Albany Audio Tours

The New York State Capitol sits at the north end of the Empire State Plaza, completed in 1899 after 32 years of construction. It is unusual for a state capitol in having no dome. Free tours run weekdays through the ornate interior, including the Million Dollar Staircase with its 77 carved stone faces. Views from the roof terraces are available on some tours.

The Center Square and Washington Park neighborhoods, just west of the Capitol, are Albany's most intact Victorian residential areas, full of brownstone rowhouses from the 1860s to 1890s. Lark Street, which runs through Center Square, has the highest concentration of independent cafes and bars in the city. The Pastures neighborhood south of downtown has some of the oldest surviving houses.

The Albany County Hall of Records on Lodge Street has a remarkable collection of Dutch-era documents. Fort Crailo in Rensselaer, directly across the Hudson River and accessible by car, is an 18th-century Dutch colonial house museum. The Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center near the Hudson riverfront provides orientation maps and historical context.

Albany is an excellent base. Saratoga Springs, with its historic racetrack and spa parks, is 40 miles north. The Hudson Valley estates including Olana (Frederick Church's Persian fantasy house) and Kinderhook (Martin Van Buren's home) are south along the river. The Catskill Mountains are about 45 miles southwest.