What a great time and beautiful day to visit Olana with friends. We signed up for the house tour ($20) and it was so worth it. We learned so much about the artist, Frederic Edwin Church. He was a central figure in the Hudson River School of American landscape painters, best known for painting large landscapes, often depicting mountains, waterfalls, and sunsets. He was so well traveled and brought back his favorites from around the world. The trails are all free but there's tours, if you want. The shop has a lot of great stuff!!!! read more

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We came here on Wednesday. Toured the house first floor . Ground staff and gift shop with a short film about Federic Church. He designed the building and collected art pieces from all over the world . His paintings are everywhere .It's a must visit those who are visiting Hudson NY. read more

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I had been here before. I have a vacation home in the area. We had friends up for the weekend who also enjoy art. We did the 1st floor house tour & the EV grounds tour. Both were excellent and a wonderful way to spend the day in the Hudson Valley. Our guides were also excellent. It's wonderful that the grounds are free and open from early in the morning until dark so that people can walk there or walk their dog, or just explore the beautiful landscape on their own. read more

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ORIGIN: Olana State Historic Site is the site of the 250 acre property and home conceived by 19th century American Hudson River School painter, Frederic Church. As the current name suggests, the property is now owned and maintained by the state of New York with the support of non-profit fund-raising efforts. LOCATION: Olana is strategically positioned at a summit that overlooks the Hudson River and surrounding Catskill Mountains. This allows visitors to marvel the views that had been captured by the artist. TIPS: Visitors are free to freely walk the grounds, however tours are available as well for a fee. A variety of informative tours can be purchased online, and include tours of the landscaped grounds via a long golf cart-like electric vehicle. Look out for special exhibits of art related to Frederic Church's work by reviewing the website. read more

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Olana is stunning! The grounds are so beautiful and the views are incredible! If you follow one of the paths from the main house you see one viewing area and it's beautiful, the second slightly more beautiful and the third you come to just opens up and I was awestruck. Like pretty sure my jaw was on the floor. You can view the Catskills, the Adirondacks, the Hudson River and the Rip Van Winkle Bridge on one side and then you come around and can over look the Berkshires and views into CT. The path was easy to walk. I didn't even have sneakers on. The roads are nicely paved and have good directional signs. The staff members that I spoke with were friendly. I got there too late in the day and missed the guided tours and the tours that go inside the main house but all the more reason to come back. I saw many people picnicking and enjoying the grounds. There was no admission fee to go into the park. Not sure if you have to pay for the tours. Also there is a path that can take you across the bridge so you could also visit the Thomas Cole House. Alas I will have to do that next time. read more

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Olana in winter is a landscape artists' delight! Churchs' eye-view with shadow and light shines brightly in the December midday sun. The bare landscape provides unobstructed views of the Hudson River and the man-made lake designed to mimic the Hudson. Toured the Persian-inspired house in other seasons but prefer winter. read more

We saw the hours posted as open at 8am - that's for the park, to get inside the house you must have to come back later in the day and get tickets. The grounds were beautiful and the view could not be beat. Free and not too far from Hudson proper. read more

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Very unique spot. The original owner, artist Frederic Church, packed this home full of artifacts from all over the world, from many cultures. Asian, Arabic, English influence. Rich fabrics. Colorful paint and patterns along the walls and woodwork. Gorgeous views of the Hudson. This estate is about 90 percent intact, and was sold the to foundation as a complete lot, including many of Church's original works. Many people will enjoy the art, and Church was a pioneer of landscape art, but the star for me was the architecture. Could make a nice day out of this and the Albany state capitol. read more

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We were looking for a bit of history to get out of the rain, and came across the Olana House. Wonderfully preserved, they have a large welcome center, and a very accommodating staff. Anywho, our tour guide was quite funny, and knowledgeable too, as the wife says. Fielded and answered many questions, and worth the price of admission. It was cold and rainy so didn't get to walk the grounds, but they are beautiful. They seem to be very against sleigh riding, as there were 75 signs about it. I'd say the downfall of the center is the $2.50 for Pod Coffee. I prolly would have spent .25C for it, but most likely would have passed on that price point as well. Just don't serve coffee. read more

