Crailo State Historic Site

It is a fun and interesting little museum/tour in the house of a wealthy Dutch family in the colonial times. Being Dutch myself, and being interested in history, it was both interesting and also gave me a familiar feeling. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because I think the collection of artifacts should be bigger, and maybe more information about how it was to live there during colonial times, how interactions with native Americans and settlers of other nationalities were, etc.

Crailo today tells the story of the early Dutch inhabitants of the upper Hudson Valley through exhibits highlighting archeological finds from the Albany Fort Orange excavations, special programs, and guided tours of the museum.
A few rooms in the house exhibit artifacts from the Dutch settlers of NY state. Two rooms in the house recreate what the house looked when it was being used by the Van Rensselaers. One is a living room of it's day with a very interesting box like bed where people slept upright. The other is the kitchen, which is located in the basement. The tour guide did a very good job at this house and the staff is friendly. For a small museum it does a good showing what life was like for Dutch settlers. The Dutch chairs are also interesting. If necessary the house could also double as a fort. One gunport in seen in the house, in case of an attack on the house.
Some parts of the house are original other parts have been remodeled. There is a small gift shop inside. Staff was friendly. Call ahead to see when the best time to come is.

Best view of the river across the street at the park. U can see the capital and capture beautiful pictures especially in the evening before park closes. The museum is being renovated outside to keep it to it's glory. And inside is full of amazing things very informative.

Don't let the construction on the outside discourage you. This is a nice little gem that goes unnoticed in the Albany Capital District. Set just across the river in Rensselaer, NY it offers not only a look into the regions past but into the history of the early Dutch settlers.
For only $5 the slightly less than one hour tour was fun and interesting.
Unfortunately because it is an almost historically correct building there may not be access to all three floors.
You should call ahead to be sure you reserve a time slot for a tour and ask about any special needs restriction.

Had an amazing time at the Crailo home this morning. Staff were super friendly and a pleasure to speak with. Our tour guide *forgot his name* was awesome. He was very friendly, knowledgeable and just a great person to chat with about the history or NY, British and most importantly the Dutch.