Visit the New York State Capitol and Empire State Plaza

Visit the New York State Capitol and Empire State Plaza Official page for Visitor Information & Tours of the and ! Kathy Hochul, Governor, State of New York
Jeanette M.

The New York State Capitol has served as the seat of government for New York since the 1880’s. Over 125 years old, the building is a marvel of late 19th-century architectural grandeur. Built by hand of solid masonry, it took 5 architects and 32 years to complete. Over the years meticulous restoration has been done to maintain and protect the Capitol for future generations of New Yorkers. Our tours go beyond just the Capitol building, take a tour of the Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza and the extensive modern art collection found in the Main Concourse and the Corning Tower. Or visit the Observation Deck on the 42nd floor of the Corning Tower, the tallest building in New York State outside of New York City. Or call in advance and book a tour of the New York State Executive Mansion. Moy, Acting Commissioner, Office of General Services

in 1778 Continental forces ambushed a patrol of a German Hessian infantry patrolling Albany Post Road in today’s Hasti...
09/30/2026

in 1778 Continental forces ambushed a patrol of a German Hessian infantry patrolling Albany Post Road in today’s Hastings-on-Hudson. After receiving intelligence of Hessian patrols in the region, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Butler deployed soldiers along the east side of the Albany Post. The fight went unnamed at the time but was later dubbed “The Battle of Edgar’s Lane” after fur trader William Edgar, whose nineteenth-century residence was located near the battle site.

We invite you to explore sites in New York and learn about Revolutionary War battles, including the Battle of Edgar’s Lane, through the “Battlefields of Liberty: Revolutionary War Sites in New York” exhibition, available in person or online.
📍 State Street Tunnel
🗓️ Monday – Friday | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
🔗 on.ny.gov/4tt0grT

New York City-born Julia Alvarez is an award-winning author and poet whose groundbreaking novel “How the García Girls Lo...
09/29/2026

New York City-born Julia Alvarez is an award-winning author and poet whose groundbreaking novel “How the García Girls Lost Their Accents,” published in 1991, was the first major English-language novel by a Dominican author. Her work has placed the stories of Dominican and Latine immigrants into mainstream literature, championing social, gender, and anti-authoritarian rights.

For the first time, this exhibit is available in English and Spanish, both in-person and online:

🖼️ “Unidos, Somos Más. Together, We Are More”
🗓️ September 15 through October 15
📍New York State Capitol
🔗 https://on.ny.gov/HHM26

Julia Alvarez, nacida en la ciudad de Nueva York, es una autora y poeta galardonada. Su innovadora novela How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, publicada en 1991, fue la primera novela importante en inglés escrita por una autora dominicana. Su obra ha incorporado las historias de las inmigrantes dominicanas y latinas a la literatura general y defiende los derechos sociales, de género y contra el autoritarismo.

Por primera vez, esta exposición está disponible en inglés y español, tanto presenciales como online:

🖼️ “Unidos, Somos Más. Together, We Are More”
🗓️ Del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre
📍Capitolio del estado de Nueva York
🔗 on.ny.gov/HHMES26

Today, we celebrate the birthday of Kenzo Okada (1902–1982), the first Japanese-born painter to gain international recog...
09/28/2026

Today, we celebrate the birthday of Kenzo Okada (1902–1982), the first Japanese-born painter to gain international recognition in the Abstract Expressionist movement.

Okada moved to in 1950, where he developed his signature style — blending the boldness of Western abstraction with the quiet elegance of Japanese tradition.

His painting, “Hagoromo,” part of the Empire State Plaza Art Collection, takes its name from a classic Noh play about a fisherman, a fairy, and a celestial robe. While it doesn’t show the characters directly, the soft washes of blue, cream, and gray evoke a dreamy seascape, like mist rising over the ocean.

Visit the Plaza and step into the world of “Hagoromo”: on.ny.gov/okada

Happy birthday to the master of color and emotion, Mark Rothko!​Did you know that this captivating masterpiece, “Untitle...
09/25/2026

Happy birthday to the master of color and emotion, Mark Rothko!
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Did you know that this captivating masterpiece, “Untitled” (1967), lives right here in Albany as part of the Empire State Plaza Art Collection?
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Although art historians often label him an Abstract Expressionist, famously rejected the term. For him, these hovering fields of color weren't merely shapes on a canvas; they were vessels for the soul. He said he was only “interested in expressing basic human emotions.”
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This particular painting holds a special place in his legacy. It is one of only five easel-sized works Rothko completed in 1967, marking a quiet, intimate return to smaller canvases after years of working on monumental, large-scale commissions.
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Its deep, velvety blues and dark, atmospheric tones invite you to slow down and step closer.
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📍 Next time you visit the Empire State Plaza, take a quiet moment to stand in front of this piece and experience the pull of Rothko's colors in person: on.ny.gov/Rothko

The Battle of Saratoga was a major American victory that turned the tables of the war. A failed escape led British gener...
09/24/2026

The Battle of Saratoga was a major American victory that turned the tables of the war. A failed escape led British general John Burgoyne and his battered, dwindling army to dig trenches for cover as they awaited reinforcements. No one came to save them. Before long, the American army surrounded the British, and Burgoyne begrudgingly surrendered to General Horatio Gates in Saratoga. France, impressed by the Continental Army’s perseverance, entered the war as an ally, which provided critical assistance in future battles.

