The Hyde Collection, Glen Falls, NY

I am getting ready to visit a renown art museum with husband and the kids this weekend. It shows a huge collection of one of the world's most famous artists. Thousands and thousands of visitors are expected daily. I have already ordered the tickets online and printed them out. You have to chose the exact time you want to start your visit, the museum will give you an additional hour lenience. If you are any later than that, your ticket will expire and you can get in line (and I am sure it will be a very long one) and pay for the expensive tickets a second time. 

I am really not very fond of large crowds of people in a museum, or anywhere else for that matter, but I really want to see those paintings and more importantly, I want son and daughter to see them. So, of we will go and I will try to be very, very calm and patient.

When we lived in NY, I discovered a museum that is very, very different from all the other art museum I had ever visited. It is located in little village named Glen Falls. The Hyde Collection is an interesting collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures by Rembrandt, Cezanne, Picasso, Renoir, Degas and many others. Mr. and Mrs. Hyde loved and collected art and donated their whole house with all its furniture and art for everyone to enjoy.

I visited the house often, dragging every visitor we had there and every time I was amazed anew. I don't know if it has changed much but about 6 years ago, you didn't have to pay entrance (donations were welcomed) and you could spend as much time there as you wanted. It was very calm and quiet and volunteers offered to walk you through the house and explain the story behind the Hydes' purchases. Often we were the only visitors there and had to whole house to ourselves.

It was charming that the art wasn't perfectly positioned, the lighting was sometimes neglected and there weren't any guards watching your every step. But most of all, I would have never expected such treasures in a little village in Upstate NY.  

After spending hours there or just a few minutes looking at my favorite Renoir painting of his son (above) we often had a picnic in the garden before heading home.

Yes, we need to go back there. 

Pictures by the Hyde Collection