Self-Guided Tulip & Garden Driving Tour

#518TulipTracker is a collaboration between The City of Albany's Office of Cultural Affairs, Discover Albany, KeyBank and The City of Albany Department of General Services.

Follow along on social media to celebrate tulip season in Albany.

Track the tulips! Embark on a self-guided driving tour to admire tulips, spring flowers, gardens and other signs of Spring in Albany County and beyond. Share your photos of the cheerful blooms and tulip tracking adventures on social media with #518TulipTracker.

Special thanks to The City of Albany Office of Cultural Affairs and The City of Albany Department of General Services for helping us put this self-guided driving tour together!

Historic & Heritage Sites

Crailo State Historic Site: 9 1/2 Riverside Ave, Rensselaer, NY 12144
Tulips and daffodils can be spotted on the grounds.

Historic Cherry Hill: 523 1/2 S Pearl St., Albany, NY 12202
Visit the grounds to spot spring blooms in the gardens.

Pruyn House: 207 Old Niskayuna Rd, Latham, NY 12110
The gardens on the grounds are filled with signs of Spring such as daffodils.

Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site: 32 Catherine St., Albany, New York 12202
See a variety of beautiful blooms (including a few tulips) on the mansion's grounds.

Shaker Heritage Society: 25 Meeting House Rd, Albany, New York 12211
View flowers blooming in the Shaker Herb Garden and wildflowers across the grounds.

The Stephen & Harriet Myers Residence: 194 Livingston Ave, Albany, NY 12210
See tulips at the Abram Johnson Garden at the Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence.

Ten Broeck Mansion: 9 Ten Broeck Pl, Albany, NY 12210
The Ten Broeck gardens are filled with tulips and other Spring blooms.

Attractions

Albany Pine Bush Preserve: 195 New Karner Road, Albany, NY 12205
Search for small blooms and additional signs of Spring.

Albany Rural Cemetery: Cemetery Ave, Albany, NY 12204
Tulip carvings on a tombstone across from the Cornings and Palmer Angel.

Empire State Plaza
Tulips are located in the planters on the Empire State Plaza and around the grounds.

New York State Capitol
Tulips located near the General Philip Sheridan Memorial.

New York State Museum: Near the Outdoor Memorials at Madison Ave, Albany, NY 12210
View tulips along the side of the road near the NYS Korean War Veterans Memorial & NYS Women Veterans Memorial.

Pine Hollow Arboretum: 34 Pine Hollow Rd, Slingerlands, NY 12159
Many spring blossoms and blooms are located throughout the arboretum grounds.

Parks*

Academy Park: Academy Park, Albany, NY 12207
You can find blooms and other signs of spring in the park. A newer garden was installed inside of a deteriorating fountain. Over by City Hall, a newly planted garden circle boasts over 10,000 bulbs.

Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial Statue in Lincoln Park: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Albany, NY 12202
While passing by this delightful garden shaded by trees, you'll come across a striking monument commemorating the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Positioned in front of this monument are bushes and summer perennials, currently dormant until their appearance in June, along with tulips in of hues of apricot, ivory, lilac, yellow, orange, purple, pink, and even blue!

Tulip Sculpture at Wallenburg Park: 119 N Pearl St, Albany, NY 12207
View the "Night Fire" tulip sculpture at Wallenburg Park.

Tricentennial Park: Tricentennial Park, Albany, NY 12207
Numerous monuments grace this park's landscape, including a statue featuring Mayor Thomas Whalen III and his dog Finn seated on a park bench, the City Seal Monument, and a sizable metal globe sculpture symbolizing Albany's sister city in Russia. Surrounding the City Seal, tulips paint the scene in shades of yellow, apricot, pink, and orange.

City of Albany Drive-By Tulip Beds

The 9W Road Median: McCarty Ave & Route 9W, Albany, NY 12209
A raised planter showcases a magnificent weeping tree at its heart, encircled by stunning tulips in shades of white, red, purple, and captivating multi-petal dark purple blooms.

The Bridge Garden: 300 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207
A large road median with 10,000 bulbs and other perennials with a multitude of color, heights, varieties and bloom times. In this garden, one can plan on seeing the typical tulip to some exotic varieties, but what makes this a bit different is the garden crew knows the typical car riding by cannot stop and peruse the planting, so we use large groupings of at least 250 bulbs or more per section of color.

The Clinton D Bed Garden: Clinton Ave & Broadway, Albany, NY 12207
Despite ongoing construction in the area, tulips still grace the surroundings. Within a road median shaped like the letter D, vibrant hues of orange, white, yellow, and red paint a colorful display.

The Engine One Firehouse Garden: Western Ave & Washington Ave Point, Albany, NY 12203
A raised triangle garden in a median outside the front of the firehouse. Look for Fly Away, a lily-shaped tulip that is red with yellow edges. Banja Luka, a yellow petal feathered with bright red. Lastly, Unique de France, a glowing vibrant red with glossy petals.

