What if, like Mary Poppins, you could jump into a picture on the sidewalk? Entering the Storm King Art Center, the fantasy feels almost real. A sculptural wonder of the Hudson Valley, it takes you inside a Thomas Cole painting filled with sun-splashed green fields, fiery trees, mountain ranges, dramatic skies, and flowing brooks. The natural setting in Mountainville exists as an art venue and peaceful escape from metropolitan life.
Founded in 1960 and inspired in part by a man’s trip to an Austrian marble quarry, this pristine oasis is an 80-minute bus ride from Manhattan. The 500 acres of landscaped lawns, fields, trails, and woodlands are dotted with towering postwar sculptures by internationally renowned modern and contemporary artists, including Henry Moore, Alexander Calder, and David Smith; their works help make up the center’s permanent collection.
Visitors are welcome to roam the grounds and stand a foot away from the steel behemoths, of which there are over 120. Smaller scale pieces such as Tomio Miki’s Ear are ideal for a game of Sculpture Scavenger Hunt for kids, while adults can appreciate Richard Serra’s site-specific Schunnemunk Fork, which pays homage to the nearby mountain.
Everyday at one and two p.m., an hour-long docent guided tour highlights the museum’s core pieces on top of the hill. For those hoping to learn fun facts at their own pace, rent an on-site bike ($20/two hours) and pick up an audio tour at the Visitor Center where a modest shop sells coffee table books, postcards, and other mementos. Stop by the Storm King Cafe for fresh seasonal offerings or pack a picnic and dine by the fifty-six-foot high curves of Alexander Calder’s The Arch.
Instead of tackling the masses at MoMA this week, step into Storm King, where space, deer, and sculpture serve to alleviate the honk and garbage-worn senses.
How to get there: Coach USA (formerly Short Line Bus) offers a day tour package leaving from Port Authority with direct drop-off at the park. For a bus schedule and to purchase tickets visit coachusa.com. Storm King reopens April 2 2014, Wednesday through Sunday (10am-5:30pm). Fees: Roundtrip bus transportation and museum admission for adults—$46, Children ages five to eleven—$23.
(Storm King Art Center, Old Pleasant Hill Road, Mountainville, New York. 845.534.3115, stormking.org)
Photo: Courtesy of Storm King, atubbs
*Note: For those taking the Coach USA bus back to the city, be sure to make it to the front gate a bit before 4:30 p.m. It may not be scheduled to arrive until a quarter to five, but we hear the bus rolls by anywhere between 4:20 and 5:00 p.m.—with a habit of leaving late passengers behind.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram