Albany is compact and walkable. The four historic districts — Monteith, Hackleman, Downtown Commercial, and Flinn (the oldest residential district) — are all within easy walking distance of each other. The riverfront park system connects several of them.
For the covered bridges tour and outlying attractions in Linn County, you need a car. The official Covered Bridge Scenic Bikeway is an 80-km loop suitable for cyclists, but most visitors drive the route. Bikes can be rented in town.