This itinerary provides a general overview of Albany and its many offerings for visitors. Feel free to mix and match activities to fit your schedule!
DAY ONE:
Arrive at the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center for an orientation to the history of New York's Capital City. Tour the exhibit gallery and the USS Albany display, then take time to explore the gift shop for uniquely Albany items and locally handcrafted gifts.
Tour downtown Albany with a Walking Tour brochure from the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center. You may also download a free version of the tour to your mp3 player or iPod at www.albany.org.
Have lunch at Quackenbush Square. See how the Albany Pump Station makes their award-winning micro-brewed beer while enjoying a hearty lunch. Consider a tour of the nearby Albany Distilling Company, Albany's first licensed distillery since Prohibition, or Nine Pin Cider Works, New York State's first licensed farm cidery.
Arrive at the Capitol Building for a guided tour of this fascinating, hand-carved pinnacle of state government or a self guided tour of the Empire State Plaza that includes the Plaza Art Collection, The Egg, and the Observation Deck on the 42nd Floor of the Corning Tower.
Enjoy a cruise aboard the Dutch Apple or Captain JP Cruise (seasonal) and enjoy a view of the Albany shoreline like no other.
Enjoy dinner at one of Albany's many fine dining establishments. Jack's Oyster House has been serving up delicious fare for more than a century! Albany is home to a number of unique restaurants from downtown to the Hilltowns that are sure to please every palate.
Cap off the night with an evening show at the Times Union Center, Capital Repertory Theatre, Palace Performing Arts Center, Troy Music Hall, or Comedy Works to name a few.
DAY TWO:
Begin the day by touring Historic Cherry Hill, Schuyler Mansion, or Ten Broeck Mansion. Learn about the people and families that founded Albany as you tour these lovely historic homes and gardens.
Head to the Helderberg Hilltowns for a hike along the Indian Ladder Trail at John Boyd Thacher State Park, with striking views of the Albany skyline. Or, stay close to Albany and walk or bike the trails of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, one of only twenty inland pine barren ecosystems in the world and home to the Karner Blue Butterfly and many other unique species.
Enjoy a guided tour of the USS Slater DE 766 for a tour of this WWII Destroyer Escort (DE), or the Albany Institute of History & Art to view the collections that highlight more than four centuries of art and culture of the Upper Hudson Valley Region.
Enjoy nightlife in the Capital-Saratoga region! Take a 40 minute trip north to the Saratoga Casino & Raceway, Saratoga & North Creek scenic railroad, or the famous Saratoga Race Course. See a Broadway show at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady (20 minutes), or Cohoes Music Hall in Cohoes (just 15 minutes north of Albany).
DAY THREE:
Before departing from the Albany area, shop at one of our diverse malls such as the Colonie Center Mall, Stuyvesant Plaza, Crossgates Mall, or unique shops along Lark Street or in Downtown Albany!
Travel north to Cohoes and view the Cohoes Falls from Falls View Park. The falls discharge 27,000 cubic feet of water per second depending on the season, and are a favorite spot when the leaves change color in autumn.
Customize your itinerary by visiting www.albany.org. Don't forget the many regional attractions that surround Albany, including Cooperstown and Saratoga Springs!