It is absolutely stunning museum with so much history in it. I am amazed with all the exhibitions and details that you can find there. Whole history of New York, old trains, cars, fire trucks, centuries of cultural development all in one place. Highly recommend for the whole family or to anyone really- true highlight of the Albany City . Best of all - it’s free of charge ( donation is appreciated). 5 stars

Wonderful museum in the heart of Albany. When you are in the vicinity do yourself a favor and spend some time here. Well thought out lay out, free to walk about.

Took a few seconds and stopped by to see a local museum and was very, very impressed with the knowledge that staff and even the security officer who I talked to. She was so, so, great. I didnt expect the high level of knowledge she was awesome. Went to the thrift shop and was amazed at how polite the workers and the wonderful items and how affordable these items were. Shocked at just how much the vibe and friendly feelings you get when you are there. Amazing next coming event I will be there to support and fund projects. Again amazing place #knowledge is power.

This museum offers 1-2 hours worth of displays for viewing, all focused on the history, archaeology, topography, and wildlife of New York State. All of this is on Floor 1, and a free, historic carousel is available to ride on Floor 4. This museum will not appeal to young children and is not particularly engaging for the reluctant visitor. But for anyone who enjoys history, its a good way to spend some time in Albany for sure

A wonderful place to spend a morning or afternoon if youre in the area. Free parking on weekends or after 2pm and admission is a suggested donation. I spent a few hours here wandering around and was surprised to see the partial Mastodon skeleton that came from only 12 miles up river.My favorite part was definitely the gemstones and minerals though. Almost every mineral found in New York is in their collection, along with so many others. There are also samples of different meteorites to see, as well as a gem collection.

Beautiful and free state museum in Albany. We enjoyed during our first visit. Definitely time well spent.

Lots of exhibits to see. Nicely organized. Poignant 9/11 exhibit. Excellent local animal exhibit as well as locally discovered mastodon and whale skeletons. Minerals and NYC historical sections also interesting.

Although the layout can easily get one turned around, theres always something fun behind the next corner. Kids and adults will enjoy learning New York history from a Mastodon skeleton to 9/11 and everything in-between. Theres a carousel upstairs and best of all the museum is free!

Same as I remember from when as I went as a young one myself. The kids liked a lot of the exhibits shown, and asked a lot of questions about them. Very family oriented location. Unfortunately the carousel on the 4th floor was down for repairs. A good time for the family and friends.

Beautiful, clean, amazing. You can take guided tours, I think, because I saw a few groups with guides. If you are in the Albany area you should definitely stop by and check out some of New Yorks history here. The surrounding area was beautiful, so beautiful I wish to be there again already. The exhibitions are free but you should feel encouraged to leave a donation, I donated $10 and I wish I could have done more, I should have, totally worth it and Im sure they need it, they deserve it.

Whats not to love about a free, fascinating museum that caters to kids and adults alike? My three children truly enjoyed perusing the gems collection, learning about longhouses and native Americans, and they spent a great deal of time in the kid-oriented Discovery center. We were here for hours and did not experience all of the exhibits!We will return again, especially since there is no charge to visit this very interesting and informative museum on all things New York. The parking is free on the street on the weekends, and there seems to be plenty of it.

Awesome free museum to visit while in Albany. My brother even got married here! It turns out that its an excellent venue for a wedding as well with stunning views of downtown Albany in the back drop! Theyll even allow you to ride the carousel during a wedding reception :)

Had an amazing time here with a friend while visiting Albany. Abundant free parking (on weekends) within short walking distance was great too. So many exhibits to see and of such great variety! We ended up spending almost all day there which is always a good sign for a museum.

Very good visit with our 19 month old, the museum was great for her to wander around through, nice clean open space... The only part that I didnt really like was the kids Discovery Place. That part was hot and the toys were a little bit too worn out. Overall it was a great trip!

A good museum but not a great one.

Love this museum! Nice to see the upstairs level being used more. Wish the waterfall and pool by the elk was still running.

