Did you know this huge, windowless cube is actually a world-class art museum hidden in Upstate New York? This architectural marvel was designed by Philip Johnson, and it holds some incredible secrets! While Washington D.C. has a later version, the original masterpieces of Thomas Cole’s The Voyage of Life are actually here at the Munson in Utica. You’ve got to see these in person. You might not expect it from a city of this size, but Utica’s Munson museum hosts some awe-inspiring pieces of art. We’re talking Picasso, Dalí, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Jackson Pollock – just casually sitting in a small-city gallery…that’s also free to get into. But then it gets wilder. Step through the gallery into Fountain Elms, a meticulously restored 1850s Victorian time capsule. Not only is this a museum, Munsen is a college campus (Pratt Munsen Institute) and Performing Arts venue. You can tour the mansion for free, pass art students sketching, catch a musical performance…Utica has all kinds of special treasures, and it’s a pretty condensed city, so if you’re arriving by Amtrak, this museum is only a mile from the train station! Follow NewYorkByRail for more hidden secrets for carfree explorers!