Albany allures

New York’s ornate Victorian state Capitol in Albany sits comfortably with more modern structures on Empire Plaza. Courtesy Albany County CVB

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Location: Albany is located 143 miles north of New York City on the Hudson River.

Sites worth seeing:
A good place to start is the Albany Visitor Center, located in a former water pump station in the historic Quackenbush Square area. The center has museum-quality exhibits and a 15-minute introductory video shown in a 52-seat planetarium, where groups can also choose one of eight planetarium shows.

The Palace Theater, an elaborate 1930s movie house, has been restored and is the site for concerts and other entertainment.

The 171-year-old New York State Museum, the oldest state museum in the United States, has the largest collection of objects from the World Trade Center attack of Sept. 11, 2001. It also has re-created New York neighborhoods, a large collection of Shaker artifacts, an 1890s hand-carved working carousel, exhibits about the natural wonders of the Adirondacks and a full-size Mohawk longhouse.

Floor-to-ceiling windows in the museum’s fourth-floor gallery provide a sweeping view of the Empire State Plaza. The 80-acre plaza, which is lined with modernistic state office buildings and the sphere-shaped performing arts center, the Egg, has fountains, memorials and a large collection of modern sculpture.

The ornate 1890s Victorian state Capitol, which took 32 years to build, is at the other end of the Plaza from the history museum. It is filled with carvings and sculptures and the famous “million-dollar staircase,” which was recently restored.

Cherry Hill is a 1787 Georgian-style house where five generations of the prominent Van Rensselaers lived. Opened four years ago for tours, the house contains a wealth of family artifacts.

The USS Slater is a World War II destroyer escort docked on the Hudson River near downtown. Tours include the crew’s and captain’s quarters, the galley and the officers’ dining room.

Hudson River Way is a pedestrian walkway from downtown to a waterfront park and amphitheater on the Hudson River. It is lined with 30 still-life trompe l’oeil paintings that trace the history of Albany.

The Albany Institute of History and Art underwent a $17.8 million renovation six years ago that added a three-story glass-walled lobby connecting the original 1907 museum building and an 1890s house. The museum’s collection includes paintings, sculpture, decorative arts and historic objects that demonstrate everyday life in the Hudson Valley over five centuries.

Events worth attending:
Each year begins with WinterFestival, a New Year’s celebration on the Saturday before New Year’s Day in downtown Albany.

At the 60th annual Albany Tulip Festival, May 9-11, thousands of tulips blooming in many colors celebrate the city’s Dutch heritage. The festival begins with the scrubbing of State Street and include

s live entertainment on four stages, arts and crafts, and Jazz Sunday.
The Capital District Garden and Flower Show, April 1-3, Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, N.Y., features garden and flora displays and workshops.

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