Programs + Events

Celebrate the New Year by exploring expansive views at Olana State Historic Site! Channel 19th century artist Frederic Church’s taste for exploration during this special hike of the winter landscape and explore Olana’s 250-acres. Hot beverages (coffee, tea, and hot chocolate) and drop-in sketching prompts will be available in the Wagon House Education Center until 3pm as part of our First Day Hike celebration.

Begins at the Wagon House Education Center at the historic farm complex at the bottom of the site and covers about 1 mile with an uphill portion; please wear weather-appropriate apparel and comfortable footwear. FREE, registration required. For more information, please contact education@olana.org or call (518) 751-6938

Wednesday, January 1, 2026, 10:00-11:00am

Celebrate the New Year with expansive views and your best friend! Channel 19th century artist Frederic Church’s taste for exploration during a special pup-friendly hike of the winter landscape at Olana State Historic Site. Explore Olana’s 250-acres with your furry friend in tow. Please note, all dogs must be kept on a leash during their time at Olana and the site is a carry in carry out facility.

Begins at the Wagon House Education Center at the historic farm complex at the bottom of the site and covers about 1 mile with an uphill portion; please wear weather-appropriate apparel and comfortable footwear. Check out other #DogsofOlana on our Instagram at @OlanaFredericChurch. Hot beverages (coffee, tea, and hot chocolate) and sketching materials will be provided in the Wagon House Education Center as part of our First Day Hike celebration.

FREE, advanced registration required. For more information, please contact education@olana.org or call (518) 751-6938.

Saturday, January 17th, 2026, 1:00-2:00pm

Experience learning, looking closely, and conversation as a family during this series of special museum gallery program at Olana State Historic Site. Each month, The Olana Partnership educators will lead an exploration of two to three works of art on the second floor galleries through family-friendly dialogue and other hands-on activities. Extend your day at OLANA and head down to the Wagon House Education Center for a free drop-in program, Art Making in the Afternoon from 1-4 PM.

Designed for families with children ages 3 and up. FREE PROGRAM Advanced registration required. Please contact education@olana.org to learn more.

Saturday, February 21st 2026, 1:00-2:00pm

Experience learning, looking closely, and conversation as a family during this series of special museum gallery program at Olana State Historic Site. Each month, The Olana Partnership educators will lead an exploration of two to three works of art on the second floor galleries through family-friendly dialogue and other hands-on activities. Extend your day at OLANA and head down to the Wagon House Education Center for a free drop-in program, Art Making in the Afternoon from 1-4 PM.

Designed for families with children ages 3 and up. FREE PROGRAM Advanced registration required. Please contact education@olana.org to learn more.

Saturday, March 21st 2026, 1:00-2:00pm

Experience learning, looking closely, and conversation as a family during this series of special museum gallery program at Olana State Historic Site. Each month, The Olana Partnership educators will lead an exploration of two to three works of art on the second floor galleries through family-friendly dialogue and other hands-on activities. Extend your day at OLANA and head down to the Wagon House Education Center for a free drop-in program, Art Making in the Afternoon from 1-4 PM.

Designed for families with children ages 3 and up. FREE PROGRAM Advanced registration required. Please contact education@olana.org to learn more.

Saturday, March 21, 11:00AM-1:00PM

Get creative in the kitchen and art studio at Olana State Historic Site! Join The Sylvia Center Chefs and The Olana Partnership educators for a fun, family-friendly program focused on cooking food and making art inspired by Olana’s landscape and history. Try new foods and test new art materials together during this FREE family program!

For families with children 18 and under (children must be accompanied by an adult). This is the first in a series of four classes – register for one or all four! This program is FREE (suggested donation $12). Registration includes art-making supplies and all ingredients to make lunch. Advance registration required. For more information, please contact education@olana.org or call (518) 567-2170.