Olana State Historic Site - Museums Near Me - Hudson, New York

This place, it's story and the property is beautiful! We had a great tour guide Also beautiful for a nice walk around the outer property read more

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Pack a picnic and take scenic drive up to the Catskills to the historic site. The Hudson River Valley is beautiful at any time of year and Olana is an architectural marvel as well are the paintings it has on display. Makes for a great day trip for summer. read more

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We went on the one hour landscape tour with Steve. He was great- knowledgeable, funny and led an informative tour. He answered our many questions and also talked about the history of the landscape as well as the Church family. The house is gorgeous and the grounds are perfect for a hike or picnic. Many benches to sit and enjoy the view. Because of the pandemic we could not go inside but will definitely be back. read more

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It's beautiful, you can see at least 100 miles up the Hudson, some of the walks are easy for me (not a hard hiker) and there are openings in the trail that inspired paintings within the house. I think this is a must if you love Hudson Ny and really care about understanding the history and charm of the area. :) Enjoy ! read more

People talk a lot about spirit animals, but what about a spirit house? Olana is my spirit house. Olana State Historic Site is a historic house museum and property near the city of Hudson. The estate was home to Frederic Edwin Church, one of the major figures in the Hudson River School of landscape painting. The 250 acre historic estate features an elaborately stenciled, Persian-inspired mansion filled with original sketches, studies, and paintings by one of the mid-19th century's most famous artists. A diverse decorative arts collection includes objects from around the world and custom furniture that fits the aesthetic and surroundings. Five miles of carriage drives, many of which are now pedestrian-use only, traverse a property developed in much the way Church created his canvases, with strategically revealed vistas of one of the most strikingly beautiful places in the Hudson Valley. The residence has a wide view of the Hudson River Valley, the Catskill Mountains, and the Taconic Range. Perfect for a mountain lover like me! Visitors to Olana enjoy guided house tours, view changing exhibits in the Evelyn & Maurice Sharp Gallery, hike, run and walk dogs in the Picturesque landscape, picnic, paint, photograph and take part in programs and special events for all ages. Olana truly is a magical place, and being just an hour's drive from the Capital Region means it's the perfect destination for a day trip, and the opportunity to really explore a piece of history and architecture. I took my mother here for a birthday outing last year, and although it was a chilly day in January, and it provided the perfect juxtaposition between the house that's bursting with warmth, from its colors to its finishes and fixtures, vs. the vast, stark, Hudson Valley winter landscape. We took the house tour, which was jam-packed with lots of nuggets of information, and it was a real treat just to have the opportunity to walk through and explore the mini palace. Turns out, our tour guide is actually a distant relative of one of the family members himself, so that definitely enhanced his rhetoric, and he knew his stuff, let me tell you! While there's never a bad time to visit to Olana, the best time, in my opinion, is during the summer at magic hour. Perfect opportunity to grab man's best friend, hit the trails, and reward yourself with a Nine Pin Cider, find yourself a bench, and enjoy that golden hour, magical summer sunset. Olana's 250-acre artist designed landscape is free and open every day, 8:30 AM - sunset. Guided tours of the historic house and the landscape are available; reservations are strongly recommended. Visit www.olana.org for more information about tours and tickets. read more

This is definitely a pretty well maintained castle museum to tour. Every floor was very clean. I loved the paintings they had, it also has many different items brought in from different parts of the world. The view inside the castle are just stunning. Theres also a wonderful trail to walk around the property, our pictures truly came out amazing especially with the autumn foliage going on in NY. It also has a souvenir shop close to the property. The landscape is truly well maintained. read more

Absolutely gorgeous place we came across while going over the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. It sits high atop the mountain and catches your eye. Worth the visit with lots of trails and beautiful scenery overlooking the Hudson. read more

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I loved these grounds. Spent a good 3.5 hours here, was able to explore almost the entire grounds. They offer walking tours for $15 that last 30min; I ultimately opted to just wander on my own which was the right choice for me. There was enough signage around to satisfy my curiosity about the grounds and owner. I parked all the way at the top and meandered down starting at the house, then went down around the pond and then all the way back up above where I had parked. Some inclined but overall very walkable. Brought lunch and ate it while looking over the Adirondacks and Hudson River. Was a perfect way to spend a half day. read more

