Albany is without a doubt, one of the most popular vacation spots in Upstate New York. If you're planning a to visit Albany this summer, you may find interesting reading through the following list of top attractions and must see places in Albany New York:

Albany Visitors Center

If you’re traveling to Albany for the first time, you’ll definitely want to make the Albany Visitors Center one of the first places to visit in Albany NY.

Sights to see in upstate NY

The visitor’s center is located in Quackenbush Square, and not only you’ll be able to plan your itinerary, book tours and get some good input on places to eat, but you'll also be able to check out the visitor’s center cool museum and planetarium.


The planetarium (Henry Hudson Planetarium) is worth visiting if you’re traveling with kids as it hosts regular family-friendly events such as star gazing nights and interactive programs on stars and planets.

Albany Aqua Ducks

The Albany Aqua Ducks is also located in Quackenbush Square, and it’s one of the top places to visit in Albany NY for booking tours of the city.

Albany Aqua Ducks offers trolley tours of Albany’s historic areas, as well as boat tours along the Hudson River which will allow you to get great views of Albany’s skyline and landmarks such as the ENCON Building and the USS Slater Ship.

New York State Capitol

The New York State Capitol is located opposite Academy Park and it’s without a doubt, one of the top places to visit in Albany NY.

You can take guided tours of the New York State Capitol and check out the the beautiful murals and the sandstone staircases inside the Assembly Chamber, which have carved-in the faces of notables such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Empire State Plaza

The Empire State Plaza is located not far from the New York State Capitol and it’s another attraction worth adding to your list of places to visit in Albany NY especially if you’re into art.

The Empire State Plaza boasts an interesting art collection on the concourse level which includes painting, sculpture and tapestry works by renowned American artists.

By the way, the Empire State Plaza is also home to cool events such as the Fourth of July fireworks display and the African American Family Day Arts Festival in August.

Albany Institute of History & Art

The Albany Institute of History & Art is one of the biggest attractions in Albany and it’s no doubt one of the most popular places to visit in New York State.

The Albany Institute of History & Art is the oldest museum in the country and it's certainly one of the best art museums in the US as it boasts a collection of paintings from the renowned Hudson River School of Art.

If you’re traveling to Albany with the family this summer, the Albany Institute of History & Art is still worth the visit since the institute offers art workshops for kids between July and August.

New York State Museum

The New York State Museum is located between Capitol Hill and Lincoln Park and it’s another popular cultural attraction that you’d want to add to your list of places to visit in Albany NY.

The New York State Museum is free admission and it’s definitely one of the best places to learn about the natural history of New York and historic events such as the infamous fire in New York State Capitol in early 1900’s.

Besides exhibitions and collections, the museum hosts regular events such as live music on Thursdays and free family programs every second Saturday of the month.

USS Slater Museum Ship

The USS Slater is another must see attraction that you’d want to add to your list of places to visit in Albany NY especially if you’re a history buff.

The USS Slater is a cool WWII destroyer docked at Quay Street which is open to the public and offers narrated guided tours which will allow you access to the deck and interior of the ship to see the radio room, crew's bunks and engine room.

Schuyler Mansion

The Schuyler Mansion is another of the top places to visit in Albany NY if you’re a fan of pre-war architecture.

You’ll be able to take pictures and visit the interior of Schuyler Mansion on a guided tour any day of the week, though on Saturday and Sunday the mansion hosts the heritage Weekend event.

Albany City Parks & Theaters

A visit to Albany wouldn’t be complete without passing by one of Albany’s stunning parks and visiting one of Albany’s renowned theatres.

Places in New York State to vacation

There are dozens of city parks in Albany but some of the best ones include Washington Park, Lincoln Park, Albany Riverfront Park and Buckingham Lake Park.

Washington Park Lake is where the Tulip Fest is held every year on Mother’s Day; while Lincoln Park is one of the best parks in Albany for enjoying fun recreational activities with the family.

As far as theatres, Palace Theatre and the Egg are two of the best places to visit in Albany NY to catch a live show and Broadway-like music performances.

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Wondering where to go in New York State besides New York City?

Sights to see in upstate NY

New York City is undoubtedly one of the top places to visit in New York State since there are so many things to do in NYC for all to enjoy. Having said this, you'll be glad to know that there are many more places to visit in New York State than the City, and one such place is the Adirondacks in upstate New York.

Places in New York State to vacation

Exploring the great Adirondacks is, without a doubt, one of the top things to do in upstate NY, and the good news is that you can enjoy outdoor pursuits in the Adirondacks Mountains all year round!


