Hotels in Albany

Wander through the grand New York State Capitol, where free guided tours reveal ornate 19th-century architecture that would make European palaces blush. The peculiarly egg-shaped performing arts center (aptly named 'The Egg') sits like a spacecraft among the modernistic Empire State Plaza. History buffs can lose hours in the New York State Museum, where exhibits somehow make state governance fascinating. The USS Slater, a restored World War II destroyer escort, offers maritime tales from sailors who speak of the Atlantic as if it were their backyard. Albany Institute of History and Art houses collections spanning centuries in a city collecting stories since 1614. After dark, the Palace Theater and MVP Arena host everything from symphony orchestras to hockey games with equal enthusiasm.