New York State Museum

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The New York State Museum is a research-backed institution in Albany, New York, United States.

Reviews

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Sep 20, 2023
This museum tells so many stories about the history of the State of New York, it is difficult to know where to begin. As important, it caters to all ages of its visitors, from the young inquisitive m… Full review by Vince G
Sep 16, 2023
Somewhat disorganized as it is a huge space and you kind of wander around and it doesn't flow well. I have gone to a lot of different state museums and prefer where they provide a chronological path … Full review by Dwayne65
Aug 14, 2023
What an amazing museum! So many great exhibits. We went last year for about an hour and barely touched upon all the exhibits, so this year we went back - 2 different days for about an hour and quarte… Full review by nancybG4107ZD

Facts

Established:1836

Questions & answers

Q:
How long does the museum take to see everything? Also with a 3 and 5 year old.
A:
Hi! I estimate it would take about 5-6 hours to see the whole thing. With a 3 and 5 year old, I suggest setting the priority to what you and they are interested in. There is a friendly …
A:
Hi! I estimate it would take about 5-6 hours to see the whole thing. With a 3 and 5 year old, I suggest setting the priority to what you and they are interested in. There is a friendly kids zone with activities such as puzzles, costumes, books, educational figurines. The attention span kids have is not very long so I think just spending 3-4 hours there is ideal. I love the wildlife, gems and minerals, 9-11, and old train station exhibits. Check the museum map and have a game plan. I spent 3 hours there last time and missed 1 or 2 exhibits section. The most important thing is to have a great time there.
Q:
New York State day in history emailed to us
A:
I don't see a question. It looks more like an observation.
Q:
Where do I park
A:
First, a quote from the museum website, then my additional commentary: "Parking is available in the two lots adjacent to the Museum, both accessed from Madison Avenue. Prior to …
A:
First, a quote from the museum website, then my additional commentary: "Parking is available in the two lots adjacent to the Museum, both accessed from Madison Avenue. Prior to 10:00 a.m., the weekday parking fee is $10. After 10:00 a.m., the weekday parking fee is $5. Parking is free after 2:00 p.m. and on weekends." These lots are the most convenient, but because they're free on weekends -- when most people visit -- they tend to fill up quickly. The last time I visited, we circled around and found metered street parking about a block away. But as another commenter noted, more paid parking is available in the nearby Empire State Plaza. The state-owned facility charges $10 for weekday entry before 11am, and $5 for weekdays after 11am, or all day weekends. The Empire State Plaza provides a mostly (if not entirely) indoor walk to the museum. The main entrance to the Empire State Plaza connects directly to I-787, so it's very well-signed. Getting into the ESP directly from downtown surface streets can be a bit tricky if you don't know the downtown Albany street grid that well.
Q:
Is there parking available,how much does it cost is it open on Thursdays,are there guided tours and is it in walking …
Q:
Is there parking available,how much does it cost is it open on Thursdays,are there guided tours and is it in walking distance to the state capital?
A:
There are parking garages nearby and street parking. I can not speak to the price because i parked on the street on a saturday and it was free parking. The museum is at the far end of …
A:
There are parking garages nearby and street parking. I can not speak to the price because i parked on the street on a saturday and it was free parking. The museum is at the far end of the empire plaza, the capital building at the other end. We walked it; easy walk. It is open on thursdays. I do not think they give tours which are unnecessary. There is plenty available to read about each display.
Q:
Can anyone suggest a hotel in walking distance to the museum? We don't need anything elegant- we will be …
Q:
Can anyone suggest a hotel in walking distance to the museum? We don't need anything elegant- we will be going to the museum the next day and hear the parking is challenging at the museum. We will be with a fairly large group.
A:
We did not stay in the downtown area due to cost, but we did arrive downtown early in the day and easily parked at the New York State Museum visitor parking ($10 for the day). The …
A:
We did not stay in the downtown area due to cost, but we did arrive downtown early in the day and easily parked at the New York State Museum visitor parking ($10 for the day). The parking lot did fill by mid/late morning. As you face the entrance of the museum on Madison Avenue, the drive to the parking lot is on the right side of the building.
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Data from: Tripadvisor · Yelp