Great place to spend a couple of hours. Can never go wrong with free. Donations encouraged.

Wonderful venue with a varied art and cultural scene-lots of family friendly activities all year. I love the flower show and the gem and mineral show especially

We enjoy visiting this museum every few months. My 2 young boys really like looking at everything and the kids area is cute. We especially love the carousel.The only drawback is that the state workers use it as their own personal walking track. There are too many of them and they walk quickly, not paying attention (or caring about) the people that are actually there to see the museum. I had to keep ushering my kids out of their way and stopping to let them by when it should have been the other way around. Its not as bad in the summer because they can walk outside but on freezing days like yesterday it was hard to get around the museum because of how many people there were. Ill reconsider going there again on such a cold day.

It is closed even though it says its open. Dont waist your time until covid-19 is over.

Probably one of the best things you can do for free in Albany. Although, donations are encouraged by the two main entrances. Take a few hours out of your day to really take it in. Start at the east side, or to the left as you enter the main entrance. It flows better if you start this way. There are talks that the Museum will undergo modernization in the near future. It will lose its character as such, including the wishing fountain with the Elk in the center.

Museum is free with suggested donation and has a wide range of topics that cover New York State history and culture. Alot of work is put into the human figures and the animals as well. There are chances for more interaction in the Iroquois longhouse and NYC Subway models. Really cool minerals exhibit. A must-see if you visit the capital.

One of the best museum in capitol region. It your visiting empire State plaza dont miss to cost museum. It is very big museum. It has lot of collection of various monument. It has part of 911 twin towers structure were collected in that incident. I have spent almost 2 hours still it has lot to see in the museum. It vintage fire engines used from 1900 till now. And it is very attractive. Good for bring kids here. It has Grand Central architecture and it is very beautiful to see.

If you love ny, a must see for architectural and commerce history, our birds, our poor and 911 memorial with historical firetrucks.

Nice place to visit for a few hours. Not expensive. Not crowded. Had some interesting or Artistic exhibits. It is not really big like the MET in Manhattan so you can finish in about two hours.

This place has some amazing facts...check it out

My son and I try to go every couple of years since he was probably in kindergarten. Now hes in middle school. Theres always a new exhibit and its fun to point out the local stuff to him so its relatable. The Eric Canal exhibit was cool. Its not something thats talked about a lot outside of CNY, so its great exposure!

I am a tourist. Museums are always interesting to me. This museum chronicles New York history including geology and some ice age Giant Mammoths. There was a section for the World Trade Center event. This was very moving and it brought me to tears. The square that the museum is part of is simply spactacular. You will want to allow time walk around for awhile.I recommend

From childhood to adulthood and across many states this museum has remained a favorite of mine. The main floor exhibits have always been such a great way to learn about the NY environment and history. I have always loved the adirondack displays and also the parts about metro life. The Native American area is amazing. This museum continues to bring learning to life and remind me of my roots a I have lived in Baltimore MD for almost 20 years now. The love of it has moved on to my children and we will continue to visit in the future.

Fabulous resource. Great place for a stroll on a not quite spring day and an opportunity to contemplate our past as well as our future all for no more than a suggested donation.

Such fond Memories growing up here and walking thur the Museum it never gets old for me.

New York State Museum is a must-see whether you have kids or not you should go and visit. Its especially wonderful when you have youngsters because of all the questions are going to have. The displays are awesome one such the display is the 911 Memorial. Caution this particular display is very emotional to some take heed. Wonderful displays about the Adirondacks and of course the Iroquois Indian display is fantastic. The local history from here in Albany as wonderful as well.

Awesome. Must visit when in Albany. Children would love to be there as well as adults to know the history of New York yeasr back

Had not been here since elementary school so was quite a treat. Loved the 911 exhibit and New York History. Great museum and free.

This was an impressive collection of artifacts from all over New York State. It was educational. I can see the T-Rex mascot would be a big hit with the kids.

