Site #2 Olana State Historic Site
Olana is the greatest masterwork of Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900), the most famous American landscape artist of the mid-19th century and the most important artist’s home, studio, and designed landscape in the United States. Church designed Olana as a holistic environment integrating his advanced ideas about art, architecture, landscape design, and environmental conservation. Olana’s 250-acre artist-designed landscape with five miles of carriage roads and a Persian-inspired house at its summit embraces unrivaled panoramic views of the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains.
Olana State Historic Site, administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, is a designated National Historic Landmark and one of the most visited sites in the state. The Olana Partnership is the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit cooperative partner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation at Olana State Historic Site.
The landscape is open daily 8 AM-sunset. Guided tours of the historic landscape and house are available and reservations are highly recommended. Please visit OLANA.org for current hours, ticketing and information.
Plan Your Trip
Contact
Visit their Website
518.751.0344
Admissions
Admissions $10-40 per person Visitors age 16 and under are FREE for select tours
Parking
Yes
Restroom
Yes
Accessibility
Partially accessible
To learn more visit olana.org/plan-your-visit/
Hours
Hours vary by season: olana.org/plan-your-visit/
Map & Directions
Driving Directions: We recommend Google Map . Site coordinates: 42.217251 Lat., -73.827202 Long.
Location Notes: From Trail Site 1 (the Thomas Cole Site), turn right out of the parking lot and immediately bear right onto Route 23 East. Go over the Rip Van Winkle Bridge and bear right onto Route 9G South. Olana is on the left one mile south of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. For detailed directions from other points of origin, please visit the Olana website.
Photo / Painting Credits
Frederic Edwin Church, Catskill Mountains from the Home of the Artist, 1871, Oil on canvas, 22 1/8 in x 36 3/8 in. Olana State Historic Site, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, OL.1983.13.
Frederic Edwin Church, Sunset from Olana, 1870, Oil on off-white academy board, 11 1/16 in x 16 1/8 in. Olana State Historic Site, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, OL.1976.8.
Beth Schneck, Southern View Panorama from Olana, 2013, photograph. Beth Schneck Photography.
Photos of Olana State Historic Site and grounds today, credit: Peter Aaron/OTTO