Saturday, April 11th, 2026, 4:00pm-5:00pm

Learn more about Composing Olana, a new book devoted to illustrating why Frederic Church’s designed masterwork matters so profoundly in the history of American art and public parks. During an outdoor walk and conversation, explore LaFarge’s process of revealing the history of what we can and cannot see throughout Olana’s historic carriage roads. Discuss the histories embedded in Olana’s greater landscape such as the site’s Ice Age geology and the artists and conservationists who preserved this important National Landmark. This program will be moderated by Mark Prezorski, Senior Vice President & Landscape Curator.The program will begin in the Frederic Church Center for Art & Landscape and culminate with a wine and cheese reception. Registration required; $15/ FREE for members.

Annik LaFarges a writer, editor, photographer, and lecturer who has been writing about American parks and landscapes since 2008. Author of On the High Line (FUP, 2024), and Chasing Chopin, a New York Times Book Review “Editors’ Choice,” her work has appeared numerous publications including the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Huff Post, and the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry. She is a Trustee of the Waterfront Museum in Brooklyn.

Saturday, April 18th, 2026, 1:00-2:00pm

Experience learning, looking closely, and conversation as a family during this series of special museum gallery program at Olana State Historic Site. Each month, The Olana Partnership educators will lead an exploration of two to three works of art on the second floor galleries through family-friendly dialogue and other hands-on activities. Extend your day at OLANA and head down to the Wagon House Education Center for a free drop-in program, Art Making in the Afternoon from 1-4 PM.

Designed for families with children ages 3 and up. FREE PROGRAM Advanced registration required. Please contact education@olana.org to learn more.

Saturday, April 18th, 11:00AM-1:00PM

Get creative in the kitchen and art studio at Olana State Historic Site! Join The Sylvia Center Chefs and The Olana Partnership educators for a fun, family-friendly program focused on cooking food and making art inspired by Olana’s landscape and history. Try new foods and test new art materials together during this FREE family program!

For families with children 18 and under (children must be accompanied by an adult). This is the first in a series of four classes – register for one or all four! This program is FREE (suggested donation $12). Registration includes art-making supplies and all ingredients to make lunch. Advance registration required. For more information, please contact education@olana.org or call (518) 567-2170.

Saturday, May 9th, 2026 from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM

Get your binoculars ready for a spring bird walk at Olana! Join the Alan Devoe Bird Club on an exploration through Olana’s artist-designed landscape while keeping eyes and ears open for birds of all shapes and sizes. Learn more about local bird species, habitats, and migrating behaviors during this special seasonal birding program. Open to birders of all levels. FREE. Advanced registration required. For more information, please contact education@olana.org or call (518) 567-2170.

FREE, advanced registration required. For more information, contact education@olana.org.

Image credit: Suzy Allman

Saturday, May 23rd, 2026, 1:00-2:00pm

Experience learning, looking closely, and conversation as a family during this series of special museum gallery program at Olana State Historic Site. Each month, The Olana Partnership educators will lead an exploration of two to three works of art on the second floor galleries through family-friendly dialogue and other hands-on activities. Extend your day at OLANA and head down to the Wagon House Education Center for a free drop-in program, Art Making in the Afternoon from 1-4 PM.

Designed for families with children ages 3 and up. FREE PROGRAM Advanced registration required. Please contact education@olana.org to learn more.

Saturday, May 23rd, 11:00AM-1:00PM

Get creative in the kitchen and art studio at Olana State Historic Site! Join The Sylvia Center Chefs and The Olana Partnership educators for a fun, family-friendly program focused on cooking food and making art inspired by Olana’s landscape and history. Try new foods and test new art materials together during this FREE family program!

For families with children 18 and under (children must be accompanied by an adult). This is the first in a series of four classes – register for one or all four! This program is FREE (suggested donation $12). Registration includes art-making supplies and all ingredients to make lunch. Advance registration required. For more information, please contact education@olana.org or call (518) 567-2170.

