I felt like I was wandering through an art museum as I explored the resort’s seemingly endless galleries.
It was pouring when I woke up for my first full day at Mohonk Mountain House. Luckily, there were more than 2,000 pieces of art inside.
“On rainy days, one thing you can do is walk up and down the hallways to look at all the artwork,” Boucher said. “Each building section on each floor is a different little discrete gallery.”
Exploring these winding halls of art ended up being one of my favorite parts of my stay, and if it hadn’t rained, I likely wouldn’t have paid any attention to them.
Collections included oil paintings by prominent 19th-century Hudson River School artists, photos and paintings of horses, and 20th-century prints of the hotel’s brochures, to name a few. Some gallery themes were broad, like American landscapes. Others were more specific, like photographs of distressed vehicles.
“In the early days at Mohonk Mountain House, artists would trade paintings for stays,” Boucher said, adding that guests also donated photos and artworks from their travels.
One of the historic galleries featured reproductions of famous European paintings.
“Back then, our guests mostly did not go to Europe because you had to take a long steamship,” Boucher said. “This was their European art experience.”
