You might miss Fort Crailo if you don't know what you're looking for. It sits in the middle of a…read moreresidential neighborhood overlooking the Hudson. It doesn't really look like a fort, more like a very old brick house but if you look carefully at the front you can see the gun ports. The house was built in 1707 with multiple additions over the years, changing a lot of the character of the structure but a walk through the basement lets you see the old beans and stone foundation. It has a variety of exhibits on the Dutch Colonial history of the house and the surrounding area. There's a story that a British physician, staying in the house in 1755 penned Yankee Doodle Dandy to make fun of the Colonial troops in the French and Indian war but it's never been proven.

This is an incredible museum focused on Dutch Colonial life. Just feet from the banks of the…read moreHudson, this amazing collection of original artifacts, art work, and creative displays breathe life into this important time and people. The drafters of our constitution modeled our republic in large part on the Dutch Republic. If you didn't know that, all the more reason to visit!

An interesting historical tidbit. This historic site includes Van Buren's "gentleman's farm" and…read moreestate called Lindenwald. He bought the estate later in his life in 1839. Washington Irving (the famous author) was a notable long-term guest at Lindenwald. Fee: Free Tip: if you want to tour the historic house, budget at least 2 hours because you might show up while a tour is in progress and need to wait for the next tour.

Martin Van Buren's residence, Lindenwald, is tucked away in the peaceful town of Kinderhook, New…read moreYork. It's a unique window into the life of America's 8th president. I had visited the site years ago when there was a larger visitor center and an introductory video that gave a broader overview of Van Buren's presidency and personal story. Today, the visitor's center has been scaled back to a trailer, and unfortunately, there's very little introductory context provided for those less familiar with Van Buren's role in American history. One of the main displays now focuses on the history of slavery in America. While this is an important topic, its placement here felt somewhat disconnected, as Van Buren neither owned enslaved people nor lived in a slaveholding state during his time at Lindenwald. Given the limited space available, I found myself wishing more of it had been used to explore Van Buren's own political career, personal life, and legacy. They only have a few tour times a day, and the guide cited budget cuts with a roll of her eyes. We waited around a bit for the next tour, but the audio tour around the property wasn't very informative. Once our group tour began, it opened in the empty basement, where much of the discussion centered on the broader legacy of slavery and Sojourner Truth. While those subjects are historically valuable, their connection to Lindenwald itself felt tenuous and overshadowed the site's direct link to Van Buren. It appeared the tour guide had a greater interest in that topic than on the actual topic. Upstairs, the rooms were far more engaging. The main hall was particularly impressive, featuring original design elements and beautiful wallpaper. The guide shared some insight into Van Buren's later life, though key biographical details--such as the early death of his wife--were only briefly mentioned at the end. The tour concluded at a small gift shop with a nice selection of books and keepsakes. Overall, having prior knowledge of Van Buren helped me piece things together, but for first-time visitors, the lack of focus on his presidential legacy may leave them wanting more. I couldn't help but think that some of the funding loss was due to the staff losing sight of the park's primary purpose. Lindenwald remains a special site with strong potential. I hope future interpretive efforts rebalance the content to better highlight Van Buren's contributions and the historical significance of the home itself.

Beautiful modern statue of real life person Uncle Sam! The small park is in Troy, NY close to the…read morewaterfront. Several plaques to read. Parking. Bus stop. Benches to sit. Review: 5+

Troy's Uncle Sam [Troy NY]…read more Keep your eyes open or you might miss this shiny silver statue of the Uncle Sam Monument who stands facing River Street. The statue identifies him as "Uncle Sam Wilson." The inscription on the statue says that he was born in Arlington MA. He was a New York meatpacker who supplied barrels of beef to the U.S. Army (who were preparing to go to war with Canada) during the war of 1812. Rations of meat were uncommon back then and when asked who supplied it "Uncle Sam" was mentioned. The barrels were stamped "U.S." and since then the kindness of Uncle Sam and United States were associated. He is buried in Troy NY at Oakwood Cemetery. Other inscriptions on the monument says: Troy's Citizen - America's Uncle The big thing is not what happens to us in life But what we do about what happens to us. U S of AMERICA N A C M Originated during War of 1812 L E This was a nice statue with a cool history behind the man. Review #3013

You learn about the Falls in junior high if you grew up in Troy, Watervliet, Cohoes, Lansingburgh…read moreaka 'the burgh'...or in other words are a local. Its a nice bit of 'wilderness' in the city. I guess the police/rescue squad get about 5-10 calls every spring-early fall to get some idiot that overestimated their free climbing prowess, got in a hairy spot, and (best case) froze and needed help back down. Worst case they fall, get injured and need to be carried out. Back in the day when I was still a young woman I did enjoy hiking in with some friends and finding a quiet spot near the falls to enjoy the natural vibes with the help of some good quality bud. , Haven't been up to the falls in years but I imagine not much has changed. Note/another reviewer questioned why the city doesn't keep it up better as it is a nice spot. I think the land is privately owned not city property.