During the summer months, you can enjoy everything from hiking and climbing to kayaking; while in the winter months you can enjoy outdoor pursuits such as ice fishing, ice climbing, skiing, cross country skiing and snowshoeing.

There are many great spots in upstate New York where you can base a vacation in upstate New York, but if you’re a true winter sports enthusiast you'll want to head to Lake Placid.

If you don’t mind remote spots, the town of Lake Placid is one of the best places in upstate New York to enjoy sports pursuits like rock and ice climbing, snowmobiling and skiing since the town is located nearby Whiteface Mountain.

Winter & Summer Sports

Adrenaline-rushing sports are other popular things to do in upstate NY, and Syracuse (see places to visit in Syracuse NY) and Finger Lakes are probably two of the best winter and summer spots in upstate NY to enjoy water sports.  Both Syracuse and Finger Lakes are located near many great lakes such as Lake Ontario where you can enjoy a ton of watersports and boating opportunities.

Albany and Plattsburgh are two other popular winter and summer spots for an outdoors vacation in upstate New York, particularly the town of Plattsburgh since it's a short drive north of the Adirondacks Mountains.

Plattsburgh is also overlooking the majestic Lake Champlain where you can enjoy sailing, fishing and kayaking during the summer months, as well as ice fishing and ice boarding during the winter months.

Places to Visit in Albany NY

In fact, if you choose to base yourself in Plattsburgh, you’ll be glad to know that Plattsburgh is just a short ferry ride across Lake Champlain to Burlington Vermont where you can enjoy more skiing opportunities.


Hiking & Backcountry Camping

Backcountry camping and hiking are two other popular things to do in upstate NY, and there isn’t a better place for enjoying primitive camping and finding hiking trails than within the Adirondacks High Peaks.

There are lots of camp areas where you can set a tent or lean-tos within the Adirondacks, though you’re only allowed to camp out in designated areas.

On such designated area where you can set up a tent is around Heart Lake. If primitive camping isn’t your thing, there are other backcountry lodging options within the Adirondacks such as the Adirondack cabins on Heart Lake, Keene Valley and Lake Placid lodges.

When it comes to hiking in the Adirondacks, you'll find both easy and moderate trails such as Buck Mountain Trail which boasts easy to moderate marked hiking trails.

The Adirondacks also boasts many mountain trailheads such as Whiteface Mountain and Heart Lake, which is one of the easiest trailheads to follow to access the highest peaks of the Adirondacks.

Attractions of Interest

Another of the popular things to do in upstate NY include exploring some of the the region's top attractions, which include:

Ausable Chasm

Ausable Chasm is one of the most top 10 natural wonders in the USA, and Ausable Chasm is sometimes referred to as "Grand Canyon’s little brother" because of its stunning sand rock formations and rapids!

In fact, whitewater and tube rafting is another of the popular things to do in upstate NY since the Ausable River waters pass through the gorge. You can also enjoy hiking through the gorge to see the majestic rock formations of Ausable Chasm up-close.

By the way, if you’re wondering where this place is, the Ausable Chasm is located a short drive south of the town of Plattsburgh.

Howe Caverns

Visiting Howe Caverns is another of the top things to do in upstate NY, especially if you’re basing your vacation in nearby Albany, Schenectady or Utica.

Howe Caverns are located near the village of Cobleskill and are simply stunning and awe-inspiring caves. If you’ve never been to an underground cave before, you wouldn’t want to miss a visit to this amazing attraction since you can enjoy various types of tours in Howe Carverns such as a lantern tour, or a boat ride along the caves' lake.

The Wild Center

If you're looking for more family-friendly attractions, visiting the Wild Center in Tupper Lake is another of the top things to do in upstate NY with kids.

The Wild Center is located in the heart of the Adirondacks so, you can enjoy a ton of outdoor activities, as well as seeing the indoor exhibits about Adirondacks’ wildlife.

You can also book guided nature walks at the Wild center during the summer months, and snowshoeing excursions in winter.

Fort Ticonderoga

Fort Ticonderoga is an 18th century French fort located just outside of Ticonderoga town. If you’ve never been to a fort before, you’ll enjoy visiting Fort Ticonderoga since you're allowed to explore the different areas of the fort such as the barracks, store room and powder magazine.

The fort opens between May and October, though it’s best to visit the fort during the summer months since most of the pioneer demonstrations and live reenactments are held during this time.

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