The museum has a lot of exhibits that focuses on NYC. We learned some fun facts about the city. The 911 exhibition is still difficult to view though. They have an old A train car from 1940’s. There is a 100 year old carousel on the 4th floor that goes every 15 mins and it’s free too. The museum is located in Empire State plaza where you can walk around and appreciate some amazing views of the architecture and sculptures.

Really interesting museum! It is worth visiting.

BEST PLACE AROUND TO LOOK CAW CAW!!! PARKING IS BIT ROUGH CAW CAW

So we love it. Its a beautiful museum really clean awesome things to look at and explore. Only concern is my son is almost 5 Im not sure how kid friendly it is. There is a kids part but its pretty small

Gem show! Had a lot of fun. Harlem Display is a great educational tool. Just a relaxing place to be on a lazy Sunday. Good parking. And the Carousel!!!

Perfect activity for a few hours in Albany. I love that it is donation based. It made it a great economical experience for an educational and fun family afternoon.

This place is great! I will continue to recommend and return!

First time to visit museum, although I have often visited the state library upstairs. We enjoyed the several exhibits my 89 year old Dad had energy for, especially those about early Dutch settlers in the area, womens rights battles in NYS the last 150 years or so, the Adirondacks and the original art colony known as Woodstock, a sort of artists commune. Next time well hit 9/11 and the rest!

Absolutely wonderisticly Beautifulcatedly awesomeness!!

Very nice museum & pretty relaxing while strolling multiple floors

An absolutely fantastic experience. There is so much here to explore.

This was cooler than I thought it would be. I expected it to be interesting, but I really enjoyed myself and found myself wishing that I had more time to spend there. Side note: Id never been to Albany before, and didnt realize there was a while underground plaza connecting many of the buildings in and around Capitol Hill. Made the trip much more pleasant on a chilly November day.

We recently moved to Albany and had heard about this from a friend. Lots of read exhibits for both kids and adults. admission is free but they recommend a donation to help support the museum operations. We went on a Saturday and museum is not overly busy. we walked around for about 2 hours and only saw the natural history half of the museum. theres a whole other half dedicated to New York City and its development over the years. I think the museum did a good job of making the exhibits educational but interesting for both kids and adults.

Upstate Albany trip won’t be complete without visiting this place. It makes you feel you are in the city even if you are miles away from New York City....

Excellent, free public museum located in downtown Albany. There is street and lot parking available nearby, with the pricing of the lot varying with the time of day. Several local bus lines also service the street directly in front of the museum. The museum has large exhibits dedicated to NYC, 9/11, fire trucks and EMS vehicles as well as a WWII memorial and an exhibit on the wilderness of upstate New York. A must visit if you’re passing through, as I was, or if you’re in Albany

An underappreciated gem for sure! Admission is officially free, although donations are good. There are both permanent and changing exhibits, as well as events. Informative and interesting. The website is very helpful. The staff persons are all personable too ... From the front desk to the gift shop, as well as Natalie the security/gallery staffer... Thanks for making our visit a great one, and we look forward to the next time. #iloveny

Very nice museum that tells the history of New York from pre Ice Age to the Present. There is an amazing yet somber 911 exhibit. We spent 3 hours there and didnt see everything but would return to check out the temporary exhibits.

Great day trip, the Museum is not so big that you cant see all the displays in an afternoon.The historical presentations was especially interesting.

Everything about Manhattan you ever wanted to know, all in a museum which purports to exhibit the whole state. Very nice exhibitions about Amerindian civilization in the region of New York.

Very informative. You will find many interesting exhibits for all ages.

Love this place, make sure I visit, once or twice a year and just take my time walking around reading and enjoying the history. Seems no matter how many times I visit I leave learning something new! Fantastic for a rainy. The Adirondack logging display is amazing and offers excellent insight on the time. The fire trucks are my personal favorite

The 911 exhibit is so humbling. The African American exhibits is inspiring and educational. I really enjoyed my visit.

