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 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. Participants will create Fauvist floral landscapes inspired by the paintings of Blanche Lazzell. Characterized by vibrant colors and wild brush strokes, Fauvism was an art movement that emerged in France around the turn of the twentieth century. While the subject matter is often identifiable, the shapes and forms are usually depicted in an abstract style. Using pastel chalk, paint, and cotton balls, participants will create vibrant, multicolored floral landscapes. [Blanche Lazzell (1878–1956), Hollyhock (detail), 1917, oil on canvas, 25 5/8 x 18 1/8 in. Art Museum of West Virginia University Collection, gift of Nancy Watkins in memory of James F. McKinley and Nancy W. McKinley.]  

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. This month, make your own pith helmet! Pith helmets were commonly worn by archaeologists working in hot climates to protect from the sun and potential hazards at excavation sites. Egyptologist Dows Dunham credited a pith helmet with saving his life after a tomb ceiling collapsed and knocked him unconscious. Participants will create their own pith helmets using paper bowls, construction paper, and string, then decorate and customize their designs.  

10:30am–12:00pm Please join us for Meet Me at the Institute, a program designed for people living with dementia and their caregivers. Held on select Mondays February–December 2026, sessions occur when the museum is closed to the public—minimizing distractions and providing a relaxing environment. Sessions are led by trained educators who facilitate open-ended discussions about the Albany Institute's exhibitions and collections. The program is developed based on Meet Me at MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art's Alzheimer's Project. Meet Me at the Institute is free; advanced registration is required. Contact Natalie Oliver, Education Associate, at 518-463-4478 ext. 405 to register and for more information.