Albany Institute of History & Art

About Albany Institute of History & Art

The Albany Institute of History & Art, founded in 1791, is New York's oldest museum and sits in Albany. Visitors explore one of the largest collections of Hudson River School paintings alongside more than 25,000 objects and over one million documents reflecting the region's art, history, and culture. Current exhibitions include Mexico Masks / Rituals: Photographs by Phyllis Galembo, Inspired Landscapes: Women of the Hudson River School, and Your Friend, Frederic E. Church celebrating the artist's 200th birth anniversary. The museum hosts a Research Library open by appointment, where researchers access archival materials and historical documents. The Explorers Gallery provides a dedicated space for children with imaginative play, games, and books connected to the exhibitions. The museum presents lectures featuring curators and art historians discussing artists like Erastus Dow Palmer and David Smith. Admission is charged.