Abby & David
Things To Do
Beardslee Castle
This is our venue! We've included it on here so that you can see the distance to everything else. It's also an operating restaurant and bar, so you can eat here earlier in the weekend if you'd like.
New York State Museum
FREE ADMISSION: New York State's official museum covers a wide range of topics in New York's history. From the Iroquois Indians, to early logging towns, to how fire engines have changed over time, and the 9/11 Memorial Exhibit, this museum can provide an entire days entertainment for young and old alike. Also on the premises are a small cafe, a gift shop, and a very old, very beautiful Carousel that is still in operation today. This is also where our engagement photos were taken!
Herkimer Home
Visit the Georgian-style mansion that was the home to Revolutionary War hero, General Nicholas Herkimer. He completed construction of his mansion about 1764 in the Mohawk Valley frontier. In 1777, Herkimer was en route to help defend Fort Stanwix when he and his men were ambushed by British-allied Loyalists and Iroquois at Oriskany. Although seriously wounded in the leg, Herkimer kept command during the fierce combat. After the battle, Herkimer was carried home and his leg was amputated 10 days later. Infection had already spread and hours later, when Herkimer died reading from his Bible, he was immediately regarded a martyr to the cause of American freedom, and his home became a shrine. Visitors to Herkimer Home today will marvel at the grandness of this Georgian-style mansion that once stood on the colonial frontier. The unspoiled landscape, including the Herkimer family burial ground, is remarkably unchanged from that of the 18th century.
Little Falls Antique Center
Housed in an 1855 building originally built as a paper mill, and located on the Mohawk River and the Erie Canal, this antique store has also been an electric company and a knitting mill in its day. The natural light from original windows provides a great view of the merchandise available from 55 different dealers around the area. Store hours are 10:00AM to 5:00PM every day, except on certain holidays.
Gems Along the Mohawk
This small establishment includes a restaurant, a shop, a small exhibit featuring a stump puller along with some artifacts and an Erie Canal time line, as well as cruises down the Erie Canal. Reservations are highly recommended, but walk–ins are welcome, subject to availability.
Herkimer Diamond Mines
Herkimer Diamond Mine offers people a chance to mine for their own "Diamonds." Famously clear and beautiful quartz crystals can be broken out of the rocks in the open-to-the-public part of the Herkimer Mine, while the gift shop offers many other interesting objects for sale. This is a fun way to spend an afternoon, and is great for curious children and adults alike (as long as they're old enough to safely wield a hammer). You also get to learn a little bit about basic geology along the way.
Albany Institute of History & Art
One of the oldest art museums in the United States, the Albany Institute of History and Art includes a few permanent exhibits, including one following the Hudson River School genre of painting, as well as many changing exhibits in the rest of the building covering everything from baseball, to quilting, to marble statuary. There's also a children's classroom, and the museum hosts programs for children on the weekends throughout the year.
Secret Caverns
Not far from Howe Caverns, Secret Caverns is a less-well-known destination, but in many ways has more to offer than its bigger, more commercialized counterpart. Everything is hand-painted; signs, buildings, and the inside of the shop - right down to the space-themed ceilings of the bathrooms! This attraction is smaller and more intimate than Howe Caverns, but is not handicap accessible. You will need good walking/hiking shoes to tour the cave. Make sure you bring a jacket, it gets cold underground!
Howe Caverns
Howe Caverns is larger than Secret Caverns, and is likely the most well-known of the many caves and cave systems throughout Central New York. This attraction hosts interesting cavern tours (which include an underground boat ride!), many fun activities above ground, a very good gift shop, a restaurant, and is fully handicap accessible. Make sure you bring a jacket, it gets cold underground!
The Whistling Kettle
This comfortable little tea shop is probably our favorite restaurant in the Capital Region. It's a little bit of a hike from Beardslee Castle, but it's definitely worth it. Expect soups, salads, sandwiches, and more delicious tea than you knew existed! There is also very good coffee and cocoa for non-tea drinkers, and the food is excellent at a reasonable price. The Whistling Kettle is in downtown Troy, NY, and is walking-distance from the Arts Center of the Capital Region, as well as the many small, locally-owned shops and businesses that define present-day Troy.
Arts Center of the Capital Region
While technically a small arts school, the Arts Center also has a small amount of gallery space where the very best students' work is displayed. The Arts Center caters to adults and children of all ages and talents in the Capital Region and beyond. Abby, her sister Flo, and her mother Miriam have all had works displayed in these galleries in the past. It's also only about a block from the Whistling Kettle, as well as the many unique shops that downtown Troy has to offer visitors.
SUNY Poly Children's Museum of Science and Technology
The Children’s Museum of Science and Technology (CMOST) is the Region’s only science center specifically for children. Designed for children ages 18 months through the tween years, their interactive learning environment provides children with the opportunity to learn through play. Instead of having a “look but don’t touch” rule to the exhibits like most museums, the Junior Museum encourages children to please touch the exhibits. CMOST feels that discovery and play aren't just about entertainment, but are essential learning tools. Children learn about themselves, their environment, people, and the world around them all through the media of play. By allowing children to choose the activities and exhibits with which they wish to interact, you motivate them to keep engaging and discovering the world around them.
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute
This Utica, NY museum features works from several famous artists, including Piet Mondrian, Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Thomas Cole, and many others. There are also exhibits from international artists as well as some exceptional local student works. Some exhibits on display include "Mythology in Contemporary Art," a selection of works by Photographer Rose Marasco, and a showcase of cultural clothing and daily items from Utica's local refugee and immigrant communities. The Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute is partially housed in the preserved home of the museum's founders and includes a Terrace Cafe and a gift shop. Abby and her mother are particularly fond of the Hudson River School exhibit featuring Thomas Cole's breathtaking 'The Voyage of Life' Series.