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–7:30pm The Albany Institute of History & Art is pleased to host the 12th Annual City School District of Albany Elementary Art Show from Friday, May 1, through Sunday, May 3, 2026. This event is one of a kind, as it is a special opportunity for Albany's elementary students to showcase their artistic talents and how they were inspired this year in school. This creative student artwork from all twelve elementary schools will be showcased in the museum's Key Cultural Center on Friday, May 1, from 5–7:30PM, Saturday, May 2, from 10AM–5PM, and Sunday, May 3, from 12–5PM. AIHA appreciates our partnership with the City School District of Albany Fine Arts program and are excited to host this special show. The opening reception is free, and all are invited to attend! Note: The art show is open during regular museum hours on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3 in the museum's Key Cultural Center. Free admission for exhibiting students and their families.  

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.

1:00pm–6:00pm Please note: This event takes place at Olana State Historic Site in Hudson, NY. Olana State Historic Site5720 State Route 9G, Hudson, NY 12534 Celebrate Frederic Church’s 200th birthday at Olana with a full day of free activities for all ages. Enjoy access to Frederic Church's historic house, artmaking and nature activities, musical performances, and more. Stop by the Albany Institute of History & Art's table for a hands-on artmaking activity and to learn more about AIHA's exhibition Your Friend, Frederic E. Church, opening June 6, 2026. All Day Free access to Olana’s historic interiors and free landscape tours Art and nature activities for all ages offered by the Albany Institute of History & Art, 4-H, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners, Hawthorne Valley, and The Sylvia Center Refreshments for purchase from local food vendors Visits with friendly farm animals Free photobooth Fun giveaways including Stewart’s Ice Cream, Bjorn Qorn, and Hudson Valley Seed Co. packets (while supplies last) For more information, visit https://olana.org/birthday/