Engaging Experiences for All Ages

From Family Free Days, to tours designed with families in mind, to drop-in art making for all ages, there is something for everyone at the Albany Institute.

Upcoming Family Events

12:00pm–4:00pm Please note: This event takes place at Historic Cherry Hill in Albany, NY. Historic Cherry Hill523 1/2, 523 S Pearl St, Albany, NY 12202 Join us at the 2026 Albany History Fair at Historic Cherry Hill on May 3rd! Each year, the Albany History Fair brings together public audiences and heritage sites to explore a unique theme in Albany’s history and collaboratively market thematically linked programming. Historic Cherry Hill is proud to be partnering with the Underground Railroad Education Center and Schuyler Mansion to present the 27th annual Albany History Fair. The fair this year will be held on Sunday, May 3, from 12–4PM on the grounds of Historic Cherry Hill. This year’s theme is Revolution 250, focusing on life in the Albany region during the 18th century and the wide-ranging impacts of the Revolutionary War. The Albany History Fair is the grand opening event for Historic Cherry Hill’s 2026 season, debuting a new tour of the house and programs that will focus on Philip Van Rensselaer, Commissary of Stores for the Northern Department, Hudson River merchant, driver and consumer of global trade, and enslaver, examining his life in terms of the expressed ideals of the Revolution. The Albany Institute of History & Art will be sharing information about our summer programming, as well as leading a hands-on art activity related to our upcoming exhibition Albany c. 1776, opening this fall. Events of the day: Live Music Urban Windowsill Project House Tours and Pop Up Museum Colonial Crafts 18th Century Cooking Tinsmithing "Revolution 250" Historical Panel: Moderated by Devin Lander, State Historian For more information, visit https://historiccherryhill.org/event/albany-history-fair/

11:00am–11:45am Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

11:00am–6:00pm Please note: This event takes place at Washington Park Washington Park1 New Scotland Ave, Albany NY 12208 The annual Albany Tulip Festival is held in the historic Washington Park, the 81-acre "crown jewel" of the City. Tulip Festival is Albany’s signature spring kick-off event. Featuring annual traditions rooted in the city’s rich Dutch heritage, nearly 100 artisans selling their handmade crafts, a fine arts show, delicious food, the KidZone family fun destination, two stages of world-class live entertainment and more than 180,000 tulips in 150 different varieties, the Tulip Festival is a sparkling showcase of local culture and business. Gather your friends and family to join in the free fun provided to you by the City of Albany! Stop by the Albany Institute of History & Art's table for Tulip Festival trivia and learn more about the museum's exhibitions, collections, and events! For more information, visit www.albanyny.gov/2306/Tulip-Festival

12:00pm–4:00pm Art for All is free with museum admission every Saturday from 12–4PM. All ages are welcome to participate. Enjoy your visit to the museum and explore your artistic side with a hands-on project inspired by the museum's exhibitions and collections. Inspired by the flowers in A Life in Bloom: The Floral Paintings of Julia McEntee Dillon, participants will create mixed-media wildflower seed packets. Taking inspiration from decorative seed packets from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and from Julia McEntee Dillon’s floral paintings, participants will use a variety of materials to customize their packets. At the end of the program, participants will receive wildflower seeds, to be kept safe in their packets until they are ready to plant them in the ground!   Julia McEntee Dillon (1834–1919), Pink Peonies and Roses, pastel on paper laid on canvas, 1885, Ulster County Historical Society.