The Shaker Heritage Society at Watervliet occupies the site of the first Shaker settlement in America, founded in 1776 on what was then farmland northwest of Albany. The Shakers — the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing — were a communal religious sect who practised celibacy, pacifism, gender equality, and an extraordinary devotion to craftsmanship. Their furniture is still prized for its spare elegance and precision.
The surviving buildings on the site include the 1848 Meeting House, the 1889 Laundry, and several other structures. The graveyard contains the graves of several hundred Shakers, including Mother Ann Lee herself, whose bones were exhumed and reburied here after the original burial ground was built over.
The Heritage Society offers tours and exhibitions on Shaker history, craft, and religious practice. The site is about 8 kilometres northwest of downtown Albany; a car is needed to reach it.