Olana State Historic Site
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Olana State Historic Site is a historic house museum and property in Greenport, New York, near the city of Hudson. The estate was home to Frederic Edwin Church (1826–1900), one of the major figures in the Hudson River School of landscape painting. The centerpiece of Olana is an eclectic villa which overlooks parkland and a working farm designed by the artist. The residence has a wide view of the Hudson River Valley, the Catskill Mountains and the Taconic Range. Church and his wife Isabel (1836–1899) named their estate after a fortress-treasure house in ancient Greater Persia (modern-day Armenia), which also overlooked a river valley. Olana is one of the few intact artists' home-, studio- and estate-complexes in the United States; it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965. The house is also a prime example of Orientalist architecture. It is owned and operated by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and is also supported by The Olana Partnership, a non-profit 501 organization. The main building is an architectural masterpiece designed by the architect Calvert Vaux working closely with Church. The stone, brick, and polychrome-stenciled villa is a mixture of Victorian, Persian and Moorish styles. The interior remains much as it was during Church's lifetime, exotically furnished and decorated with objects from his global travels, and with some 40 paintings by Church and his friends. The house is intricately stenciled inside and out; Church designed the stencils based on his travels in the Middle East. The house contains Church's last studio, built as an addition from 1888 to 1890.
Me 1974Me 1974
40
I purchased tickets online for The Artist-Designed Landscape tour and The Artist's House: Main Floor tour back-to-back. The landscape tour was a 1-mile walk around the house. It focused primarily on the landscape surrounding the house, and Frederic Church's intentions and purpose for designing the landscape as it is seen today. This place is unique, and unlike many of the historic homes I have visited. For one, the exterior is quite eccentric. You should take your time studying the painted flowers, colorful tiles, and golden hues of the exterior. All I need to say about the interior is WOW! The amount of chachkies and trinkets is overwhelming but in the most artistic and bohemian kind of way. It was truly amazing to see the Persian influence, and kind of refreshing. It was an eclectic space that you could tell was enjoyed and lived in, and I really loved seeing Church's artwork as well inside of the house. I highly recommend doing a tour inside the house if you haven't already! Recommendation: Despite being a nice prelude to the house tour, I think I could have gone without the walking tour. I recommend coming earlier than your house tour so that you have time to stroll the paths yourselves. You can have a nice picnic before the house tour, go bird-watching, or even enjoy the landscape by sitting on one of the twisted wood benches. I even saw someone painting a landscape! This is a great way to get a sense of the landscape at your own pace, and to also use some of the guided materials that are already provided to you without the walking tour.
JasmineJasmine
00
Olana State Historic Site is not to be missed! Olana was the house of artist Frederic Church. It is a Moorish style house set on top of a hill that overlooks the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains. All together there are 37 rooms in the house. Some of the rooms display Church's paintings. Persian rugs and and unique sculptures can be found throughout the house. Color schemes, wallpaper, and tile are captivating. Hard to find a mansion like this anywhere! Tour was very good and lasted about 45 minutes. Guide was very knowledgeable. A variety of different tours are available. If you have time be sure to walk the grounds and see some of the houses located their. It is possible to walk from Olana to artist Thomas Cole's house using the Hudson Skywalk. Olana is the better of the two houses, but Cole's house is also worth a look. The gift shop on the premise was okay. The house does display traveling art exhibits as well. Check the website to see what is currently on exhibit. Definitely, purchase tickets ahead of time. Parking can be difficult on certain days.
Ryan MazierskiRyan Mazierski
00
I was in the area with my 88-year-old mom, having come to visit 2 local gardens the previous day. We did not purchase tickets ahead of time, as Olana was not the focus of our visit. We arrived when the grounds opened at 8am, parked, and walked the perimeter, enjoying the gardens, the lovely vistas, and views of Olana. Other early arrivals were probably there to hike the carriage roads. The museum store opened at 9:30, so we enjoyed perusing the items there as well as watching an informational video. We could have purchased tix onsite to go inside Olana, but my mom has mobility issues and tires easily, so we opted to head home to MA instead. If I return with my family in the future, we will definitely check out the interior, as well as walk the Hudson River Skywalk and visit the home of Thomas Cole. I think purchasing tickets ahead of time will ensure the time slot you prefer is not sold out. Tours are in the $40 range, but you can go in and wander on your own for $12.
Laura SchlaikjerLaura Schlaikjer
00
I finally took the 2 hour drive from Yonkers, NY to see first hand this amazing place completely designed by American artist, Frederick Church. It was well worth the drive! I purchased the Bundle Package for $45.00 which includes a 1 hour walk along the property by one of their guides, along with a 1 hour tour of inside Church's house. Well worth the ticket price! Our guide, Dianna, was very good in explaining the history and terrain. She made sure we all kept up & waited for the ones who lagged behind. Dianna made the tour very interesting & fun. I'm definitely going back in Autumn! Plenty of free parking. Restrooms are clean & located in the Welcome Center. GREAT Gift Shop & Welcome Center! At the Welcome Center, they suggested I try a local eatery called "Grazin," which I did! The food was Amazin @ Grazin! 😋 All I can say is you will be awestruck by the views & blown away by the details of this beautiful Victorian house! 🤩
GinaGina
30
Visited this site by chance on a cold February Sunday and was glad I did. Driving up to the house was a cool experience and some great views. The staff in the visitor center were helpful in making sure we could take a tour and giving us information on the site. They also had a video that is free to watch that explains a lot. We did a first-floor tour and had Barbara as our tour guide, who was wonderful. She explained everything and was engaged with us the whole time. Every part of the tour from the outside to the inside, she talked about what we were seeing and the fascinating history of the home and its owner. I will be back again. It's such a wonderful place, and it would be nice to walk around the property when it's not cold and windy. If you plan on going, you might want to visit their site and book tickets in advance. They offer a couple of tours, so find the one right for you.
Nick SNick S
20
Nearby Attractions Of Olana State Historic Site
Olana Viewshed Historical Marker
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Nearby Restaurants Of Olana State Historic Site
Whitecliff Vineyard at Hudson, NY

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Basic Info
Address
5720 NY-9G, Hudson, NY 12534, United States
Map
Phone
+1 518-751-0344
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Website
olana.org
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Reviews
Overview
4.8
(768 reviews)
Ratings & Description
cultural
outdoor
family friendly
Description
Olana State Historic Site is a historic house museum and landscape in Greenport, New York, 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.
attractions: Olana Viewshed Historical Marker, Mount Merino Manor Vacation House, Olana House, Olana House, restaurants: Whitecliff Vineyard at Hudson, NY

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