Olana State Historic Site - Museums Near Me - Hudson, New York

This place is great if you want a moderate casual stroll. There are a few trails to choose from and numerous benches along the way. You can opt to take a tour of the house which I didn't do but will next time. The is a pond that is on the property that is well maintained! This is a short drive from Catskill and Hudson so you can head here in the morning and grab lunch at a nearby restaurant. So happy to have this local gem that offers beautiful views. read more

Olana is a fine house museum, but where it truly shines are its grounds. You can drive all the way up, park your car, and stroll for hours enjoying the rolling hills, pond, and spectacular views. In the winter, these hills are prime sledding spots, free of the hordes of children you find at other hills. The side of the house is an unparalleled spot to watch the sun set behind the Catskills mountains. In the summer, the museum is long closed by the time sunset rolls around, so there are only a handful of other people. Bring some snacks and discreet wine (maybe the kind that look like juice boxes!), and enjoy the beautiful river-and-mountain vista from the steps. I've been known to drive 30min each way just to bring a visiting friend to experience the joys of an Olana sunset, and it rarely disappoints. The only fees at Olana are for museum entrance-- grounds are open to the public and free! read more

Olana State Historic Site - Museums Near Me - Hudson, New York

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I was looking for something unique to do with a friend from the Lake George area while I was visiting home in Albany, NY. I had very briefly been to the Hudson area four years ago and thinking it had a cool liberal vibe for Upstate New York. I needed to find something to do for the day to entertain my friend and me. I looked on Trip Advisor and discovered Olana was a mere hour drive from where I was staying. I read that tickets book up fast, but I was lucky to secure our tour tickets online the night before we went since it was for a Friday. Tickets for adults are $9 and you are provided with a 1 hour guided tour. We reserved the tickets online for free and paid for them at the gift shop when we arrived. Our guide was good and told us some great stories about the history of the home and its owners. I'm not an art connoisseur by any means, but I did love seeing the paintings inside the house and learning about the story behind some of them. I visited Turkey in 2013, so I have an appreciation for Middle Eastern style and art. The house has a good amount of this, which I really enjoyed. I especially loved the architecture and design of the exterior of the home. It must have been amazing to live in this gorgeous house with the beautiful views of the Hudson River. I love how the house appears to have been specifically designed to capitalize on the sweeping views of the river and the mountains. The grounds of the house are beautiful! It was chilly the day we went, so I wasn't up for wandering the grounds, but there seem to be some great walking trails. If it had been 65 and sunny, I would have loved to explore more. The city of Hudson itself is really cool and has a great NYC vibe to it. I myself really appreciated all of the signs displayed by the shops about hope and messages of tolerance. It's a great little city with lots of art galleries and funky restaurants. read more

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Beautiful, beautiful views. I went with a group to tour the home so time was limited to visit the grounds. While I was expecting more of an academic tour, it was interesting, with humorous anecdotes of the Church family. Most of the artist's work are in museums or private collection, so we saw a fair number on its walls. The dining room is mainly art Church collected from his travels and not his own work. If I can go on my own again in the future, I would take advantage and take in the splendor of the amazing views and forego the guided tour. I'm glad I read some of the reviews to see I was not alone in feeling rebuffed by the assistants in the gift shop. All my friends were given shopping bags with their purchases and I was denied. Was told I didn't need a shopping bag and pretty much dismissed me, good-bye. Had to carry 2 books and a box of stationery around in a flimsy flat bag that busted at the seam for the rest of the trip, ugh. It nearly ruined the experience for me but my companion (who was given a shopping bag) teased me, and we had a good laugh over it LOL read more

Great stop before heading into Mass. nice break for kids and the dog! Beautiful views. Planning to return in fall read more

Olana State Historic Site - Museums Near Me - Hudson, New York

Beautiful home crafted by artists - not just a rich dude. The scale is laudable, as typically homes of this stature on the top of a hill are oversized. For a mansion, this seems almost meager. It's stunning architecture and views are surely worth even a 10 minute visit. Definitely go. read more