Great museum that has a wide variety of topics. We enjoyed the 911 section. But also there is history, animals, cars and much more. Part of a larger beautiful government complex.

Huge, wonderful place with a lot of things to see and learn about

Excellent exhibits and they dont charge an entrance. Their exhibits were really interesting and a lot were focused on NYC history. Other areas focused on wildlife or Native Americans. The architecture of this building and the Plaza are really great sights to see. I was pleasantly surprised by the place and the kids enjoyed it. I eagerly donated to the place.

One of my favorite museums. Were lucky to have such a nice state museum. I also have used their library and archives for genealogy and it was so helpful.

So glad that New York State has its very own Museum & Archives dedicated to our nation’s history, geology, and art. The interior layout is wonky, however. We visited on the day before school break; activities were planned for this audience and the Museum was crowded with kids. Activity stations blocked permanent exhibitions—which can be (and is, in fact) annoying.

Being the state capital museum, I did have higher expectations. The museum portion is a floor out of the 11? (Dont quote me on this) floors this building has along with a carousel on the fourth floor (NYS Library was on the 7th and 11th floors). Exhibitions spanned from 9/11, to the history of NYS, and some animals. One would be able to go through the museum in about 2 hours, or longer depending on how thorough you would like to be (I arrived about 2.5 hours before closing).As previously mentioned I did have higher expectations, however the museum was still great. Not as exciting as museums in NYC such as the museum of natural history, but still worth seeing. I have attached pictures of things I found to be of interest. Will definitely be going back to comb through the exhibitions without haste.Museum does offer amenities for those differently abled. If you need a wheelchair, I would not hesitate to ask at the front desk in the lobby. The museum is appropriate for people of all ages.

We went to the Childrens Halloween activity. Was our first visit and definitely we are going back.

It would have been a little more friendly if the adjoining plaza was accessible and open, instead it was filled with random homeless people and there was not one exit to the top of the concourse. Not one of the restaurants or shops were open and it was poorly signed. Might as well have just shut all doors except the two you need to pass thru. The museum itself was nice but not as entertaining for the little kids after the brief visit they the childrens area.

The New York state museum is a wonderful place to visit. The exhibits are well thought out and properly placed. The only suggestion is maybe daily guided tours as it is so large and it seems very few people visit the other floors.

Warm amazing exhibits and nearly free! A great afternoon awaits the curious! Good for individuals or IRL friend and family time! Nice parking and handicapped accessible!

Great museum. Lots to see. I parked in the parking structure and walked to the museum. The staff was very friendly and helpful and provided good information. I went here with family and a friend. Its a great place to take people who have never been before. Its a great experience. I will be back.

We had a lot of fun here. Well laid out, informative and a great way to spend a couple hours. Dont forget the awesome carousel!!

Great place for local history of NY, animals, building, immigration, 911, fire fighters and much more

Very interesting. When I went their, there was a hockey game going on and you could watch it for free. The sand sculpture they had is amazing

It’s been my family’s favorite museum.

We were in town for the basketball game and decided to check out the museum as well. We could have spent an entire day there! We definitely will be going back as we only made it through the 4th floor, the carousels and some planes, and the Adirondack section of the first floor. Theres lots of New York history that is well displayed and well kept up. The horses on the carousel are 120 years old!!

Very impressive! Sesame Street was cool, you could spend hours in the 9/11 section. There is a lot to see, so plan on being here for a few hours.

I go here once a yr 4 a luncheon 2 SPEAK WITH OUR Senators & Legislators on MANY political, educational or community-based PROBLEMS! They have their political MEETINGS, we get 2 HEAR directly from them! I ENJOY GOING except last yr, WE HAD 2 CUT THE TRIP SHORT BC WE GOT SNOWED OUT BY THE BAD WEATHER!

Perfect place to go on a rainy day. We enjoyed browsing through all the exhibits. The 9/11 exhibit was very interesting, extensive, and emotional.