Saturday, June 20th, 2026, 1:00-2:00pm

Experience learning, looking closely, and conversation as a family during this series of special museum gallery program at Olana State Historic Site. Each month, The Olana Partnership educators will lead an exploration of two to three works of art on the second floor galleries through family-friendly dialogue and other hands-on activities. Extend your day at OLANA and head down to the Wagon House Education Center for a free drop-in program, Art Making in the Afternoon from 1-4 PM.

Designed for families with children ages 3 and up. FREE PROGRAM Advanced registration required. Please contact education@olana.org to learn more.

Saturday, June 20th, 11:00AM-1:00PM

Get creative in the kitchen and art studio at Olana State Historic Site! Join The Sylvia Center Chefs and The Olana Partnership educators for a fun, family-friendly program focused on cooking food and making art inspired by Olana’s landscape and history. Try new foods and test new art materials together during this FREE family program!

For families with children 18 and under (children must be accompanied by an adult). This is the first in a series of four classes – register for one or all four! This program is FREE (suggested donation $12). Registration includes art-making supplies and all ingredients to make lunch. Advance registration required. For more information, please contact education@olana.org or call (518) 567-2170.

Saturday, July 18th, 2026, 1:00-2:00pm

Experience learning, looking closely, and conversation as a family during this series of special museum gallery program at Olana State Historic Site. Each month, The Olana Partnership educators will lead an exploration of two to three works of art on the second floor galleries through family-friendly dialogue and other hands-on activities. Extend your day at OLANA and head down to the Wagon House Education Center for a free drop-in program, Art Making in the Afternoon from 1-4 PM.

Designed for families with children ages 3 and up. FREE PROGRAM Advanced registration required. Please contact education@olana.org to learn more.

Saturday, August 22nd, 2026, 1:00-2:00pm

Experience learning, looking closely, and conversation as a family during this series of special museum gallery program at Olana State Historic Site. Each month, The Olana Partnership educators will lead an exploration of two to three works of art on the second floor galleries through family-friendly dialogue and other hands-on activities. Extend your day at OLANA and head down to the Wagon House Education Center for a free drop-in program, Art Making in the Afternoon from 1-4 PM.

Designed for families with children ages 3 and up. FREE PROGRAM Advanced registration required. Please contact education@olana.org to learn more.

Saturday, September 19th, 2026, 1:00-2:00pm

Experience learning, looking closely, and conversation as a family during this series of special museum gallery program at Olana State Historic Site. Each month, The Olana Partnership educators will lead an exploration of two to three works of art on the second floor galleries through family-friendly dialogue and other hands-on activities. Extend your day at OLANA and head down to the Wagon House Education Center for a free drop-in program, Art Making in the Afternoon from 1-4 PM.

Designed for families with children ages 3 and up. FREE PROGRAM Advanced registration required. Please contact education@olana.org to learn more.

Saturday, October 17th, 2026, 1:00-2:00pm

Experience learning, looking closely, and conversation as a family during this series of special museum gallery program at Olana State Historic Site. Each month, The Olana Partnership educators will lead an exploration of two to three works of art on the second floor galleries through family-friendly dialogue and other hands-on activities. Extend your day at OLANA and head down to the Wagon House Education Center for a free drop-in program, Art Making in the Afternoon from 1-4 PM.

Designed for families with children ages 3 and up. FREE PROGRAM Advanced registration required. Please contact education@olana.org to learn more.

Saturday, November 21st, 2026, 1:00-2:00pm

Experience learning, looking closely, and conversation as a family during this series of special museum gallery program at Olana State Historic Site. Each month, The Olana Partnership educators will lead an exploration of two to three works of art on the second floor galleries through family-friendly dialogue and other hands-on activities. Extend your day at OLANA and head down to the Wagon House Education Center for a free drop-in program, Art Making in the Afternoon from 1-4 PM.

Designed for families with children ages 3 and up. FREE PROGRAM Advanced registration required. Please contact education@olana.org to learn more.