NEWSLETTER
Hudson, NY—Frederic Church’s Olana announces the restart of public programs with new Olana Outdoor Tours. While the park has been continuously open, public programs were suspended due to COVID-19. Now, new outdoor, limited-attendance tours follow NYS Department of Health guidelines and represent the first phase in reopening public tours and providing educational experiences for visitors.
The Olana Outdoor Tours present Olana as a holistic environment by exploring Olana’s historic architecture and 250-acre landscape and engaging with the themes central to work of Frederic Church and his fellow Hudson River School artists.
“We are thrilled to be reopening for public tours,” said Sean Sawyer, Washburn and Susan Oberwager President of The Olana Partnership, “Our new Olana Outdoor Tours offer a safe way to learn about America’s most intact artist-designed environment, and all tours center around a dialogue between guide and visitors.”
“Olana is committed to playing a central role in art and culture in the Hudson Valley and we are excited about these new expanded tour offerings which will serve as inspiration for all audiences and communities,” said Amy Hausmann, Director of Olana State Historic Site. “The spectacular home and landscape created by Frederic Church celebrates the beauty of the Hudson Valley and Catskills. We love that so many visitors enjoy Olana as a place of refuge and we are excited to share these new outdoor tours which provide a deeper understanding of this remarkable cultural treasure.”
The Olana Electric Carriage Tour is the most comprehensive exploration of Frederic Church’s 250-acre masterwork, including all 5 miles of historic carriage roads and the series of planned views they link together. The Art and Environment Outdoor Tour is a 1 mile (60 minute) guided walking tour that provides a comprehensive introduction to Frederic Church’s work as an artist, architect, and landscape designer. This tour addresses the leading role that Olana has played in environmental conservation and viewshed protection decisions during the 20th and 21st centuries. The Landscape and Architecture Outdoor Tour is a ¼ mile (30 minute) guided walking tour that follows the historic carriage road entrance from the site of Frederic Church’s painting studio, past the Mingled Flower Garden, to culminate in the dramatic planned approach to the Main House with panoramic views of the Hudson River Valley. Learn about Frederic Church’s evolution from painter to designer, explore the siting and design of the Main House as his collaboration with architect Calvert Vaux. For those looking to enjoy Olana’s Historic Landscape from home, new video tours of the landscape and OLANA EYE, a live skycam broadcasting Olana’s iconic view, can be accessed at OLANA.org.
Olana Outdoor Tours are available Saturday & Sunday, 10 AM to 4 PM, with expanded times coming soon. All ticketed tours REQUIRE PARTICIPANTS TO WEAR MASKS AND STAY 6 FEET APART. Tickets are $15 for adults and free for children 12 and under. Guided walking tours are free for Members of The Olana Partnership. Electric Carriage Tours are $50 for all visitors and is currently limited to 2 guests in the same household. Due to the popularity of the tours, advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended. For more information about membership or to order tickets online, visit www.OLANA.org. During tour hours, the Olana Museum Store offers a pop-up store for safe, outdoor shopping. Or, shop online at shop.OLANA.org.
Olana is a public park, open to all each day from 8:30 AM to sunset, and access to the 250-acre artist-designed historic landscape is free of charge. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the five miles of carriage roads during these hours, take advantage of free virtual tours (OLANA.org), experience the flower garden or watch the sun set over the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Olana asks all visitors to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a mask and keeping 6 feet apart. Leashed dogs are welcome. Olana is a Carry In-Carry Out park.
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About Olana and The Olana Partnership: Olana is the greatest masterpiece of Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900), a preeminent American 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 and welcomes more than 170,000 visitors annually. The landscape is open for guided touring, and reservations are highly recommended. The landscape is open daily 8:30 AM-sunset.
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, a private not-for-profit education corporation, works cooperatively with New York State to support the restoration, conservation, and interpretation of Olana. The Olana Partnership operates Olana State Historic Site in a cooperative agreement with New York State Parks.