Top 10 Things to Do in Albany, Ranked
New York State Capitol building at dusk in Albany
A committed ranking of 10 Albany experiences worth your time, ordered by how much you’d regret skipping them.
The top five, no hedging
1. Tour the New York State Capitol. The Great Western Staircase alone justifies the trip, with over 300 carved faces. Free tours run weekdays. 2. Walk the Empire State Plaza and ride the Corning Tower elevator to the 42nd-floor observation deck for the best free view in the region. 3. The New York State Museum on Madison Avenue, still one of the largest state museums in the country and also free. 4. Washington Park in bloom, especially early May during Tulip Fest. 5. The USS Slater in Rensselaer, the last Destroyer Escort afloat in the US.
Six through ten
6. Albany Institute of History and Art, small but genuinely strong on Hudson River School painting. 7. Historic Cherry Hill and the Ten Broeck Mansion for actual colonial-era interiors. 8. Beers at Nine Pin Cider on Broadway, the state's first farm cidery. 9. A game at MVP Arena, whether Siena hoops or a Devils affiliate. 10. Lark Street bar crawl on a Friday, starting at The Lark Tavern and working north. What didn’t make it: the Egg (impressive from outside, thin on the inside) and the aquarium bus tours.
Before you book
The questions people ask about Washington Park, answered with this month’s numbers.
Realistically four: Capitol tour in the morning, State Museum after lunch, Corning Tower for sunset, then Lark Street for dinner and drinks.
The Capitol tour, State Museum, Empire State Plaza, Corning Tower observation deck, and Washington Park. That's five of the top ten with no admission at all.
