Albany and Central New York Sights

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1. Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza

The ¼-mi-long, 98-acre concourse includes modern art and sculpture, the New York State Museum, the State Library, the elliptical performing-arts center, and the New York State Vietnam Memorial. At the center of the plaza is a rectangular reflecting pool. The capitol crowns the plaza's north end. On weekdays in July and August you can take a free hour-long tour, which examines the plaza's history, architecture, monuments, and artworks. Tours start at 11 and 1 at the concourse-level visitor center.

2. New York State Capitol

It took more than 30 years to complete this grand building (1867–99), which incorporates elaborate carvings, interesting architectural elements, and eclectic styles. The 45-minute guided tour highlights the ornate Great Western Staircase (aka the Million Dollar Staircase)—which took 13 years and 600 stone carvers to complete—and, right over it, a 3,000-square-foot skylight that had been covered from World War II until 2002. Amid the carved faces adorning the staircase pillars are several famous visages. You can visit the legislative chambers and, when open, the governor's ceremonial offices. Tours begin at the visitor center on the concourse level of Empire State Plaza.

3. Albany Aqua Ducks

From April through October, you can tour the city in a land-and-water vehicle. The 75-minute tour starts on dry ground, cruising the streets of Albany to historic sites. The U.S. Coast Guard–certified vessel then plunges into the Hudson River to give you another perspective of the city skyline. Tours start at the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center and depart in the morning and early afternoon.

4. Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center

The center's museum gallery is a good place for an orientation. Displays trace the city's history and define its neighborhoods; some include cultural artifacts. The center, downtown, has basic visitor information and often serves as a starting point for guided tours.

5. Albany Institute of History and Art

The 1791 museum, the state's oldest, has annual rotating exhibits and an impressive permanent collection that includes Hudson River School paintings and an Egyptian mummy exhibit. Silver, furniture, and contemporary-art collections cover regional history dating from the 1500s. The building, which combines a modern expansion with the original 18th-century space, is interesting architecturally.

6. Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

The country's oldest neo-Gothic cathedral, finished in 1852, has an imposing redbrick exterior with tall twin spires. Inside you find a high vaulted ceiling, stained-glass windows, and statues.

7. City Hall

American architect Henry Hobson Richardson, who also developed the state's capitol, designed this 1881 Romanesque revival–style structure. A 49-bell carillon, one of about 200 in the country, was added in 1927.

8. Corning Preserve

The Hudson River Way Pedestrian Bridge leads to this expansive green space along the Hudson River. A 5.3-mi trail, which can be used for biking and hiking, snakes through the preserve. At the north end are a public boat launch and a restaurant on a barge. June through August, the 800-seat amphitheater hosts musicians.

9. Corning Tower

An elevator whisks you up 589 feet to the 42nd-floor observation deck of this building, the tallest structure in the state outside New York City. The views on a clear day include the Berkshire, Catskill, and Adirondack mountains. To get to the deck, you first must present a photo ID at the plaza-level security desk.

10. Five Rivers Environmental Center

Outdoor education programs, ¼- to 2-mi hiking and skiing trails, a wildlife garden, and an exhibit center with animals are at this 400-acre preserve 10 mi southwest of downtown. You can picnic on the grounds.

11. Henry Hudson Planetarium

Within the visitor center is the which presents various shows and lectures. The star-sighting program, an interactive show, is held the second Saturday of each month at 1 pm.

12. Historic Cherry Hill

The 1787 Georgian house was the home of Philip Van Rensselaer, one of the region's original Dutch settlers. Guided tours focus on Catherine Putnam, Rensselaer's niece, who lived in the house during the Civil War and World Wars I and II. The collection of family memorabilia encompasses more than 20,000 objects, including furniture, artworks, kitchen items, and pottery pieces; 3,000 photographs; and extensive documents and records. To visit the house you must take the tour, which lasts about an hour and starts on the hour. Note that Cherry Hill is closed currently for restoration.

13. New York State Executive Mansion

Wraparound porches, a balconied gable, and turrets provide evidence of the 1856 building's progression of architectural phases, from Italianate to Second Empire and finally Queen Anne. The mansion has served as the official residence of New York's governors since 1875. To see the interior, you must take one of the guided tours, which last about an hour; because visiting times are so limited, reserve at least two weeks in advance.

14. New York State Museum

The museum explores the state's history, geography, nature, and art; exhibits include a re-created Iroquois village, a display about New York birds, and a working 1916 carousel (with horses from the 1890s). A display about the September 11 terrorist attacks documents, through photographs and artifacts, rescue efforts at the World Trade Center. In February the museum hosts the regional flower show, "New York in Bloom."

15. Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site

Philip Schuyler, a Revolutionary War general, was the original owner of this 1763 Georgian mansion. George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were among the notable figures who visited the house. Tours of the national historic landmark (the only way to see the interior) feature original family furnishings, artifacts, and paintings.

16. Shaker Heritage Society and Meeting House

Through exhibits and tours, the preservation group details the history of the Shaker movement. The site was home to the first Shaker settlement in the United States; it started in 1776 with about a dozen members and grew to about 350 members at its peak, in the mid-1900s. The 1848 meetinghouse, a clapboard structure with a tin roof, was the third meetinghouse built here. Guided tours ($3; Saturday 11:30 and 1:30) are available June through October.

17. State University of New York at Albany

18. State University of New York at Albany

About 18,000 students are enrolled at this state university, established in 1844. The quaint downtown campus, built in 1909, was modeled after the University of Virginia. The 1971 uptown campus is dominated by stark, massive arches. A large reflecting pool lies at the center of a quadrangle formed by four high-rise dorms and classrooms.

19. Ten Broeck Mansion

Family portraits and period furnishings fill this 1798 Greek Revival home built for General Abraham Ten Broeck, a former Albany mayor. The tour takes you through the house and well-kept gardens.

20. University Art Museum

The free has three galleries with frequently rotating contemporary-art exhibits. The museum's permanent collection includes works by Richard Diebenkorn, Donald Judd, Ellsworth Kelly, and Robert Rauschenberg.