Stunning house and grounds, worth spending a few hours here. The house is open for tours on weekends, we didn't plan it so we were only able to visit on a weekday. The views of the Hudson were amazing. I highly recommend going on the trails behind the lake. They all lead to scenic spots where you can see the house from different angles and framed by lakes and fields. read more

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I'm embarrassed to admit it but I've probable gone to Olana 50 times and never been in the house. It's not that I don't want to but we usually go with our dogs and hike all the trails. This is a NYS Historic Site, the former home of Frederick Church. He built a Moorish inspired mansion on possibly the most beautiful spot in all of the Hudson Valley. The house is just south of Hudson and sits at the top of a hill. When you walk the trails from the original cottage to the top of the hill you are rewarded with gorgeous views in all directions. Lately they've been doing some serious rehab to the view to the north, great views of the Taconics, Berkshires, and on a clear day you can see the Adirondacks and Greens. As you curve around on the trail, a panorama of the Catskills and Hudson Valley open up before you. Church planned all of the road to maximize the views, including making a pond that mirrors the lines of the Hudson. The site is beautiful in all seasons of the year but for me it's especially beautiful in Fall and Winter. read more

Olana was the home of Hudson River School painter Frederic Church. If you are interested at all in art or history, I highly recommend the guided tour. You can book these in advance online (and they do fill up, so book early!) and you will pick up your tickets at the visitor's center/store when you arrive. In the fall, the drive up to the area on the NY State Thruway is spectacular-so much fall color & scenery to enjoy, making this a pleasant journey. As for the tour itself, it runs just under 90 minutes and covers a full tour of both floors of the Church home. It's packed full of interesting info about the Church family, Frederic's artwork and the construction of the home. Lots of beautiful (no flash) photo ops both inside and out. Our guide was engaging and kept us moving along at a comfortable pace. Groups top out about 10 people per tour, I believe and there is a fee per person. Since I didn't pay for our tickets (a family member treated us) I am not exactly sure of the cost, but they do list it online. If you want to take the drive over and not take the house tour, the grounds are free to explore and you can easily spend a couple of hours wandering the former carriage paths of the Church family. On the tour, you learn that the grounds and home were designed to optimize the sweeping views of the Hudson River and nearby Catskill mountains. You can also see the short but scenic Rip Van Winkle bridge. Although it can be brisk here at the top of the hill in fall, it's the perfect season to maximize the autumn foliage viewing. The tours and grounds are also closed during winter months, with, I believe, tours ending in November and then a few select holiday events in December. I lived in NY more than the first half of my life and never discovered the treasure that is Olana until returning for a visit. A must do for anyone who enjoys historical tours. You can also cap off your day by visiting the antique shops and cafes in the nearby town of Hudson-an all around win for a day trip! read more

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Historic and beautifully scenic and serene upstate New York art-colony where many famous American artists have passed thru. Building looks Eastern in yellow and ochre and sits atop a hill with views of the Hudson River looking West. Naturalists, explorers and English expatriate artists worked and lived inside! Lots of trails. Tours. Paintings. Come if you enjoy art, music, landscape & history! Rebel review: 5 read more

The estate is absolutely breathtaking and has a fantastic view of the mountains across the Hudson River. read more

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Olana is a beautiful place to go hiking, see some history, or just sit and admire the Catskill Mountains. Love taking people from out of state here to show them that New York is more than just a city! read more

Olana State Historic Site - Rip Van Winkle Bridge and Catskill Mountains from Ridge Road trail - Museums Near Me - Hudson, New York

Just can't say enough good things about the experience, and about the value of retaining places like this within the public sector (NY State Park); well run and affordably accessible by everyone. Olana is a fantastic experience both for the thoughtfully composed landscape management of Frederick Church, as well as the time capsule of the mansion (overflowing with artwork), still very much in the state that he and Isabel left it at the end of their lives. The tours/tour guides were both excellent and affordable at $12 per person, and the hundreds of acres of grounds - all gorgeous - are freely open for walking and wandering. Total gem, all of it. Grateful to live in a country with wisdom enough to maintain things like this. read more