The Engine Eleven Firehouse Gardens: 441 New Scotland Ave, Albany, NY 12208
Two small triangle gardens located on each corner of the firehouse lawn. You will find soft pink, purple and white tulips. As well as apricot hyacinths.

The Manning Island Garden: Manning Blvd & New Scotland Ave, Albany, NY 12208
A large summer perennial garden, located in median next to CVS and across from St. Peter’s Hospital, with sedum, ornamental grasses, day lilies and cranesbill geranium, to name a few. In the spring, take in a range of bulbs spread throughout the garden in small sections between the perennials. A fun little specialty bulb lives here called Snake’s Head Fritillaria. They are delicate bell-shaped flowers with a tiny pattern of white checkers on maroon petals. It is an absolute extraordinary sight to see. You must look it up if you did not catch a glimpse of it while stopped at the red light.

The Point Island Gardens: Madison Ave & Western Ave, Albany, NY 12208
There are 13,000 bulbs planted in large sections to make it easier on the eye while driving by. An extensive mix of colors, 65 varieties of bulbs ranging in shapes and heights to fascinate all passerby. You will also notice many perennial plants, mostly in their prime growing stage in the summer.

The State Street Island Gardens: Between 144 State St. & 80 State St. Albany, NY 12207
Starting at the top, State Street and Eagle Street, in the center of the roadway, tulip bulbs border the garden beds. There are 5 long beds and 3 small “D” shaped beds. Some of these beds had some construction work over the winter and you will find a few bulbs still rising to show off their beauty. This very location holds the annual street scrubbing, a Dutch tradition of cleaning the streets before a big festivity.

The South End Island: Green St & Vine St, Albany, NY 12202
The garden in the road median with the Welcome to Albany’s South End sign features a lovely yellow tulips that have blushing cheeks, hues of pink, purple and white. A nice pop of color for an unexpected location.

The Van Rensselaer Garden: Van Rensselaer Blvd & Northern Blvd, Albany, NY 12204
Enjoy in the center of this garden a blend of apricot, pink, rose and yellow. Surrounding them is a yellow on one side and pink on the other.

The Washington Square Garden: Washington Ave & West St., Albany, NY 12203
Situated within a road median bordered by Washington Avenue, West Street, and Robin Street, this garden features decorative rocks and lovely ornamental grasses during the summer months. Two benches on either side of the garden offer a perfect spot to bask in the sunshine while admiring the garden’s beauty. Revel in an array of captivating tulips.

Tulip Beds in Washington Park

The Henry Johnson Memorial Statue: Washington Park Rd & Henry Johnson Blvd, Albany, NY 12210
Heading from Madison Avenue and Willett Street, glance to the left of the fork, where you'll spot a statue monument honoring Albany native Sergeant William Henry Johnson, a distinguished World War I soldier. Adorned with three tulip varieties, each blooming at different times, this garden catches the eye with its striking golden yellows and velvety reds.

The Birdhouse Garden: Washington Park Rd & Hudson Ave, Albany, NY 12208
Upon nearing this garden, be sure to direct your gaze upwards! At the focal point of this flower bed, positioned high atop a pole, you'll discover charming hand-carved wooden birdhouses crafted by the late Albany artist William Schade. It's truly a sight worth beholding! Below this magnificent centerpiece lies a whimsical garden adorned with six varieties of tulips and an assortment of colorful spring bulbs, such as daffodils, hyacinths, alliums, crown imperials, and many others.

The Lancaster Garden: Washington Park Rd & Lancaster St, Albany, NY 12210
This garden was a focal point of the Floriade Gardens and existed before and now, after the Floriade Gardens. It is just the right size to catch the eye of passing by cars at this intersection. Here you will find a springy mix of pink, orange and yellow.

The Henry Johnson and State Gardens: State St & Henry Johnson Blvd, Albany, NY 12203
On each side of the road, these gardens offer a vibrant and welcoming entrance and exit to the park. Set against a monumental backdrop, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument pays homage to approximately 8,000 Albany men who served in the Civil War. Amidst this historic setting, tall, vibrant pink tulips and white blooms adorn the landscape. Additionally, a color-shifting variety of tulip adds intrigue, beginning with a yellow hue and transitioning to orange as it matures.

The Englewood Garden: State St & Englewood Pl, Albany, NY 12203
This area was designed by Albany’s Beautification Committee in the late 80s. It was the first restored area in this park other than formal gardens in Moses area. The weeping cherry trees make the most quintessential backdrop for this garden. Set in front of these trees, you will find a large garden bed with an array of tulips.

The Washington Park Moses Gardens: Washington Park Rd, Albany, NY 12203
Find a parking space and walk the gardens in Washington Park. The King Memorial Fountain is in the center with Moses striking the rock for water and surrounded by the four stages of life: infancy, youth, adulthood and old age. Each quadrant mirroring formal garden shapes and sizes of the others. Here you can enjoy breathtaking views of over 101,000 spring bulbs. An array of shapes and sizes, early, mid to late blooms and colors of the rainbow.

*Descriptions provided by the City Gardener Jena Commerford of The City of Albany Department of General Services