Plan a day in the state capital, which is located near the junction of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers 155 mi/250 km north of New York City. It was founded in the 1650s as a village called Beverwyck, surrounding the Dutch Fort Orange. It became Albany after it was acquired by the English in 1664.
The center of modern activity in Albany—and the most noticeable landmark—is the Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza, a huge complex of government buildings and the setting for outdoor festivals, concerts and fireworks displays. The Capital Repertory Theater and the modernist Performing Arts Center (also known as the Egg) are located at the plaza. So is the New York State Museum, which contains exhibits on state history and geology.
The state Capitol stands to one side of the plaza. While visiting the New York State Assembly, take a look at the Million-Dollar Staircase, which took 14 years to build at the end of the 19th century and showcases carvings of famous U.S. citizens, such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Susan B. Anthony. The Albany Institute of History and Art, established in 1791, is also downtown. This is the state's oldest museum, with a fine collection relating to the history and culture of the Hudson River Valley.
Washington Park, created by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux, has curving roadways, wooded glades and beautiful landscaping. If you visit Albany during the holiday season, be sure to see the park's light display.
If time permits, consider visiting the Schuyler Mansion (a lovely 18th-century home), Cherry Hill Mansion (built in 1787 on the crest of a wooded hill overlooking the Hudson River), the 1848 Shaker Meeting House (site of the first Shaker settlement in the U.S.) and the state's Executive Mansion (tours by reservation only). Tulip Festival, a Dutch cultural celebration, is held every May in Albany.
