New York State Museum with Kids

The New York State Museum is a great spot to visit with kids if you are in Albany, New York. We had one day to sight-see while in Albany visiting family and the New York State Museum was an excellent choice.

Visiting

The museum is located in downtown Albany. They have 2 adjacent parking lots, both of which have a fee. The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday from 9:30am-5:00pm. The Carousel and Discovery Place close at 4:30pm. Check their website for holiday closures.

Admission to the museum and the Carousel is free, but they suggest you make a $5 donation for individuals or a $10 donation for families. We were happy to make the donation.

Adirondack Wilderness

From the main lobby, we started on the right-hand side and wound our way through the Adirondack Wilderness. We saw exhibits featuring logging, minerals, camping, recreation, and Colvin Tower.

Discovery Place

Behind the Adirondack Wilderness area is Discovery Place. This is a children’s hands-on learning center, where kids can observe and touch various displays. There are multiple puzzles, blocks, microscopes, and books to explore.

Other Exhibits

After Discovery Place, we continued through the maze around the museum to the Native Peoples, Erie Canal, and Birds of New York sections. The kids really liked going into the Native Peoples longhouse.

Next, it was on to New York Metropolis. This section was dedicated to all things New York City. From skyscrapers to Fifth Avenue and Harlem. It even had part of the set from Sesame Street. Our kids loved climbing aboard the subway car and discovering how small some of the apartments are. It was hard to believe.

Finishing up the New York Metropolis area was a World Trade Center exhibit. If you have younger kids, use caution in this area. Our youngest was scared of some of the 9-11 pictures. If need be, head straight for the final area, the Fire Engine Hall. We’ve never seen so many fire engines in one room.

Upper Floors

On the museum’s 2nd floor is the Steuben St. Cafe. This little cafe has pizza, sandwiches, and salads. The selection is minimal but healthy. You won’t find soft drinks here. They do have a kid’s menu. Prices were typical of what you find in museums. If you’d like something a bit cheaper you can walk across the street to the Empire State Plaza Food Court.

On the 4th floor, you will find the antique carousel. It generally runs every 15 minutes. There is a suggested donation of $1.00 per ride. Also on this floor are some historic vehicles and planes. Be sure to look up! We felt like this floor was a little disappointing, outside of the carousel. There just wasn’t enough.

While you’re on the 4th floor, be sure to check out the view of Albany. You can see The Egg, New York State Capitol, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and more. Unfortunately, during our visit, you could not walk outside.

Final thoughts

The New York State Museum is a great place to take kids for a morning or afternoon trip. It has plenty for kids to explore and it is free. While it may not have modern exhibits, it has enough to keep everyone, young and old engaged.

Are you planning to travel around the Northeast? Check out more posts featuring Steamtown NHS & PA Anthracite Museum with Kids, Valley Forge NHP with Kids, 2 Days in Philadelphia with Kids, Gettysburg with Kids, Indian Echo Caverns with Kids, 2 Days in Strasburg with Kids.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this post are strictly my own. I was not compensated for this post.