The Olana State Historic Site and Thomas Cole National Historic Site in New York took part in a ribbon cutting of the Hudson River Skywalk, a new scenic walkway at the place where American landscape painting began, on Saturday, June 1.

The new experience connects the homes and studios of the major Hudson River School artists, Thomas Cole and Frederic Church, over the Hudson River and across the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, offering sweeping views of the Hudson River Valley and the Catskill Mountains. 

Thomas Cole and Frederic Church met as teacher and student in the Hudson River area nearly 200 years ago and started a multi-generational friendship. They drew inspiration from this magnificent landscape that remains remarkably unchanged due to extensive preservation efforts. Views that have long been seen in their paintings in museums, can now be seen easily firsthand.

The Hudson River Skywalk Region includes the City of Hudson and the Village of Catskill, which both offer historic Main Streets with restaurants, shopping and accommodations. The City of Hudson connects to New York City via AMTRAK. See here for a map and directions.

THE THOMAS COLE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE is an international destination presenting the original home and studios of Thomas Cole (1801-1848), founder of the Hudson River School of painting, the nation’s first major art movement. Located on 6 acres in the Hudson Valley, the site includes the 1815 Main House; Cole’s 1839 Old Studio; the recently reconstructed New Studio building; and panoramic views of the Catskill Mountains. It is a National Historic Landmark and an affiliated area of the National Park System.  To learn more, visit thomascole.org.

OLANA & THE OLANA PARTNERSHIP: Olana is the greatest masterpiece of Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900), the preeminent American artist of the mid-19th Century. 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 a Persian-inspired house at its summit embraces unrivaled 360-degree views of the Hudson Valley region, and as a public park today, Olana welcomes visitors from around the world.  

Olana State Historic Site, a historic site administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Taconic Region, is a designated National Historic Landmark and one of the most visited sites in the state.  For more information, visit: www.olana.org