THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE® · Independent discovery and booking for outdoor travel
Spend Valentine’s Day touring Thomas Cole’s Main House, then craft Victorian-inspired valentines in the Storehouse during the Second Saturdays workshop. Small groups, curator-led stories, and hands-on collage make this a warm, family-friendly museum date in Catskill.
Spend Valentine’s Day touring Thomas Cole’s Main House, then craft Victorian-inspired valentines in the Storehouse during the Second Saturdays workshop. Small groups, curator-led stories, and hands-on collage make this a warm, family-friendly museum date in Catskill.
Book with Thomas Cole National Historic Site
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Thomas Cole National Historic Site · Catskill, New York
easy.
3 hours.
Light walking and seated crafting; suitable for families, teens, and older adults
All ages are welcome, but children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Tickets are non-refundable. Advanced registration is required and space is limited to 12 participants.
The first floor of the Main House is wheelchair-accessible via an elevator lift; the Cole Center, Storehouse, and 1846 New Studio are wheelchair-accessible. Note that walking paths are loose gravel.
Pets are allowed on the grounds if leashed, but they may not enter buildings or the Main House porch. Service animals are welcome.
For booking and questions, email [email protected] (preferred) or leave a voicemail at 518-943-7465 ext. 122.
Admission includes the Main House tour, all collage materials, and self-guided museum access through 4 pm.
Thomas Cole is regarded as the founder of the Hudson River School; his home and studio preserve the origins of nineteenth-century American landscape painting.
The site focuses on preservation of historic structures—please stay on designated paths, avoid taking objects from displays, and support the museum by purchasing materials or memberships when possible.
Thomas Cole National Historic Site in Catskill, New York preserves the home, studio, and landscape associated with Thomas Cole, founder of the Hudson River School. The site presents guided and self-guided visits, rotating exhibitions, hands-on workshops, seasonal festivals, and group tour packages for diverse audiences. Programs include curator-led tours, Sunday Salon talks, artist and curator roundtables, craft workshops such as needle-felting and pressed-flower making, plant-dyeing classes, educational teacher workshops, and family events tied to harvest celebrations. The site also interprets Emily Cole’s legacy through exhibitions that feature painted porcelain, works on paper, and contemporary responses to her art. Museum educators and trained Museum Guides lead visits and workshops, and collaborating historians, curators, and artists contribute expertise to public programs. Group visits accommodate 12 to 40 participants with guided experiences up to seventy-five minutes, followed by access to the on-site gift shop. Special events have included partnerships with local organizations such as Wild Hudson Valley and Arm-of-the-Sea Theater, highlighting regional ecology, agricultural history, and community creativity. The Thomas Cole National Historic Site operates as a steward of historic architecture, landscape, and artistic legacy, offering accessible educational programming for families, students, art lovers, and historians. Visitors to the site encounter curated exhibitions, interactive activities, and opportunities to learn about early nineteenth-century American art and environmental ideas that informed Thomas Cole’s work. Trained Museum Guides answer questions and enhance interpretation for visitors; special exhibitions, rotating programs, and partnerships connect Cole’s art to landscape, regional history, ecological themes, and contemporary artistic practice and education.
Book with Thomas Cole National Historic Site