The New York State Museum is located in the downtown section of Albany.

HOURS:9:30am-5pm daily. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day only.

PHONE: 518-474-7803.

WEBSITE:Access NYS Education Dept.

INFO DESK:The people who greet you in the main lobby are welcoming and knowledgeable. They will immediately supply you with a detailed map of the museum and a current calendar of events. Our last visit to this museum was November 2002, and a permanent exhibition, The World Trade Center, had opened (see photos). It is a well done, tastefully exhibited portrayal of September 11th and the aftermath.

In our main halls, long-standing favorites are on exhibit year after year. The permanent exhibits include the Native American Exhibit, complete with a full size replica of an Iroquois longhouse. The Adironack Wilderness exhibit takes the visitor through 4,000 years of the history of this region. The Birds of New York and minerals of New York displays contain hundreds of native specimens. In the New York Metropolis, the history of New York City is traced from a natural harbor into a bustling port, open wilderness spaces into a skyscraper city. The Cohoes Mastodon is on display. The fossil remains of this prehistoric animal were discovered locally. There is a hitsory of Harlem. The Sesame Street display contains the set from the popular children's show, and you can explore the A-train car. See actual fire trucks used in New York over the centuries. Take the kids to the new hands on Discovery Zone and visit many of the temporary and traveling exhibits that are ever changing. Have lunch in the Museum Cafe and purchase souvenirs in the two shops.