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Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Albany Institute of History & Art

Name: Albany Institute of History & Art
Address: 125 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12210, US
Telephone: (518) 463-4478
Price range: $
Rating: 4.4

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Albany Institute of History & Art

Albany Institute of History & Art New York's oldest museum is located in downtown Albany and showcases exhibitions that range from colonial history to contemporary art.
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Come make art, hear a lecture, take a tour, research history, shop for gifts, and more. Founded in 1791, the Albany Institute is one of the oldest museums in the United States. We are dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting and promoting interest in the history, art and culture of Albany and the Upper Hudson Valley.

05/01/2025

AIHA on the road 🚚

If you've visited the Hudson River School gallery recently, you may have noticed that Thomas Cole's studies for The Voyage of Life have been replaced with reproductions. That's because these four paintings are included in the Thomas Cole National Historic Site's new exhibition. Opening this Saturday, the exhibition centers on Cole's daughter Emily Cole. Visit thomascole.org for more information 🌄

[Study for The Voyage of Life: Childhood, Thomas Cole (1801-1848), 1839, oil on wood panel, AIHA purchase, 1942.56.1]

Thomas Cole National Historic Site

04/30/2025

The week ahead at AIHA:
🍻 May 2 from 5–7PM: First Friday free gallery admission, pop-up cash bar by The Larkin Hi-Fi, and music by DJ Sam
💐 May 2 from 5:30–6:30PM: Floral Design Workshop led by Pepper Floral—spots remain $40 AIHA members and $50 non-members
🆓 May 3–4: Museums on Us free admission for Bank of America cardholders all weekend
👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 May 3 at 11AM: Guided Family Tour of the galleries, free with admission
🎨 May 3 from 12–4PM: Art for All—drop in and make your own masterpiece, free with admission
📽️ May 4 at 11AM: Screening of Truth Tellers documentary, free with admission
🗣️ May 4 at 2PM: Docent Tour—enrich your experience of the galleries, free with admission
🖼️ Galleries open Wednesday–Sunday. Visit special exhibitions Americans Who Tell the Truth, On the Road to Cragsmoor with Charles Courtney Curran, and Portrait Pairings, in addition to Ancient Egypt and the Hudson River School collections.

Photo © Fullness of Joy Photography

Americans Who Tell the Truth

04/29/2025

📽️ Learn more about the subjects and artist behind Americans Who Tell the Truth at our second screening of "Truth Tellers" this Sunday, May 4 at 11AM. "Truth Tellers" is an award-winning documentary about artist and activist Robert Shetterly, who has painted over 275 portraits—42 of which are on display at AIHA in the current exhibition.

⭐ The screening is free with museum admission. Please note: doors will open at 10:30AM; galleries remain closed until standard opening at 12PM.

Americans Who Tell the Truth

04/25/2025

April 25, 1865, President Lincoln’s funeral train stopped in Albany on its way to his home in Springfield, Illinois. It was estimated that 50,000 people lined the streets to see the funeral cortege. Julian DeVaux O’Brien, the nine-year-old son of millinery goods dealer John A. O’Brien, witnessed and drew Lincoln’s funeral procession, which included the police force, a military es**rt, a congressional delegation, elected officials, fire departments, and four bands. The hearse bearing the coffin was pulled by eight white horses. O’Brien grew up to be a bookkeeper in Albany’s lumber district before moving west to Buffalo and then to Cleveland, where he was active in the lumber business until his death there in 1929.

See the drawing on view in the current exhibition Portrait Pairings, now through July 20: https://ow.ly/G0RZ50VEWju

[President Lincoln’s Funeral April 1865, Julian DeVaux O’Brien (1856–1929), 1865, pencil on paper. AIHA, gift of J. King Rosendale, 1998.27]

04/24/2025

First Friday Vibes 🌷🍹🎶 Join us Friday, May 2 for free gallery admission from 5–7PM and music by DJ Sam, plus a pop-up cash bar by The Larkin Hi-Fi who will be serving local and specialty sips.

In addition, Pepper Floral will lead an immersive floral design workshop inspired by The Peris by Charles Courtney Curran. Create your own arrangement with a serene palette of white roses, soft green foliage, and dark blue accents. The workshop starts at 5:30PM; $40 for AIHA members and $50 for non-members. Spots are limited, register online at https://ow.ly/oLP150VGemm

First Friday Albany The 518

04/23/2025

The week ahead at AIHA:
👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 April 26: Family Gallery Tour at 11AM—discover the stories behind the art.
🎨 April 26: Art for All—drop in and make your own masterpiece between 12–4 PM.
🗣️ April 27: Docent Tour at 2PM—enrich your experience of the galleries.
🖼️ Galleries open Wednesday–Sunday. Visit special exhibitions On the Road to Cragsmoor with Charles Courtney Curran, Americans Who Tell the Truth, and Portrait Pairings, in addition to Ancient Egypt and the Hudson River School collections.

Photo © Fullness of Joy Photography

04/22/2025

🌎 April 22, 1970, marked the first national when an estimated 20 million people took part across the United States, attending rallies and teach-ins, planting trees, and cleaning up streets, parks, rivers, and beaches.

That same day, folk singer and environmental activist Pete Seeger sailed the one year old sloop Clearwater to Washington D.C. where he performed for crowds on the Washington Mall and spoke to Congress with messages of support for the Clean Water Act. Today, the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater continues to inspire change through grassroots action and education.

⛵ Stay tuned for a special sail with Clearwater and AIHA in celebration of Americans Who Tell the Truth!

