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Henry Hudson discovered the region around Albany in 1609 when he reached the end of the navigable part of the Hudson River.

Even today, the New York State capital is still one of the most European-looking cities in the United States, with the state capitol building designed to resemble a French chateau.

The capitol building is connected to the New York State Museum and the Convention Center by Empire State Plaza, a modern, government complex that was 16 years in the making. The Convention Center houses an excellent collection of modern American art while the State Museum is devoted to illustrating life in New York State and is one of the largest of its kind in the world.

Much of the massive, robust 19th and early 20th-century architecture constructed when Albany began growing as an industrial hub is well preserved, giving the city a very interesting pedestrian landscape. A tour of Albany is best begun at the City’s Heritage Area Visitors Center located in Quackenbush Square. There’s a great orientation show and information about virtually every attraction of interest in the region.