Directions to Art Omi

For those driving to Columbia County, here are my standard directions coming from Manhattan (you can use these from New Jersey, if you cross over to the Taconic at the Tappan Zee or another Hudson crossing further north):

Go up the West Side Highway; this turns into the Saw Mill Parkway. Exit onto the Taconic Parkway north toward Albany (about 20 miles on the Saw Mill). Go about 100 miles to the Route 23 (Claverack) exit. This is the exit after the Ancram/Hudson exit. Beware of police along the Taconic, there are several speed traps, often at the bottom of hills.

Take Route 23 west (turn left at the exit) to Route 9H north (gas station on your right). Turn right, go approx. 6 miles (you'll cross Route 66). After Columbia County airport, the Red Barn Restaurant (on the left), and the Love Apple Farm (also on the left), you'll turn right on Route 22 (therea are signposts to Gallagher Stud Farm and Dunbar’s Nursery). Follow Route 22 for about 3 miles, you'll see the Art Omi visitor's center on your left, a modern glass/steel/stone building shaped like an arc, parking in front. A link to the Google Map here.

Places to stay in and around Ghent

Friends who want to stay over in Columbia County asked for recommendations about places to stay in the area. Here are some ideas, with the caveat that we haven't ourselves stayed at any of these:
Kinderhook B&B, in nearby Kinderhook
The Inn at Hudson, home to the station for the Amtrak train to/from New York
The excellent Rural Intelligence website has an entire section devoted to places to stay in and around Columbia County. Ask if one of the places there sounds too far afield: the site covers not only Columbia County, but also western Massachusetts and Connecticut, so some of the places it features look great, but might be 90 minutes or more away.