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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: +15184634478
Price range: $
Rating: 4.5

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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.

08/09/2026

Two new exhibitions are opening soon at the Albany Institute!

Mexico Masks / Rituals: Photographs by Phyllis Galembo | Opens August 29
This major solo exhibition features striking large-scale portraits celebrating the artistry of ceremonial dress and masquerade traditions, alongside costumes from the internationally acclaimed photographer’s collection.

Inspired Landscapes: Women of the Hudson River School | Opens August 22
Featuring recent acquisitions that expand the museum’s holdings of works by women artists, the exhibition highlights paintings and works on paper by Susie M. Barstow, Julie Hart Beers, and Eliza Greatorex, among others.

Celebrate both exhibitions during a reception on Friday, September 18. Sign up to receive the reception invite and AIHA's e-news: https://ow.ly/5ym950ZwMtx.

[Image 1: Bailarines de la Danze de las Mascaritas, Asunción Nochixtlán, Oaxaca, Phyllis Galembo, 2022, Fujiflex print. Courtesy of the artist and Axis Gallery, NY & NJ. Image 2: Joseph Chaudlait House on Bloomingdale Road, Eliza Pratt Greatorex, 1876, oil on canvas. AIHA, gift of Ron Berg, 2024.12.1]

08/07/2026

The Washington Post recently published its list of the 25 most influential works of American culture—and many have remarkable connections to the Albany Institute's collection.

From a 1791 Albany printing of Thomas Paine's Common Sense to Thomas Cole's illustration of Rip Van Winkle and Albany's iconic Nipper, our collection preserves the people, places, and ideas that helped shape the American story.

➡️ Swipe to explore the connections.

Discover the Washington Post's complete list here: https://ow.ly/yv9150Zx9ge

08/06/2026

Have you ever wondered about the stories behind the memorials in Albany Rural Cemetery?

Join Dr. Lynn Radlick for a presentation on Erastus Dow Palmer, one of the nineteenth century's most celebrated sculptors, whose works are featured in the Albany Institute's current exhibition, Your Friend, Frederic E. Church.

The talk is free for First Friday: Friday, August 7 at 6PM.

Dr. Radlick will also lead two special walking tours of Albany Rural Cemetery on August 16 and September 19, highlighting Palmer's sculptures and his final resting place. Learn more at https://ow.ly/9F7L50ZwMcI.

[The Angel at the Sepulchre, n.d, photographic reproduction of a sculpture by Erastus Dow Palmer. Albany Institute of History & Art Library, DI 293, BV448 B5 F60]

Friends of Albany Rural Cemetery

08/05/2026

✨ First Friday at the Albany Institute is back! Enjoy free gallery admission and artmaking, live music by Arch Stanton Jazz, and a special presentation by Dr. Lynn Radlick on Erastus Dow Palmer and the Albany Rural Cemetery. This and much more—your week ahead at AIHA:

🎨 August 5 from 12–3PM: Art Cart activity in the galleries, free with admission
🖌️ August 7 from 3–5PM: Young Artists Lab drop-in studio, free with admission
🎸 August 7 from, 5–7PM: First Friday, free admission, live music, and artmaking
👼 August 7 at 6PM: Erastus Dow Palmer presentation, free for First Friday
👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Aug 8 from 11–11:45AM: Guided Family Tour of the galleries, free with admission
🎨 Aug 8 from 12–4PM: Art for All hands-on artmaking, free with admission
🗣️ Aug 9 from 2–3PM: Docent Tour of the galleries, free with admission
🖼️ Galleries open Wednesday–Sunday.

Photos: Fullness of Joy Photography

08/01/2026

"'Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist' at the Albany Institute of History & Art presents the underappreciated achievements of an artist whose work played a key role in defining American art," writes Taliesin Thomas in Chronogram. "Her dynamic color combinations, Cubist-infused geometric style, and harmonious compositions pull us into an eloquent dance with avant-garde formalism while the timeline of her artworks illuminate the evolution of her practice, from conservative talent to vanguard master."

This is the final weekend to experience Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist. See the remarkable work of this pioneering American modernist while you still can—on view through Sunday, August 2.

Read the full view at albanyinstitute.org/aiha-in-the-news

Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist is organized by the Art Museum of West Virginia University and generously supported by Art Bridges.

Photos: Fullness of Joy Photography

07/31/2026

🎨 Last chance to register for Artful Mornings!

