Information
Landmark: Storm King Art CenterCity: Hudson
Country: USA New York
Continent: North America
Storm King Art Center, Hudson, USA New York, North America
Overview
Storm King Art Center sprawls across 500 acres in New Windsor, New York, its massive sculptures rising from rolling hills and open fields in the heart of the Hudson Valley.One of the biggest sculpture parks in the country, it combines striking works of art with winding trails and rustling trees, drawing in art lovers, nature seekers, and curious travelers alike.Ralph E. started it back in 1960, a time when typewriters clacked and paper smelled faintly of fresh ink.Passionate about contemporary sculpture, Ogden founded Storm King to give art room to meet the landscape-massive steel arcs rising against rolling green hills.Over the decades, it’s become a world-famous destination, where you can stand beneath towering bronze figures crafted by some of the greatest sculptors of the 20th and 21st centuries.Spread across 500 acres, the park offers rolling hills, open fields, quiet woodlands, and still ponds where dragonflies skim the surface.The landscape shapes where each artwork stands and how it’s experienced, drawing visitors through winding paths and open meadows that shift with the seasons, so every sculpture feels different under spring blossoms or autumn light.Storm King’s art collection boasts more than a hundred sculptures and site-specific installations, including pieces by Alexander Calder, Mark di Suvero, Maya Lin, Richard Serra, and Ursula von Rydingsvard-imagine Calder’s bright arcs catching the afternoon light.The pieces span a striking range-towering steel structures that glint in the sun to delicate shapes echoing the curves of leaves and branches.This collection is designed to spark a conversation between the sculptures and the surrounding landscape, inviting visitors to wander among them in a lively, open-air setting where wind moves through leaves, instead of viewing art inside a conventional gallery.In 2025, Storm King wrapped up a $53 million overhaul, adding new paths, polished visitor facilities, and upgrades to protect its landscapes.Among the key upgrades is a new visitor entrance, paired with better parking and a warm, inviting arrival that greets you as soon as you step out of your car.Freshly built pavilions provide restrooms, orientation areas, and a shaded spot to sit out of the sun.The Conservation and Fabrication Building focuses on caring for and preserving the outdoor artworks, from repairing cracked metal to restoring faded paint.They turned old parking lots into fresh exhibition space, stretching the park’s boundaries and making room for more art-like bright murals splashed across tall brick walls.Storm King hosts a mix of permanent displays and rotating shows, from towering sculptures that catch the morning light to seasonal installations that change with the landscape.In 2025, “Sonia Gomes: Ó Abre Alas!” marks the Brazilian artist’s first solo show at a U. S. institution, filling the space with bold, hanging sculptures stitched from sturdy fabrics and cherished keepsakes, each piece echoing nature, culture, and quiet resilience.The center offers educational programs, artist talks, hands-on workshops, family-friendly activities, and guided tours, all designed to draw visitors-young or old-into the world of contemporary art and a deeper love for the natural environment.We’re open for visitors on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the last ticket is sold at 3, just as the afternoon light softens.On Sundays, member mornings kick off at 9:00 a.m., just as the coffee starts to smell rich and warm.Admission is $25 for adults, $22 for seniors, $15 for students and youth, and free for kids under five-you might even spot them clutching a sticky ice cream cone.Local students, military families, and museum members can walk in for free-no ticket, just step through the door.You’ll find an outdoor café, a cozy museum store, bike rentals, and digital guides through the Bloomberg Connects app, along with restrooms, picnic spots shaded by oaks, and trails that are easy for everyone to explore.The park welcomes visitors with paved paths that make it easy for wheelchairs to glide through shaded walkways, and extra accommodations are available if you ask.Location & Transportation - 20 Old Pleasant Hill Road, New Windsor, NY 12553.By car, you can hop off a nearby highway and be there in minutes, with plenty of parking included in your ticket.You can get here from New York City by taking the Metro-North to Beacon, then hopping in a car or catching a quick shuttle ride past the riverfront.Coach USA runs buses from the Port Authority Terminal straight to Storm King, and some tickets even bundle in your admission.Storm King Art Center stands out as a trailblazer in outdoor contemporary sculpture, weaving bold works into rolling fields and quiet groves to create a museum that feels alive in the landscape.It invites you to wander, reflect, and truly value the blend of artistic vision and rolling green hills, making it a cornerstone of culture and leisure in the Hudson Valley.At Storm King, you get the rare chance to wander among massive sculptures set against rolling hills and open sky, where art and nature seem to speak the same language.
