The historic Mohican Native American tribe was living in the area now known as Tivoli at the time Dutch colonists arrived in the 1600s.

[5] The Mohican derive from Lenni Lenape people who moved North from the coastal areas and settled in today’s Hudson Valley.

[7] A deed to land purchased by Robert Livingston from several Mahican Indians in July 1683,[8] is the strongest evidence that the Roeliff Jansen Kill is considered to mark the downriver boundary of Mahican territory on the East side of the Hudson Valley.

Historical accounts state that the settled land of Tivoli was purchased from Native American communities “legitimately” by Colonel David Schuyler on June 2, 1688, although no records of this transaction exist today.

There is speculation as to whether or not the Mohican Tribe “fully understood European notions of land ownership."

Peter Delabegarre – also known as Pierre de la Bigarre – purchased land along the Hudson River in the 1790s south of Chancellor Robert R. Livingston's estate Clermont, in order to build a village he called "Tivoli"; the name was taken from the location of the Roman resort.

His planned settlement was never built as he conceived it before he went bankrupt, but the name of Tivoli remained attached to the area.

[10] The village of Tivoli was incorporated in 1872, consolidating Madalin and Upper Red Hook Landing.

The estate was bought in 1964 by Dorothy Day of the Catholic Worker Movement, which operated it as a farm until 1978.

[15] The second highway, New York State Route 9G, runs along the eastern village border and has an intersection with CR 78.

Tivoli is served by the route "C" bus run by Dutchess County Public Transit.

[10] Transportation to New York City is also available by bus from Trailways, which departs from Kingston,[18] about 20 minutes away from Tivoli by car.

The government of Tivoli is made up of five elected officials, who meet at the Watts De Peyster Fireman's Hall.

[21] Children from Tivoli attend public schools in Red Hook,[10] including: As of the census[23] of 2000, there were 1,163 people, 487 households, and 261 families residing in the village.

It is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization which provides a retreat for residencies of dance companies to create or develop new works.