We invite you to explore America250 sites in New York and learn about Revolutionary War battles, including the Battle of Saratoga, through the “Battlefields of Liberty: Revolutionary War Sites in New York” exhibition, available in person or online.

📍 State Street Tunnel
🗓️ Monday – Friday | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
🔗 on.ny.gov/4tt0grT

Louise Nevelson’s calls for a closer look at her “Atmosphere and Environment V” at the Empire State Plaza.​With each s...
09/23/2026

Louise Nevelson’s calls for a closer look at her “Atmosphere and Environment V” at the Empire State Plaza.
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With each step around its 24 aluminum boxes, light shifts, shadows stretch, and the piece becomes a new composition. Proof that art is alive in the spaces between.
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A leading sculptor of the twentieth century, Nevelson pioneered site-specific and installation art with her monochromatic sculptures.
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Find “Atmosphere and Environment V” on the Plaza-level of the Corning Tower and step into Nevelson’s world of shifting forms and perspectives.

Do you know which two U.S. presidents visited the New York State Capitol after they died? One visited the original Capit...
09/23/2026

Do you know which two U.S. presidents visited the New York State Capitol after they died?

One visited the original Capitol twice — once in 1861 to give a speech in the old Capitol’s Assembly Chamber and then again in 1865 when he would lie in state in that very same room, where an estimated 50,000 people came to pay their respects.

Another U.S. president only visited the Capitol posthumously in 1885 when he lay in state in the current Capitol’s State Street Lobby, where an estimated 80,000 people visited.

You can see the names of these two American presidents in the comments (or by going through the photos).

Learn more about these presidential visits and other eerie tales in a free Hauntings Tour at the New York State Capitol.

🔗 Find tour dates and times: on.ny.gov/CHT
✅ Tours are free, but registration is required

Western New York native and retired General Motors executive Casimiro D. Rodriguez Sr. helps raise awareness of Buffalo’...
09/22/2026

Western New York native and retired General Motors executive Casimiro D. Rodriguez Sr. helps raise awareness of Buffalo’s Latine community through the arts, education, health, and social equity. In 2011, he founded the Hispanic Heritage Council of Western New York Inc. to promote the region’s tourism, culture, and Hispanic heritage, and has led the way to create the first Hispanic Heritage Cultural Institute in Buffalo.

For the first time, this exhibit is available in English and Spanish, both in-person and online:

🖼️ “Unidos, Somos Más. Together, We Are More”
🗓️ September 15 through October 15
📍New York State Capitol
🔗 https://on.ny.gov/HHM26

Casimiro D. Rodriguez Sr., originario del oeste de Nueva York y ejecutivo jubilado de General Motors, ayuda a generar conciencia sobre la comunidad latina en Buffalo a través de las artes, la educación, la salud y la equidad social. En 2011, fundó el Consejo de Herencia Hispana del Oeste de Nueva York (Hispanic Heritage Council of Western New York Inc.) para promover el turismo, la cultura y la herencia hispana en la región y lideró la iniciativa para crear el primer Instituto Cultural de Herencia Hispana (Hispanic Heritage Cultural Institute) del norte del estado de Nueva York en Buffalo.

Por primera vez, esta exposición está disponible en inglés y español, tanto presenciales como online:

🖼️ “Unidos, Somos Más. Together, We Are More”
🗓️ Del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre
📍Capitolio del estado de Nueva York
🔗 on.ny.gov/HHMES26

On September 19, we celebrated the birthday of Alvin Loving, the trailblazing artist behind “New Morning I.”​Spanning 55...
09/21/2026

On September 19, we celebrated the birthday of Alvin Loving, the trailblazing artist behind “New Morning I.”
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Spanning 55 feet along the Concourse, this kaleidoscope of color and geometry comprises four sections of canvas pieced together directly to the wall.
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From a distance, cool tones stretch to the edges while warm colors glow at the center. Step closer, and you’ll notice brushstrokes moving in different directions and surfaces shifting between matte, shiny, and iridescent. Walk past it, and the mural seems to flip and change, creating a dynamic experience that feels new every time.
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Completed just after Loving became the first Black artist to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1969, “New Morning I” captures the bold energy of his geometric abstraction and remains one of the most striking works in the Empire State Plaza Art Collection — a true celebration of color, space, and movement.
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Join us in honoring Alvin Loving’s legacy and experiencing his vibrant masterpiece at the Empire State Plaza.

Save the date for an evening celebrating art, discovery, and the legacy of a champion of public art.​On Thursday, Octobe...
09/18/2026

Save the date for an evening celebrating art, discovery, and the legacy of a champion of public art.
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On Thursday, October 8, the Albany Institute of History & Art will host the inaugural Dennis Anderson Memorial Lecture, featuring David Smith biographer Michael Brenson.
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Dennis R. Anderson was an art historian, curator, educator, and longtime advocate for public art. After serving as a curator at the Albany Institute, he became OGS Director for Curatorial and Tour Services, overseeing the art and historic collections of the Empire State Plaza, New York State Capitol, Governor’s Executive Residence, and state-owned buildings across New York.
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The lecture will explore the transformative energy and imagination of David Smith, one of the premier artists represented in the Empire State Plaza Art Collection.
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🗓️ Thursday, October 8
🕡 6:30 to 8 p.m.
📍 Albany Institute of History & Art
🎟️ Lecture and reception are free with museum admission
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Learn more at events.ny.gov/4AlWi9o.

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