Finding this beauty made my entire weekend. Ah, just to sit and breathe it in. Thank you, Yelp…read morefriends, for pointing the way. If you are near Troy definitely worth finding.

Every year, All Over Albany throws a birthday party. It seems like just Yesterday that I was…read moremeeting Greg & Mary for the first time. It was my dream to one day be on the Tournament of Pizza judging panel. Achievement unlocked. Since then, I have been involved with the local website in a variety of ways. Beyond serving as a pizza judge, I've helped them evaluate Super Bowl cupcakes. For a while I was their area supermarket grand opening correspondent. I had my turn helming the Eat This feature. And perhaps my magnum opus was The Best Dozen series. Now that I'm Yelp Albany's community Ambassador, I've stopped writing for the site. But I still make it a point to engage with this amazing community as much as I can. This year Ric Orlando was back in charge of the food with his New World Catering operation, and everything was delicious. There were cupcakes. DJ Trumastr. And all of the sights and sounds of Troy's Center of Gravity. I met new people and caught up with old friends. It's a party that I never want to end. But eventually, we all have to get home. Best wishes for another great year. I'm already looking forward to AOA9.

A wonderful way to celebrate All Over Albany's 8th birthday! Excellent food from New World…read moreCatering, really intriguing venue at the Tech Valley Center of Gravity, and so many friendly people. I'm already looking forward to AOA turning 9.

Had a fun time here on a Friday night. For $12 you can "free play" all kinds of retro arcade games…read moreall night including dance platform games, old time arcade games (think Donkey Kong and Ms. pac-man) and more. They also have some classic pinball machines that cost extra. Bar and bar food available with free popcorn. Staff were friendly and service was quick despite how busy they were. A fun place to hang with friends for something different!

Such a cute bridge across the Hudson River connecting Albany and Rensselaer. It's official name is…read morePrivate Parker F. Dunn Memorial Bridge. It carries Route 9 and Route 20. The Hudson is narrow this north. Parker F Dunn was a World War I hero. You can find Rensselaer's Riverfront Park on the east. It's a place where people view Peregrine falcons. You don't have to pay a toll, and it's just so calm and peaceful, no traffic.

Great bridge, if you can't stand the quick access of crossing the Hudson River via the Interstate…read more90, or if you need to cross it to get to the Train Station via points to it's east. Great signage to points on the east. It seems I always cross this bridge when coming from the NY-32 and 9/20 corner, even though 9 and 20 come from overhead in Albany. Rarely ever head over this bridge west-bound, but it does happen too from time-to-time for me. Never really much problem; though watch out for the I-787 (near the I-90 interchange) confusion - especially going westbound, as Route 9/20 zig-zags nearby.

Our organized Fall Foliage tour included a brief stop here…read more As there were 48 of us our trip leader got us a ticket discount. $5 p/p. It's an elevator ride to the top. We got a bird's eye view of the fall foliage as you could see the White Mountains, the Green Mountains, and New York State. Quite impressive. Of course you can read about the historic significance of this battle that occurred during the American Revolutionary War. There's a gift shop/ticket office and restrooms.

It's like in the middle of this quiet town in a picturesque state is like the sixth tallest…read moremonument in the country (sources differ on this) but wow it sure is tall! It on its own circular lot with plenty of parking to stroll around and take some photos. There is an exhibit inside for free on the monument and $8 to go to the top to see the panoramic view of VT, MA, and NY. They don't open until 10 am, but we got there early and were chilling, and they opened up about twenty minutes early for us, which was cool. There is a nice gift shop and a bathroom. The views were nice! The employee who opened the obelisk gave us some information on the monument and was very friendly. This was on our route and was worth the stop. It doesn't take a long time, but it's a nice bit of American history honoring the American Revolution.