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

5:00pm–9:00pm Please note: This event takes place at Quackenbush Square in downtown Albany Quackenbush Square1 Quackenbush Square, Albany, NY 12207 On Saturday May 16th, ParkAlbany, in coordination with the City of Albany and with support from the Albany Barn and Albany Center Gallery, will host Painting the Night, an energetic and artistic evening in Downtown Albany, filled with amazing art, artists and featuring: Live Mural Painting: Downtown Albany’s newest murals will come to life during the event as muralists work their artistic magic on the walls of the Quackenbush Garage. Albany Barn Inc’s Artist Alley: Take a stroll through Quackenbush Square and explore a selection of local artists demonstrating and/or selling their art. Artist announcements coming soon! Unveiling of New Up-Cycled Parking Meters: A yearly project that began in 2023, in coordination with ParkAlbany and the Albany Barn, where local artists bring new life to decommissioned parking meters by transforming them into public art. Live Fire Dancing: The “Danger Dame of the Flame” Opal Raven will ignite the night with two high-octane performances. Roaming Circus Performances:  The Chalk Gremlin Circus Company will bring their “mildly chaotic but always entertaining” energy to Quackenbush Square. Plus: Live music, photo ops, free popcorn and more! Stop by the Albany Institute of History & Art's table for hands-on artmaking and to learn more about the museum's exhibitions, collections, and events! For more information, visit www.parkalbany.com/painting-the-night/.

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.

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.

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.