I have been wanting to check out Art Omi for a while now, and despite having a lot of rain lately, we found a perfect spring day to make the trip. 

Art Omi is located in Ghent, New York.  We used Google Maps for directions and had no problem finding it, especially since it has a large sign and enormous deer statue right by the road!  From the Albany area, it took under 45 minutes to get there.

What a great place to take a photo!

We parked and headed to the Visitor’s Center.  Inside, they have a small cafe with snacks, seating, art exhibits, and bathrooms.  It was nice to be able to get a snack and have restrooms on site.

The Visitor’s Center also has some art pieces on display in their gallery.

We took a map with us, which I do recommend, as Art Omi covers quite a large area.

From the Visitor’s Center alone, you can see several art sculptures.  The park does not have any paved paths, and consists of trails and mowed paths to the sculptures.  We went in mid-May during a very rainy season, and the paths were all in great shape.  There were only a few spots that had some mud and those were easy to get around.

There are so many different kinds of art to see here, from metal statues to wood carvings.

One of the neat things is that some of the art is interactive.  Many of the signs say not to touch or climb, while others invite you to be part of the art and experience it.  Considering we were there with the kids, it was especially nice to be able to interact with some of the pieces, like this tunnel system.

The kids had a lot of fun climbing down into the tunnels and popping up at different entrances.

There is a lot of walking you can do here, and there are pieces of art both in wide-open areas as well as on trails that go through the woods.

This is one of my favorite pieces at Art Omi, which is a mirror laden with bullet holes in the woods.  I love that I almost missed it, and that the reflection is almost a distorted reflection of itself.  We also checked out our own distorted images as we walked by.

Overall, we had a great time at Art Omi.  What a neat place to explore, with or without kids.  It was nice to check out the art at our own pace, and we got a lot of walking in, too.

Afterwards, we took a quick 15-minute drive to High Falls Conservation Area for a quick walk to a waterfall, which was a nice way to spend our day.

Visit Art Omi at http://artomi.org/

Check out a map of the park here.

Tips:

~ wear comfy shoes
~ bring water / snacks
~ there are a lot of open areas, which I imagine get pretty hot in the summer, and cold/windy in cooler weather.  Be prepared with sunglasses/sunscreen, or go when weather is cooler, or dress warmly.
~ be prepared for a lot of walking, or plan accordingly.
~ afterwards we visited the Philmont Farmer’s Market (Saturdays), and the High Falls Conservation Area – both great!

Check out our other Things to Do in Albany, NY!

Marysa

About the Author: Marysa

Busy blogger and mom of two girls. We love traveling and the great outdoors, and are always looking for our next adventure!