Albany Museums

(Albany, New York - NY, USA)

New York's capital city is certainly home to a number of important and interesting museums, historic sites and attractions of a cultural nature, with some of the most visited being based around downtown Albany itself.

Particularly notable in Albany is the New York State Museum, where extensive state collections are housed, such as the Governor's Collection of Contemporary Native American Crafts. These are accompanied by permanent exhibits entitled the Adirondack Wilderness, the Ancient Life of New York, the Black Capital, the Fire Engine Hall and Native Peoples. A further exhibition concentrates on the tragedy of 9/11 and the attack on the World Trade Center, with artifacts from the scene and responses from members of the general public.

The first floor of the New York State Museum is where the majority of the principal artifacts and archaeological collections are exhibited, while both the second floor and third floor are usually closed to visitors, being used for educational purposes and by the staff. On the fourth floor you will find the popular cafe, together with a century old carousel, which is still in working order and continues to delight young children. Additional themed exhibits are also displayed on this floor, relating to the history of the state.

New York State Museum

Address: Cultural Education Center, 222 / 260 Madison Avenue, Albany, New York (NY), 12230, USA
Tel: +1 518 474 5877
Established as long ago as the 1830s as the New York State Geological and Natural History Survey, the New York State Museum stands just down the road from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, where it is to be found within the Cultural Education Center and fronts the southern aspect of the Empire State Plaza. This leading cultural attraction ranks as the biggest and most historic of all the state museums in North America and with free admission, is certainly more than worthy of a visit. You can also enjoy some superb views across central Albany and the Empire State Plaza. Of note, the New York State Library is located within the same building, along with the State Archives.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 09:30 to 17:00
Admission: free, donations suggested

Watervliet Arsenal Museum

Address: 1 Buffington Street, Watervliet, New York (NY), 12189-4000, USA
Tel: +1 518 266 5805
Located within the suburb town of Watervliet, roughly 15 to 20 minutes north of downtown Albany, the Watervliet Arsenal Museum is the perfect attraction for those with an interest in militaria. The museum itself is housed within the historic Iron Building, which was constructed in 1859 and is widely regarded as being a superb example of a pre-fabricated cast iron building. Visitors to the Arsenal can expect to find all manner of old guns, spanning the past four centuries, as well as World War II memorabilia and an actual 'Bunker Buster' bomb used in the early 1990s as part of Operation Desert Storm.
Open hours: Sunday to Thursday - 10:00 to 15:00
Admission: free

Destroyer Escort Historical Museum

Address: 141 Broadway / Quay Street, Albany, New York (NY), USA
Tel: +1 518 431 1943
The USS Slater (DE-766) is a retired US Navy Cannon-Class escort warship that occupies a scenic spot on the Hudson River, alongside Quay Street. Dedicated as a National Historic Landmark in the spring of 2012, the USS Slater now serves as a museum ship attraction and played an important part in World War II, being commissioned in 1943 and subsequently decommissioned soon after the end of the war. It then joined the Hellenic Navy (Greece) and soon became a much-used training vessel for naval sailors. In the 1990s, the ship was returned to the USA and painstakingly restored by volunteers over a 15-year period, before finally docking in its present setting in downtown Albany. Today, visitors can enjoy guided tours around the ship, exploring the different floors and gaining an insight into the life of sailors at war below deck.
Open hours: April to November, Wednesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, discounts available for children and seniors, children five years old and under are free

Irish American Heritage Museum

Address: Meginniss Building, 370 Broadway, Albany, New York (NY), 12207, USA
Tel: +1 518 427 1916
The not-for-profit Irish American Heritage Museum is to be found just across from Liberty Park, on Broadway and off Division Street. Established in the middle of the 1980s in nearby East Durham (roughly 30 miles / 48 km to the southwest) in order to preserve the country's Irish heritage and culture, the museum was relocated to its present site in Albany as recently as 2012, where it features many personal stories and Irish documents. In the past, themed exhibitions have concentrated on subject matters such as the Irish Americans in the American Civil War and the construction of the Erie Canal. Of note, the SUNY Administration Plaza is close by, as are a number of eateries such as the Hudson Harbor Steak and Seafood Restaurant.
Open hours: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday - 11:00 to 16:00, Saturday and Sunday - 12:00 to 16:00
Admission: free, donations suggested