Nice place

This is a great way to spend the day. The exhibits give a great understanding of the the state. I cant wait to see the new exhibits as they come in. I definitely learn something new every time I go in. And to ride on a carousel that is over a hundred years old is a pretty amazing way to end the experience.

The history of the Albay, I saw it through the Muzim. The display was beautiful and everything was explained very clearly. I loved it it was an awesome experience for me.

A noteworthy museum with different exhibits and artifacts detailing New York Stare through history. From Prehistoric fossils to Iroquois tribal life and beyond.

Super enjoyable afternoon at the museum. The space is well kept and had lots of interesting information. We ran out of time to see the 4th floor and the carousel was out of order. Definitely worth another trip next time we visit the Albany area.

There’s plenty to explore and all the exhibits are well kept. Definitely will be returning to see more!

You can easily spend a while day here. Really liked it and I wish I could have stayed longer.

Great, free museum. Very moving permanent display on the 9/11 attacks.

Great museum for all ages, covering NYs wilderness, urban life (and its influence on the rest of the state), and a fantastic section on the native peoples who originally settled here.

Absolutely love this place .. great place to go with your kids n grandchildren...also the veiw from the top is amazing

I actually really loved it. Learned so much with my family. It was a great experience

Wow.... this museum is amazing.... new experience altogether

Im from Florida, was in Albany on a business trip. So glad I took the time to see this museum. Its huge and clean with great history on the area. Gift shop is reasonable, had to get a few things for my kids. The 911 exhibit was the best part of my entire trip... Really makes the event and its impact so tangible and real, would recommend for everyone. Take the time to watch the videos. There was only one other person in the exhibit with me as it was a weekday and we both were fighting back tears.

Visited the museum for the first time since I was in elementary school. It was cool then but now - Wow! There are so many exhibits and some are so big. Wandering through is an adventure in itself.Great for adults and kids (there were lots there today and they were loving it).

Great museum with minerals and 9/11 exhibit the part with the the Indians was sweet great gift shop nice security guards

I recently moved to Albany, New York and a great starting point to learning the history of the state is at the New York State Museum. It fits any budget since its donations only. Please donate if you can because this is one you dont want to miss. The history from the first Dutch and English colonies, rum industries, fur trade, native history, to more recent times. There is a great collection of fire engines dating back to the 1800s and a 911 memorial. There is so much to see in this wonderful state and this museum showcases a lot of it.

We had a couple of hours to do something in Albany and chose to see the museum. My 10 year old daughter wished we could have spent the whole day here, but we had to cut it short. We didnt get to see most of the museum. We spent at least an hour in the mineral section as my daughter was fascinated by them. Cost is by donation, which I didnt know and I didnt have cash in hand. The only downsides were the gift shop, which had a woefully sad variety of gifts and that the carousel wasnt running due to needing repairs. The gentleman I spoke with said he heard it would be at least late spring before opening. Thats ok... Just another reason to go visit again! Oh!! Beware of the parking!! Read all signs. Most metered on street parking ends at 3PM.

My wife and I had a lot of fun at the New York State Museum. There are a ton of exhibits that range from art to prehistoric New York history to 9/11. Its almost overwhelming the amount of exhibits, so be prepared to spend a few hours here or come back multiple times. In particular the 9/11 exhibit is a must see.

Especially liked the 9/11 Memorial section - very informative and comprehensive display.

What a fun place. Incredible collection of New York State stoneware. Make sure you choose A-day where the weather is nice because its always a fun to go for a walk on the state plaza when youre done.

Very pleasant visit. Not particularly spectacular but if you are in the area theres some great animal exhibits, historical exhibits, and preserved items such as materials from 9/11. Very informative and intriguing.

I could literally come here everyday. Great exhibits and so calm, peaceful & relaxing. Very unfortunate that the Holocaust exhibit was closed.

Nice array of artifacts but no cafeteria. but its nice for the price of free! Also the 911 exhibition was nice

Fun and educational for all ages..