albany institute of history & art

We have visited the Albany Institute a number of times and particularly enjoy the sections on Albany history and the Dutch period. There are also a number of Hudson River School paintings which we always like to see.

This museum is a gem! A baseball exhibit of artifacts, game history, and films to me is even better than Cooperstown! Famous for Egyptian Mummies exhibit, along with India artifacts, and some great Hudson River Artwork. Not overwhelming, but everything that they have is first rate in every way! Free admission on Thursday nights from 5 to 8 p.m.! Worth a special trip to see this Albany Gem!

good staff, some nice local displays and history. research parking ahead of time or it could get frustrating. this is real close to the Capital. decent shop.

This is a great example of an art museum in a smaller venue. It's not MOMA or the Met, but what it does it does well. We enjoyed the regional connections with the Hudson River school the coverlets and the statuary exhibits. The contemporary exhibit downstairs was a head scratcher in some cases, but that's probably the point. We had already seen the previous installation of the Egyptian exhibit, so we were enlightened by the new elements and fresh design. ALSO--if you have a library card at the TROY LIBRARY, you can get free admission. You just have to go to the library and check out the permit. It's good for your whole family.

This is a gem of a small museum with outstanding contemporary exhibitions, classic historic area folk art, painting and sculpture and mummies! We often forget about this museum but are always delighted when we return. It effectively captures the local history and color but leaves you wanting even more.

A lovely, and, more important to me, not overwhelming museum right in the heart of Albany.It delightfully combines history and art of the region - plus has new exhibits on a routine basis. I have to admit though- my favorite part of the museum is the incredibly eclectic gift store. I have visited many museums here and abroad- and this gift shop is one of the best.It offers a plethora of gifts in all price ranges, many of which are crafted by local artists. Everything in the gift shop is related in one way or another to the exhibits. It is as if you get a museum within a museum. A fun and instructive way to spend a few hours when visiting the Capital of NY State

We visited here with some family on an afternoon and enjoyed a two hour visit to this nice museum that has quite a mix of art styles reflecting the art scene over the years in Albany, NY. There is something here for just about anybody with fine art of the Hudson River School, Egyptian mummies, folk art from the Dutch settlement historic quilts, sculpture and modern pieces. One should be prepared to browse amongst these styles in a visit. There is a nice museum shop. Nearby there is a wide variety of ethnic food oferings.

I had heard of this museum but never went until a friend invited me this weekend. I'm adding to places to take visitors in Albany. Its $8-$10 to get in most days and we were there for about 2 hours. The current exhibit on the Hudson Valley region and regional artists was interesting. On the third floor, the exhibit on Mummies was small but VERY informative. We really enjoyed the information on x-raying and CT scans of the mummy on display.

We spent a couple of hours here, going through the exhibits. They have assembled some lovely artwork here, especially the Hudson School artists, and we enjoyed it all.

I went to see the quilt exhibit - they were comparing historic quilts with trends of the time that they were made. That was a very interesting concept. They had some mummies and Egyptian artifacts. They had some Hudson school paintings - and some furniture. It was an eclectic collection, but pretty high quality, well displayed and manageable to see in an afternoon. The museum shop was very nice.

My mom and I went to see the exhibit of quilts, coverlets, and bed hangings (called Undercover on display through March 8, 2015) and loved it. Some very impressive work mostly from the 1800s. While we were there, we explored the modern art exhibit - 2014 Exhibition by Artists of the Mohawk-Hudson Region (on display through January 19, 2015). We decided that modern art wasn't our thing. Also on display were a small but diverse Egyptian collection including 2 mummies. I lived in Egypt for 2.5 years so definition of a small collection may be skewed. If you are living the Capital Region and are interested in Ancient Egypt, this would be a nice visit. There are also exhibits of the Hudson River School and 19th Century Landscapes and a very nice display of artifacts from early settlers of the area. It is all worth checking out, even if you are going to look at one exhibit in particular.The gift shop was very nice and had lots of books and art work for sale. This is a good place to some unique shopping. I'll be stopping by for some Christmas presents, especially since I work nearby.

Excellent collection of Hudson Valley paintings, mummies with interesting backstory, nice gift shop, Dutch and early history exhibits. Small but well curated.

The Albany Institute of History and Art is the perfect start to exploring the Hudson River School of Art. They have a very nicely put together exhibition with most of the major players represented and clear explanation of how the school developed, flourished and then declined. A perfect way to start an exploration that could then include the Thomas Cole House and Olana (the home of Frederick Church) two of the major practitioners of this style. Both of these are within a hour of Albany.

This museum was delightful! Exhibits were interesting and captivating - both historical and contemporary. Allow plenty of time.

The do a great job with the xhibits and the grounds are immaculate. The downsides are its for an older crowd and is cost prohibitive. I cant really blame them i wouldn't want most of the city residents in my museum either