
Welcome to Destination Albany, your guide to hotels and local attractions in Albany, New York. This website provides you with detailed information on Albany attractions such as
Empire State Plaza,
The Egg,
Cherry Hill,
New York State Capitol Building and will help find hotels conveniently located for these Albany destinations.
We offer great deals on featured hotels as well as a variety of search options including interactive hotel maps to help you find the best accomodations in Albany.
The small capital city of New York State has a surprising amount to offer a visitor.
Albany offers something for
everyone. The lively capital city of New York State is full of surprises. For
the sports enthusiast, there are hockey, football, and basketball at the Pepsi
Arena. For those who prefer something quieter, there are many museums and
historic buildings to tour. Visitors have several options. Guided tours by
trolley, on foot, and even by horse drawn-carriage travel through Albany's
neighborhoods, providing information about attractions and historic sites.
Explorer Henry Hudson
discovered Albany in 1609 while he was seeking a shorter route to the Far East.
Soon after, in 1624, Dutch merchants settled there to bring furs from the north
and ship them to Europe. Albany still serves under its original charter, which
dates back to July 22, 1686. In 1797 it became the Capital of the State of New
York.
Albany’s vast Empire State
Plaza covers 98 acres. This state office complex took 13 years to build. The
Plaza features striking architecture and the world’s largest collection of
modern art not housed in a museum. At the end of the super sleek structure is
the Capitol building, which was 30 years in the making. The State Capitol sits
atop one of the seven hills that fashion the city's landscape. Begun in 1867,
construction continued until 1897 when Governor Frank S. Black declared the
building finished, ending one of the longest running public works projects up to
that time.
Albany’s downtown is
thriving, due in large part to the more than $30 million renovation that was
undertaken to make the city more appealing. Power lines were replaced and
buried underground beneath the 300-year-old streets; new trees were planted;
period lampposts replaced with modern illumination; and vintage cobbled
sidewalks were built.