Albany Highlights
A curated tour of Albany's most iconic spots, from a 32-year-old Capitol to a Brutalist plaza, a WWII warship, and a waterfall.
Trip Stops
- 1
Built over 32 years by a rotating cast of architects, including H.H. Richardson, it was the most expensive government building of its time at $25 million. Look for the Richardson-designed Great Western Staircase.
📍 Albany, New York, United States
- 2
Founded in 1791, it is older than the Louvre, the Smithsonian, and the Met. Its Egyptian mummies have been drawing visitors for more than a century.
📍 Albany, New York, United States
- 3
Governor Rockefeller sketched the first design on the back of a postcard after being embarrassed by Albany's shabby look during a royal visit. The 44-story Corning Tower is the tallest building in New York State outside NYC, with a free observation deck on weekdays.
📍 Albany, New York, United States
- 4
This concrete performing arts venue took 12 years to build, and its stem reaches six stories underground. They Might Be Giants even wrote a song about it.
📍 Albany, New York, United States
- 5
Established in 1836, it is the oldest and largest state museum in the United States. Its collections hold more than 16 million scientific specimens and a million cultural objects.
📍 Albany, New York, United States
- 6
Completed in 1852, it was the first American Catholic cathedral in the Neo-Gothic style. Its 210-foot twin towers once made it the tallest building in Albany.
📍 Albany, New York, United States
- 7
Often mistaken for an Olmsted design, this Olmstedian city park hosts the famous Tulip Festival every May. It also stands on the site of the old State Street Cemetery, whose burials were moved in the 1860s.
📍 Albany, New York, United States
- 8
Alexander Hamilton married Elizabeth Schuyler in this Georgian house in 1780. After the Battles of Saratoga, British General Burgoyne stayed here as a prisoner-guest.
📍 Albany, New York, United States
- 9
The last Cannon-class destroyer escort afloat in the U.S. in its wartime configuration. After WWII it served in the Greek Navy as Aetos until 1991, then sailed to Albany as a museum ship.
📍 Albany, New York, United States
- 10
Opened in 1844, this 467-acre garden cemetery is the final resting place of President Chester A. Arthur. It's one of the oldest rural cemeteries in the country.
📍 Menands, New York, United States
- 11
A roughly 1,000-foot-wide waterfall on the Mohawk River, nicknamed the Niagara of the East. A power plant diverts much of the flow, so go in spring or after heavy rain to see it at full strength.
📍 Cohoes, New York, United States
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