Hudson River Sloop Clearwater Americans Who Tell the Truth

04/21/2025

John Muir born April 21, 1838 🌲⛰️

Conservationist, naturalist, and explorer who helped found the Sierra Club in 1892, Muir advanced the importance of protecting the earth's natural resources. Directly involved in the creation of Yosemite, Sequoia, Mount Rainier, Petrified Forest, and Grand Canyon National Parks, Muir became known as “the Father of our National Parks."

“The battle we have fought, and are still fighting, for the forests is part of the eternal conflict between right and wrong, and we cannot expect to see the end of it... So we must count on watching and striving for these trees, and should always be glad to find anything so surely good and noble to strive for.” – John Muir

Programmed in conjunction with the exhibition Americans Who Tell the Truth, the Albany Institute recently partnered with the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter to present a lecture by Aaron Mair, former president of the Sierra Club, to discuss Muir's legacy and the future of conservation. Visit www.youtube.com/ to watch the recording.

Americans Who Tell the Truth Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter (NY)

04/20/2025

Happy Easter from the Albany Institute 🐇💐 The museum is closed today, but here’s a little vintage joy from our collection to celebrate: a postcard from the early 1900s featuring rabbits running a bustling stand.

With the way egg prices have been lately, we’re not surprised this bunny bazaar is hopping! 🥚💸

04/19/2025

April 19 is the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington

These two prints from the Albany Institute's collection are part of a set of four views of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Plate I illustrates the scene when seven hundred British troops marched to Lexington Common on April 19 with orders to confiscate or destroy munitions and other supplies that the Americans had stockpiled in the area. The British faced about forty Minutemen. Both the American and British commanders ordered their men to hold their fire. Nevertheless, a shot was fired and a massacre ensued.

In Plate IV, the composition shows a continuous narrative to fit multiple incidents into one picture. In the middle ground the two British commanders meet on horseback. In the foreground Minutemen are shown firing on the British troops. On a hill in the middle right ground is one of the British cannons. The most riveting image is the columns of smoke rising from the burning houses of three Lexington families.

Stay tuned for more highlights from AIHA's collection in the leadup to

[The Battle of Lexington April 19th, 1775. Plate I. View of the South Part of Lexington. Plate IV. Amos Doolittle (1754-1832) after Ralph Earl (1751-1801), hand-colored engraving on paper, 1775. AIHA gift of Dr. Bela J. Ward and H. Judd Ward, 1920.2.1 &.4]

04/17/2025

The Albany Institute was honored to host a naturalization ceremony welcoming 30 new U.S. citizens from countries across the globe, including Brazil, Côte d'Ivoire, Germany, Ghana, Korea, Ukraine, and many more. The ceremony was presided over by the Honorable Mae A. D’Agostino, with welcome remarks by Executive Director Kayla Carlsen. The League of Women's Voters of Albany County provided voter registration information and resources.

Congratulations to all who took the oath—and to their families and friends!

Photos © Linda Conley Photography

League Of Women Voters of NYS

04/16/2025

The week ahead at AIHA:
👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 April 19: Family Gallery Tour at 11AM—discover the stories behind the art.
🎨 April 19: Art for All—drop in and make your own masterpiece between 12–4 PM.
🎬 April 19: Special screening at 2PM of Farming While Black—a powerful film featuring Leah Penniman, founder of Soul Fire Farm whose portrait is on view in Americans Who Tell the Truth
🐇 April 20: AIHA closed in observance of Easter Sunday.
🖼️ Galleries open Wednesday–Saturday: Explore our current exhibitions and collections.

[Film still from Farming While Black, 2018, Kontent Films]

Soul Fire Farm

04/15/2025

Looking for fun and engaging activities for the whole family during spring break? Visit the Albany Institute for a week of creativity, exploration, and inspiration!

🖼️ Daily (Wed–Sat): Galleries open with three special exhibitions, including a scavenger hunt related to Americans Who Tell the Truth, as well as permanent displays of Ancient Egypt and the Hudson River School.
🌈 Daily (Wed–Sun): Self-serve coloring in the café—grab a seat and get creative!
👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 April 19, 11AM: Family Gallery Tour—discover the stories behind the art.
🎨 April 19, 12–4 PM: Art for All—drop in and make your own masterpiece.
🎬 April 19, 2PM: Special screening of Farming While Black—a powerful film exploring food justice and sustainable agriculture.

All programs are free with museum admission. Make the most of spring break with art, history, and hands-on fun!

Photo © Fullness of Joy Photography

04/14/2025

Frank Serpico was born April 14, 1936.

Frank Serpico is a former NYPD officer who became a national icon for speaking out against corruption in the department during the 1960s and 70s. His story, made famous by the film Serpico starring Al Pacino, highlights his refusal to take bribes and his courageous testimony that led to the Knapp Commission investigation. After surviving a near-fatal shooting, Serpico has continued his fight for justice and civil liberties, supporting others who speak truth to power—what he calls “lamp lighters," a term he prefers to the more common “whistleblowers,” because it evokes memories of the historic ride in which Paul Revere made a great deal of noise and caused the lanterns to be lit.

“A policeman’s first obligation is to be responsible to the needs of the community he serves…The problem is that the atmosphere does not yet exist in which an honest police officer can act without fear of ridicule or reprisal from fellow officers. We create an atmosphere in which the honest officer fears the dishonest officer, and not the other way around.”

See Frank Serpico's portrait in the exhibition Americans Who Tell the Truth, on view through July 20.

Americans Who Tell the Truth

Address

125 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY
12210

Opening Hours

Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	12pm - 5pm

Telephone

(518) 463-4478

Website

http://www.albanyinstitute.org/

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Founded in 1791, the Albany Institute of History & Art is New York’s oldest museum. Visitors enjoy exhibitions that range from colonial history to contemporary art. The museum is best known for its Hudson River School collection and the “Albany mummies.” Visit our website for current exhibitions, special events, family programs, lectures, art classes, and more.