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Thomas Cole National Historic Site
Where the Hudson River School Took Shape
Discover
Cedar Grove in Catskill was the home and working landscape of painter Thomas Cole, whose work helped launch the Hudson River School of landscape painting. The National Historic Site brings together the story of Cole, his home, and the Catskill scenery that shaped his art. It offers a way to connect American landscape painting with the places and ideas behind it.
Fun facts
- Thomas Cole’s main house at Cedar Grove was built in 1815.
- Cole established a rural studio at Cedar Grove in Catskill.
- The National Park Service identifies Cole as the founder of the first major U.S. art movement, now known as the Hudson River School.
Before you go
- Check the site’s current calendar for tour schedules and which historic buildings are open.
- Verify whether studio access or special exhibitions require a particular tour.
- Consider pairing the site’s history with current information about the surrounding Catskill landscape.
Capture
Use a painted-landscape composition featuring a modest historic home and distant Catskill hills.
Keep the image clearly interpretive rather than documentary.
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In Catskill, Cedar Grove connects a historic home with the landscape-painting movement Thomas Cole helped shape. Cole’s work launched the Hudson River School, and the site preserves the story of the artist and the place where he lived and worked. Check the current calendar for tour and building access.
What do you think a landscape can tell us about the time in which it was painted?
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