Museums and Other Attractions, Albany, NY
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Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center. "The first stop to
exploring Albany is at the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center.
There are plenty of brochures and information about the region and
knowledgeable staff to answer questions. But the Visitors Center
holds much more than brochures! It also offers an orientation show
and exhibits that explore the history of Albany, the Gift Shop and
the Henry Hudson Planetarium. Tours and special events are scheduled
throughout the year.
The Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center shares its home with the
Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACCVB) at historic
Quackenbush Square, corner of Clinton Ave. and Broadway in downtown
Albany."
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Albany Institute of
History & Art. " Founded in 1791, the Albany Institute of
History & Art, one of the oldest museums in the United States, is
dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting and promoting
interest in the history, art and culture of Albany and the Upper
Hudson Valley.
The museum achieves this mission through its collections,
exhibitions, education programs, library, research projects,
publications and other programs offered to the general public."
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Children´s Museum of
Science and Technology. "The Children’s Museum of Science
and Technology is dedicated to introducing children of all ages to a
wide spectrum of science and technology topics, integrated with
history and the arts, in a fun and friendly environment.
Further, The Children’s Museum of Science and Technology is proud to
build upon its history as the Junior Museum, founded in 1954 by the
Junior League of Troy, and strengthen its position as a regional
educational resource for families, educators and organizations
throughout the Capital Region and beyond."
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Crailo
State Historic Site. "Crailo State Historic Site is a
museum of Colonial New Netherland history in the upper Hudson
Valley. Originally a part of the vast landholding called the Manor
or Patroonship of Rensselaerswyck, the Crailo farm was named after
the Van Rensselaer's estate in the Netherlands, variously spelled
Crayloo or Cralo in the 17th century, and meaning "crows' wood" in
Dutch.
Crailo was built in the early 18th century by Hendrick Van
Rensselaer, grandson of the First Patroon. Hendrick died in 1740 and
his eldest son, Johannes, inherited Crailo. He remodeled the house
and added an east wing in the Georgian style, reflecting the
increasing influence of the English on the Albany-area Dutch.
In the late 18th century, Crailo was remodeled in the Federal style.
It served as a boys' boarding school in the 1840s and later as a
church rectory. Each new venture brought more changes to the
structure. In 1924 Crailo was donated to New York State for
development as a museum.
Crailo today tells the story of the early Dutch inhabitants of the
upper Hudson Valley through exhibits highlighting archeological
finds from the Albany Fort Orange excavations, special programs, and
guided tours of the museum."
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Empire State Plaza. "Welcome to the 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."
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Art Collection. "Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, in
recognition of the importance of the arts and the emergence of New
York as the home of many of America's most innovative and talented
artists, began plans for the Empire State Plaza Art Collection in
1961 and the first purchases were made in 1966. This collection
features the work of artists who practiced in New York during the
1960s and 70s, and is the most important State collection of modern
art in the country. In its embrace of abstract art, the collection
positioned the State as a forward-thinking patron and its government
as enlightened and advanced. The architect Wallace K. Harrison
worked closely with Governor Rockefeller, who cared deeply about
architecture, to create the bold design for the Empire State Plaza
complex. No stronger statement could have been made about New York's
past and present commitment to the future, and its belief that the
arts were essential to the State's vision of itself.
The formation of the Empire State Plaza Art Collection has strong
connections to the Museum of Modern Art. Governor Rockefeller (whose
mother, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, founded the Museum of Modern Art
along with two other remarkable women in 1929) was one of the young
institution's staunchest supporters and one of its leading trustees
and donors. Governor Rockefeller once quipped that everything he had
ever learned about politics, he learned at the Museum of Modern Art!
In order to help select the works of art for the Empire State Plaza
Art Collection, Governor Rockefeller assembled a small advisory
committee that included Rene d'Harnoncourt, then director of the
Museum of Modern Art. Upon d'Harnoncourt's untimely death in 1968,
Dorothy Miller, one of the Museum's most respected curators,
succeeded him on the committee. At the Museum, Miller introduced the
work in her well-known Americans shows which highlighted many
emerging and young artists who later became significant figures. For
Albany she was able to champion many abstract artists at mid-career,
and her keen eye undoubtedly helped strengthen the quality of the
collection that the Governor was assembling.
Since its inception in the late 1960s, the Empire State Plaza Art
Collection has attained a new importance. In addition to being one
of upstate New York's greatest art treasures, it also serves as a
remarkable example of the power and importance of abstract
expressionist art. Governor Rockefeller's vision of the arts as a
vital component of the State of New York's identity continues, as
New York continues to be the preeminent state in the union for the
arts." by Glenn D. Lowry, Director,
Museum of Modern Art.
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Executive Mansion. "The New York State Executive Mansion
is located on Eagle Street in downtown Albany. This historic house
has been home to New York's governors and their families since
1875."
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State Capitol. "Sitting majestically atop Albany's State
Street hill, the New York State Capitol has served as the seat of
government for New York since the 1880s. The building is a marvel of
late 19th century architectural grandeur. Under the direction of
five architects, the Capitol was built by hand of solid masonry over
a period of 25 years. When Governor Theodore Roosevelt declared the
Capitol complete in 1899, its cost had exceeded twenty-five million
dollars."
- Firemen's Association
of the State of New York Museum of Firefighting. "Welcome
to the FASNY Museum of Firefighting in Hudson, NY, one of the
world's largest firefighting museums displaying over 50,000 square
feet of fire apparatus, equipment, gear and memorabilia.
