The New York State Museum

The New York State Museum is the single largest cultural attraction in the region, welcoming almost 750,000 visitors a year. It is a major destination for area residents as well as for tourists from all over the world. More than 35,000 school children each year come from areas as diverse as Buffalo, Plattsburgh, and the Bronx to see what they learn in school come alive in innovative Museum programs and exhibitions.

The Museum hosts annual events such as “New York in Bloom” and the “Annual James Campbell Memorial Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show and Sale” which attract about 20 to 25 thousand visitors on the one weekend in February that they are offered.

Founded in 1836, the museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the U.S.
Located in the panoramic Terrace Gallery, Windows on New York features a historic working carousel. The World Trade Center: Rescue Recovery Response, anchored by one of the first fire pumpers at the scene on September 11, 2001, continues to attract visitors from around the world.

Other permanent exhibitions include the Adirondack Wilderness, Native Peoples of New York, with a full-size re-creation of an Iroquois longhouse and New York Metropolis, featuring everything from an actual subway car to part of the stage set of Sesame Street.
Natural history displays exhibit 100-million-year-old fossils, the bones of a prehistoric mastodon, minerals, and 170 species of native birds.

The Museum also hosts a variety of temporary exhibitions including the Bank of America Great Art Series, which showcases great masterpieces from the state's leading art museums.
Kids from 1 to 92 enjoy the excitement of hands-on-learning at the Discovery Place. A variety of exciting programs are held here throughout the year, including world-class concerts and other performances in the Clark Auditorium.

Further information about programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877. The New York State Museum, established in 1836, is a program of the New York State Department of Education.
Located at the Empire State Plaza on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free and the Museum is fully accessible. Additional information is available on the museum website at The New York State Museum

Museums in New York State

Focus on three Adirondack Lodging