Calling all young artists ages 6–12: spend August mornings at the Albany Institute exploring the galleries, experimenting with new ideas, and creating your own works of art alongside our museum educators.

This summer’s sessions explore nature and landscape, Albany during the Civil War, light and shadow, and the history of board games with hands-on projects inspired by the museum’s exhibitions and collections.

🖌️ Ages 9–12: Three-day sessions, 9AM–12PM
🎨 Ages 6–8: One-day sessions, 9AM–12PM
📅 Sessions begin August 4 and continue throughout the end of the month.

Space is limited and advanced registration is required: https://www.albanyinstitute.org/event/artful-mornings

Register now and spend a summer morning making art at the Albany Institute!

07/30/2026

🗞️ AIHA in the News: Writing in The New Criterion, critic Franklin Einspruch calls Lazzell “a great American improbability,” tracing her remarkable path from Maidsville, West Virginia, to New York, Europe, and Provincetown, concluding that: “Lazzell’s oeuvre deserves to be known as one of the finer achievements of American art.”

Don’t miss the final days to experience Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist, on view through August 2. The Albany Institute is the final stop of this nationally touring exhibition before the works return to West Virginia University.

Read the full view at albanyinstitute.org/aiha-in-the-news

Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist is organized by the Art Museum of West Virginia University and generously supported by Art Bridges.

[1: Blanche Lazzell (1878–1956), Hollyhock, 1917, oil on canvas, 25 5/8 x 18 1/8 in. Art Museum of West Virginia University Collection, gift of Nancy Watkins in memory of James F. McKinley and Nancy W. McKinley. 2: Painting X, 1927, oil on canvas, 50 3/16 x 36 1/8 in. Art Museum of West Virginia University Collection. 3: The White Petunia, block cut 1932, printed 1954, color woodblock print, 14 1/2 x 12 5/8 in. Art Museum of West Virginia University Collection, gift of James C. and Janet G. Reed.]

07/29/2026

⚡ Last chance! This is the final week to see Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American Modernist, the final stop of the nationally touring exhibition before the works return to West Virginia University.

✨ Plus—children 12 and under plus one accompanying adult caretaker get free admission now through the end of August!

🎨 July 29 from 12–3PM: Art Cart activity in the galleries, free with admission
🖌️ July 31 from 3–5PM: Young Artists Lab drop-in studio, free with admission
Aug 1–2: Bank of America Museums on Us weekend
👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Aug 1 from 11–11:45AM: Guided Family Tour of the galleries, free with admission
🎨 Aug 1 from 12–4PM: Art for All hands-on artmaking, free with admission
🗣️ Aug 2 from 2–3PM: Docent Tour of the galleries, free with admission
🖼️ Galleries open Wednesday–Sunday.

Photos: Fullness of Joy Photography

07/27/2026

🎶 Music on the Lawn is back!

Join us for the Albany Institute’s lively outdoor concert series, featuring great local music, free gallery admission and art activities, food trucks onsite, and relaxed evenings on the museum front lawn. Music on the Lawn is free and open to all.

☀️ August 19: Jazz & Bossa Nova
Music by Bossamba
Food by PDT Catering serving Mediterranean cuisine

🎵 September 16: World Music
Music by Heard
Food by Roy's Caribbean Restaurant
Presented as part of the City of Albany Government Arts in the City series

🍂 October 21: Son Jarocho
Music by Pulso de Barro
Food by Tacos El Tenate

Music on the Lawn is cosponsored by the Music Performance Trust Fund and arranged by the Albany Musicians' Association (AFM Local 14).

Generous support for Music on the Lawn is provided by M&T Bank.

07/24/2026

🧶 Did you contribute to the community weaving project with artist Margot Becker? Come see the finished work on view at the Albany Institute!

Inspired by Julia McEntee Dillon’s Morning Glories, the collaborative community artwork brought together woven squares created by participants throughout the spring, assembled by Margot into one final piece.

The finished weaving is on view in the AIHA classroom. Visit this weekend to see the artwork and catch A Life in Bloom: The Floral Paintings of Julia McEntee Dillon before it closes on Sunday! 🌸

[Morning Glories, Julia McEntee Dillon (1834–1919), oil on canvas, c. 1900. The Old Dutch Church of Kingston, New York]

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

+15184634478

Website

http://www.albanyinstitute.org/

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