The FASNY Museum of Firefighting was built on the grounds of the
Firemen's Home in 1925 to safeguard the long and exciting heritage
of firefighting in New York State which is documented back as early
as 1648 when Peter Stuyvesant appointed four fire wardens to inspect
the wooden chimneys of the houses of New Amsterdam. From that point
forward, volunteers have banded together to offer mutual aid in an
effort to thwart any disaster. The first organized company was
started in New York City in 1731, when 42 able-bodied men became the
firemen of the City.
Our museum depicts the history of firefighting in a moving tribute
to those brave men and women who have served their communities.
Observe magnificent floor-to-ceiling displays of historic paintings,
dramatic photos, badges, helmets, torches and antique toys. Our
staff and retired volunteer firefighter tour guides will be pleased
to show you around."
- Fenimore Art Museum.
"The New York State Historical Association was founded in 1899 by a
group of New Yorkers who were interested in promoting greater
knowledge of the early history of the state. They hoped to encourage
original research, to educate general audiences by means of lectures
and publications, to mark places of historic interest with tablets
or signs, and to start a library and museum to hold manuscripts,
paintings, and objects associated with the history of the state.
It was an ambitious undertaking proposed by the founders when they
held their first official meeting on March 21, 1899, in the village
of Lake George. But time has justified their optimism and the
Association has grown dramatically during the intervening century
into a successful and multifaceted institution."
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Henry Hudson Planetarium. "The Henry Hudson Planetarium
hosts a wide variety of educational and special event programs
exploring astronomy, history, arts and science. And it´s an official
NASA Space Place! See list of upcoming events for shows like
Stargazing: What´s Up In The Sky Tonight?, Saturday Star Gazing and
Follow the Drinking Gourd: Albany and the Underground Railroad."
- Historic Cherry
Hill. "Historic Cherry Hill's collection is essentially
comprised of the entire contents of the house when Emily Rankin died
in 1963. Therefore, the museum's collection policy is very limited
in scope. In the past forty years we have accepted a few gifts of
furniture and other objects from family relatives and friends, if we
find that the pieces were at one time in the house. However, we
typically do not purchase acquisitions. Recently, the museum made
its second-ever purchase of an object to add to the collection, and
the first-ever purchase of a manuscript document."
- Irish
American Heritage Museum. "Cognizant of the need to
preserve and better understand the contributions of Irish culture
and heritage to American society, the Irish American Heritage Museum
seeks through appropriate programs, activities, projects, and
resources to enhance, highlight, and extend Irish American history
and culture to an ever wider audience in America."
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Iroquois Indian Museum.
"The Iroquois Indian Museum is an educational institution dedicated
to fostering understanding of Iroquois culture using Iroquois art as
a window to that culture. The museum is a venue for promoting
Iroquois art and artists, and a meeting place for all peoples to
celebrate Iroquois culture and diversity. As an anthropological
institution, it is informed by research on archaeology, history, and
the common creative spirit of modern artists and craftspeople."
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National Baseball Hall
of Fame. "The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is
a not-for-profit educational institution dedicated to fostering an
appreciation of the historical development of the game and its
impact on our culture by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and
interpreting its collections for a global audience, as well as
honoring those who have made outstanding contributions to our
National Pastime."
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New York Power
Authority Visitors Center, Blenheim-Gilboa Visitors Center, Lansing
Manor, Mine Kill State Park. "Are you looking for a way to
combine education with outdoor fun? Then plan a visit to the
Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project in North Blenheim, just
40 miles southwest of Albany on the Schoharie Creek in the northern
Catskill Mountains. Our power project and admission-free Visitors
Center have a deliberately low profile amidst spectacular scenery,
historic settings and a developed state park."
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New York State Museum.
"The New York State Museum is a major research and educational
institution. It is dedicated to promoting inquiry and advancing
knowledge in the fields of geology, biology, anthropology, and
history, through the investigation of material evidence germane to
New York State's past, present and future. The Museum shares this
knowledge through exhibits and other means with wide and diverse
audiences. It encourages these audiences to take delight in learning
by participating in the discovery process central to its work."
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Olana Partnership. "Named for a fortress treasure-house in
ancient Persia, Olana was the home of Frederic Edwin Church
(1826-1900), one of America's most important artists, a student of
Thomas Cole, and a major figure in the Hudson River School of
landscape painting.
Built high on a hill near Hudson, New York between 1870 and 1891,
then as now, Olana offers magnificent sweeping vistas of the
Catskill Mountains, the Hudson River and the Taconic Hills. Today,
Olana is a New York State Historic Site, a National Historic
Landmark, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the
Hudson Valley and upstate New York.
Called by Church "the Center of the World," Olana's Persian style
house and 250 acres of picturesque grounds are a masterpiece as
grand as any of his paintings."
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Pruyn House. "This
beautifully restored home situated on 5 ½ acres is a connection to
the Dutch heritage of this area. Built by Casparus Pruyn about 1830
as a country home for his wife, Ann, and their eight children, it is
a blend of Federal and Greek Revival architecture. Along with his
job as land and business agent for Stephen Van Rensselaer III, the
last patroon, Mr. Pruyn used a portion of his over 170 acres for
farming.
Over the years, the property had many owners, the longest being
members of the Henkes family. John and Carrie Henkes purchased the
property in 1893. In 1982, the Town of Colonie purchased the home,
began extensive repairs and opened it to the public in 1985 as a
historic and cultural center.
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