The museum houses a working 1917 Spillman Engineering carousel that visitors can ride.
The collection includes a massive skeleton of a mastodon unearthed in Cohoes, New York, in 1866.
It is the oldest and largest state museum in the United States.
The museum maintains a specialized research facility for New York's cultural and scientific history.
The institution manages the State’s vast archaeological and historical artifact repository.
The New York State Museum serves as the official state museum, focusing on the natural history, geology, and human cultural evolution of New York. Located within the Empire State Plaza complex, it features extensive permanent collections including an authentic 19th-century carousel and a reconstructed Iroquois longhouse. The institution highlights the Adirondack wilderness, the history of New York City, and the geological origins of the state through interactive displays. It maintains a significant collection of Native American artifacts and materials documenting the state’s industrial transition. As a research facility, it houses millions of specimens in its scientific collections. The museum's exhibitions provide a comprehensive overview of New York's transition from colonial governance to modern statehood.
The elevated view of the Empire State Plaza from the museum's fourth-floor windows.
Check the museum's official website for rotating temporary exhibits before visiting.
Allow extra time for the fourth-floor terrace which offers views of the Empire State Plaza.
Visit the 'Cohoes Mastodon' exhibit early to avoid school groups.
Attempting to see the entire collection in under two hours, as the museum is spread across four floors.
Closed on Mondays.
Casual dress is acceptable; quiet voices are encouraged in gallery spaces.
