New York State Capitol

The New York State Capitol dominates the Albany skyline and is one of the most impressive public buildings in the United States. The massive granite structure — it cost about $25 million to build, an extraordinary sum in the late 19th century — sits at the top of State Street on a bluff above the Hudson River. Free guided tours run throughout the week and are the best way to see the interior.

The building's most celebrated feature is the "Million Dollar Staircase," a great carved stairwell rising through the centre of the building with intricate Romanesque stonework. The Great Western Staircase took 14 years to complete, with stone carvers working their faces of historical and ordinary New Yorkers into the stone columns. A devastating fire in 1911 destroyed the State Library collection but left the structure intact.

The Capitol is surrounded by Capitol Park, a pleasant green space with statues including the Statue of Philip Schuyler. It is actively used as the working legislature — if you visit when the Assembly or Senate is in session, you may be able to observe from the public galleries.

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A story
The Capitol took 32 years to build, from 1869 to 1899, and involved five different architects — each of whom had a different vision. The result is a building that shifts styles as you move through it, from Italian Renaissance on the exterior to Romanesque on the upper floors. The "Million Dollar Staircase" inside took 14 years alone to carve, and includes over 300 faces of famous and ordinary New Yorkers among its stone carvings.