Attractions in Albany
Adirondack Museum
Open daily 10am to 5pm, May 22 through October 18, 2009. Closed September 4 & 18.
Route 28N/30, Blue Mountain Lake, N.Y. A regional museum of history and art. 22 exhibits, historic buildings, extensive collections, exquisite gardens and magnificent views tell stories of life, work, and play in the Adirondack Park. New in 2009: A “Wild, Unsettled Country”: Early Reflections of the Adirondacks and Common Threads: 150 Years of Adirondack Quilts and Comforters.
Albany Aqua Ducks & Trolleys
Upstate New York’s only amphibious tours take you through the historic streets of New York’s Capital City – first by land and then, with a Splashdown! in to the Hudson River. The Ducks thrill visitors with professionally narrated tours and the special mariner’s view of Albany. Tours of historic Troy, the home of Uncle Sam, are offered also. Reservations are strongly recommended for all tours and may be booked online at www.albanyaquaducks.com or by calling the Albany Aqua Ducks at 518-462-3825. Daily tours are offered from mid-April through October and leave from the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center at 25 Quackenbush Square, near the intersection of Broadway and Clinton Avenue, downtown Albany.
Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center
The building originally served as a water pumping station for Albany at a time when the Hudson River flowed through the area where I-787 is now located. The entrance to the Visitors Center is laid in stone and brick, with floor to ceiling windows and an entranceway leading to the garden courtyard.
The museum galleries offer a variety of permanent displays exploring the history of Albany from its beginnings to present day, the USS Albany Heritage Exhibit featuring ships named for the capital city from 1846 to the present. In addition, special exhibits and events featuring the history and culture of the Capital Region are scheduled throughout the year.
Albany Riverfront Park at the Corning Preserve
On the far side of the Hudson River Way Pedestrian Bridge, the Albany Riverfront Park is home to an 800-seat amphitheatre which hosts numerous events from Spring through Fall. In addition, a visitors center houses an explanation of the Hudson River’s tides. The park also features a bike trail and boat launch.
Brewery Ommegang
Ommegang is hard to pronounce but easy to find. Located just five miles south of Cooperstown, NY, our farmstead brewery is open year-round for daily tours and tastings. An intimate walking tour puts you right on the brew floor amidst the sights, smells and sounds of Belgian-style brewing in action. Our tour guides will help you discover how superior ingredients and time-honored methods like open fermentation and warm cellaring produce better tasting beer. But don´t take our word for it, taste them for yourself.
Corning Tower Observation Deck
A part of the Empire State Plaza located in the heart of downtown Albany. Reception space is available after 6 p.m.
Farmers´ Museum, The
As one of the oldest rural life museums in the country, The Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown, New York, provides visitors with a unique opportunity to experience 19th-century rural and village life first-hand through authentic demonstrations and interpretative exhibits. The museum, founded in 1944, comprises a Colonial Revival stone barn listed on the National Register for Historic Places, a recreated historic village circa 1845, a late nineteenth century Country Fair featuring the Cardiff Giant and The Empire State Carousel, and a working farmstead. Through its 19th-century village and farm, the museum preserves important examples of upstate New York architecture, early agricultural tools and equipment, and heritage livestock. The Farmers’ Museum’s outstanding collection of more than 23,000 items encompasses significant historic objects ranging from butter molds to carriages, hand planes to plows.
Empire State Plaza
Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza - one of the most spectacular capital centers in the country. The Plaza is the seat of government operations for New York State - it occupies 98 acres of land, with 11,000 employees in 10 buildings. The Plaza exists because of the vision and determination of one man, Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, who wanted to create "the most electrifying capital in the world." To fulfill his purpose, Rockefeller commissioned Wallace K. Harrison, a personal friend and chief architect for Rockefeller Center, to be the principal architect for the Plaza. Construction began in 1965 and was completed in 1978.
Since its completion, The Empire State Plaza has become a cultural center for thousands of visitors each year. From the New York State Capitol to the New York State Museum, the Empire State Plaza is full of things to do. Special events include festivals, concerts, seasonal ice skating and tours are just some of the things to do at the Empire State Plaza.
St. Agnes Cemetery
Founded in 1867 and an exemplar of the rural cemetery movement, Saint Agnes Cemetery is a beautifully landscaped 114 acre property full of winding paths, magnificent vistas, artistic sculptures, and historic monuments. The cemetery provides an open space for quiet walks and public enjoyment of nature, history, and art. We encourage community involvement through regular historic tours, bird watching events, veterans’ ceremonies, school field trips, and genealogy research. St. Agnes Cemetery is the final resting place of 300 Civil War veterans, 6 US Congressmen, a NY State Governor, 2 Medal of Honor Recipients, and many industrialists who were vital to the development of the Capital District. See the Events Calendar for a schedule of tours and events.