The St. Johnsbury Athenæum Art Gallery, built in 1873, is the United States’ oldest unaltered art gallery. Albert Bierstadt’s The Domes of the Yosemite, a colossal ten by fifteen foot painting, dominates the back wall of the gallery. Natural light from the gallery skylight enhances the effect of looking down into the valley from the artist’s vantage point. The Hudson River School is represented by such well-known artists as Asher B. Durand (the father of American Landscape painting), Jasper Cropsey (known for autumn landscapes), Sanford Gifford (a Luminist painter), James and William Hart (pastoral landscapes with cattle), Samuel Colman and Worthington Whittredge (Western views).

The Athenæum intentionally retains the gallery’s original style and atmosphere. Paintings in the heavy gilded frames of that era hang one above another; white marble statues and busts sit atop pedestals; oak bookcases contain gold tooled leather bound books. This gallery is truly an authentic period piece.