Really cool spot and a lovely staff. You can tell the tour guides love what they do. $15/person but our tour was over an hour long and there was extreme attention to detail. read more

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I've always loved the Olana House ever since I saw it as a young boy. After 40 years I returned to the Hudson Valley from Texas for the first time. I was excited about my visit and it was actually at the top of my list of "must see" places. However, my treatment at the gift store by the manager, Rachel Tice, was horrific. This is my "Cliff Notes" account of my experience. She was unfriendly, disrespectful and just plain rude. I was trying to negotiate a discount on a couple of discontinued floor model lamps that were a little beaten up. She didn't seem to like my personality and threatened to call the State Troopers and have me removed from the store. My goodness, if she treated me this way all I can wonder is how many others she's been rude and unprofessional with who never said a word. This speaks very poorly of the Olana House and how they allow their guests to be treated. read more

Stunning views - like stepping back in time. I want to visit this place in every season. The views that he framed with the building and curation of the interior are simply lovely. More than lovely, breathtaking. It makes one h defat and why whole art movement grew out of this landscape - the Hudson River School. Truly fascinating to see how an artist who actually made money during his life lived and how he adorned his space and treasured nature read more

Loved the tour of the house at Olana. Frederick Church was an awesome painter and the home he designed is incredible! The artwork is beautiful and the tour was quite interesting. I would like to come back in the spring, when the upper level is open and I can explore the extensive grounds and gardens!! read more

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Excellent. 1) Built by Frederic Church in the 1870s. He was an adventurer and landscape painter. 2) The home is a unique mix of Safavid Persian, Mughal North Indian, and Andean (Hispanic and Incan) architecture. 3) Beautiful spot, worth the 12 bucks for the self guided tour. read more

Olana State Historic Site - Outside - Museums Near Me - Hudson, New York

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They're not giving tours of the house this year -- in fact, the building appears to be undergoing renovations. You can still see the wonderful architecture and design of the building -- as well as the historic views captured by Fredric Church in his paintings, some of the best examples of the Hudson River School. A breathtaking vista, to be sure! But if you go, be sure to do this: Take advantage of the almost four miles of trails on the estate. This weekend, C. and I spent more than several hours walking around the grounds of Olana. The trails, largely unmarked and unused, provide a more impressive and wide-ranging view of the property -- as well as of the house and area landscape. I recommend the Appalachian Mountain Club's "Best Day Hikes in the Catskills and Hudson" as your guidebook to the property. We saw only a few other hikers over the course of our meanderings, and the land is as beautiful -- moreso -- than the house. Be sure to bring your camera. read more

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This place was my home course for Cross country! I go here for runs when the weather is nice! There are a variety of trails and great scenery! The castle is amazing to visit! Not to mention the artist who present their work daily on display! My favorite component to this is that it has a Lord of the Rings vibe to it, if you look carefully! If you're looking for a great place to escape with nature, GO! read more

Beautiful house with amazing views of the Hudson. We didn't go inside the house because didn't want to wait for the tour and besides we will definitely be back. But you can still visit the place and enjoy the enormous land that surrounds the house as well as the stunning views. read more

Olana State Historic Site - Museums Near Me - Hudson, New York

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This place was a dream. You get this awesome tour which is a great bang for your buck. We got a real scholar for our tour guide and you get a lot of information. The artist was really into the Persian influence. Just looking at the house outside was fabulous. Inside it was outstanding. The house itself is a work of art with all the tiled fireplaces and intricate work and art. You could conceivable spend half the day here just walking the grounds and touring the house. read more

Great view of the Hudson, close to the thruway, and inexpensive. I've been twice now and the second time they had a waiting list for tours. Make sure you plan ahead if you want to see the inside of the home, but I went the second time just to see the grounds. The gardens are so beautiful. An experience you won't forget. The gift shop is full of beautiful items, but some are pricey All in all a great way to spend a few hours! read more

Olana State Historic Site - Museums Near Me - Hudson, New York

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