Olana State Historic Site

Built high on a hill near Hudson, New York between 1870 and 1891, then as now, Olana offers magnificent sweeping vistas of the Catskill Mountains, the Hudson River and the Taconic Hills. Called by Church "the Center of the World," Olana's Persian style house and 250 acres of picturesque grounds are a masterpiece as grand as any of his paintings.

The contents of the house today, accumulated by Church over a 30-year period, include furniture, tapestries, rugs, bronzes, paintings, sculptures, and the myriad objects collected by Church to represent the major civilizations and religions of the world. The color scheme and stenciling that Church designed in 1870 remain, and from Church's studio the visitor can still see the vistas recorded in Church's paintings.