Mohonk Mountain House (1869) New Paltz, New York

Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York, has an extensive art collection of over 1800 pieces that showcase artists who chose Hudson Valley people and scenery as their subjects. Many of these artists were locals or stayed as guests at the Mountain House. The art collection truly speaks to the rich and robust history of the Mohonk Mountain House. The most famous artists in the Mohonk collection are Daniel Huntington and Henry Van Ingen. Huntington, a native New Yorker, first exhibited his work at the National Academy of Design in 1866 and painted landscapes in the tradition of the Hudson River School as well as portraits. It is believed he was the first artist to portray Mohonk Lake and its environs. Huntington also painted portraits of both Albert K. Smiley and Eliza P. Smiley – founders of the mountain resort hotel – during his time at Mohonk Mountain House. Many of the hotel’s pieces by Henry Van Ingen, including many of the oil paintings that are exhibited in the Central Staircase and Winter Lounge, were selected by Albert K. Smiley. Each one of those pieces is curated by and installed under the direction of Pril Smiley, Director of Art and fourth generation descendent of the hotel founders. Approximately 800 pieces are distributed throughout the Mohonk Mountain House hallways, public spaces, and guestrooms, to allow guests to experience the collection during their stay. A guidebook to the oil paintings is available in the Mohonk Gift Shop: Paintings at Mohonk: Visions of Our Surroundings by Sanford A. Levy. The hotel also offers a free self-guided tour through its ‘Hidden Histories’ app. Hidden Histories is an augmented reality (AR) experience that will immerse guests in the history of the storied resort. When viewing the artwork through the app, guests will see the walls of the Mohonk Mountain House come to life and unlock Mohonk Stories.