Travel to Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of New York State and is full of surprises.
For the sports enthusiast, there are hockey, football, and basketball at the Pepsi Arena. For those who prefer something quieter, there are many museums and historic buildings to tour. There are guided tours by trolley, on foot, and even by horse drawn-carriage taking your through Albany’s neighborhoods, providing information about attractions and historic sites.
Having taken 13 years to build, Albany’s vast Empire State Plaza covers 98 acres. The Plaza features striking architecture and the world’s largest collection of modern art not housed in a museum. At the end of the super sleek structure is the Capitol building, which was 30 years in the making. The State Capitol sits atop one of the seven hills that fashion the city’s landscape.
Albany’s downtown is thriving, due in large part to the more than $30 million renovation that was undertaken to make the city more appealing. Power lines were replaced and buried underground beneath the 300-year-old streets; new trees were planted; period lampposts replaced with modern illumination; and vintage cobbled sidewalks were built. A pedestrian bridge spanning the interstate and dubbed the Hudson River Way, allows visitors to enjoy the scenic Hudson River banks once more.
Paintings on 30 lampposts along the bridge depict memorable aspects of Albany’s past. The paintings have pedestrians doing double takes. Trompe l’oeil, a 16th-century painting technique that means, “tricks the eye,” does just that. The paintings appear to be the actual objects depicted, not just artistically rendered images.
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New York State Museum
Albany is the home of the New York State Museum, the largest state museum in the country. With three and a half acres of exhibits and no admission charge, the museum is an inexpensive and fascinating way to spend an afternoon.
By touring the museum you can get an idea of the history of New York State. Its exhibits aim to teach you about the culture and natural history of the state. One of the newest exhibits added to the museum is “The World Trade Center: Rescue, Recovery, Response.” The exhibit tries to document and capture this historic tragedy. You can see rubble from the towers, a wrecked fire engine that responded to the scene and film of the event. Other exhibits range from the “Birds of New York” which shows you the 170 different species of birds in the state to the “Fire Engine Hall” which details the different fire equipment used over the years to the “New York Metropolis” exhibit which details New York’s growth throughout the years. There are many more permanent exhibits to see and the museum staff is always bringing in fresh exhibits to keep things fresh.
If you would like to visit the museum you should call to find out their current hours. The museums information line is 518-474-5877. Normal hours are 9:30 AM to 5PM and the museum is located in downtown Albany across the street from the capital. There is no fee to enter the museum but donations are accepted and appreciated.