like a house stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Adding to the oddity, the Shenandoah Service Area was a left-exit in both directions, a design entirely at odds with modern safety standards.

The Taconic wasn’t built to follow interstate highway rules, and reopening this site today would be a disaster. With no driveway and no access, the building is essentially a ghost, a strange artifact of a bygone era of road travel.

The Taconic’s winding lanes and vintage design may not scream “state-of-the-art,” but its history is fascinating if you know where to look.

Next time you’re cruising down its tree-lined paths, keep an eye out—you might just stumble upon a piece of New York’s forgotten infrastructure.