About this Event
Choose your path through history! Join the Albany County Historical Association | Ten Broeck Mansion in celebrating Path Through History on Saturday October 10 from 11 am -4 pm.
Join us for an exploration of the rich and diverse history of Albany County by choosing your path to explore. There are driving, walking, and biking options.
How to participate:
1 ) Register for the tour via this webpage. If you have having trouble registering, please call our office (Tuesday-Saturday) 518-436-9826.
2) Plan your day! We suggest starting your tour at the Ten Broeck Mansion but you may start at any historic site along the route. Each historic site will be open from 11 am- 4 pm (with one exception). You can pick up the maps at any participating site.
Participating Historic Sites & Museums:
- Albany County Historical Association | Ten Broeck Mansion, Albany NY
- The Huyck Preserve, Rensselaerville, NY
- Rensselaerville Historical Society, Rensselaerville, NY
- Knox Schoolhouse No. 5 at Thacher State Park Note: open from 1 - 3 pm only
- Historic Hilton Barn, New Scotland Historical Association, New Scotland NY
3) Special events at participating sites:
- The Huyck Preserve Visitors' Center will be open from 11 am - 4 pm with their Ranger available. They will have informational boards and pamphlets detailing the history of Huyck Preserve and the history of the town of Rensselaerville.
- Rensselaerville Historical Society will have their historic mill open plus an artifacts exhibit - explore trapdoors and chutes, and learn about this historic community's past as you listen to the roar of the adjacent Ten Mile Creek.
- Historic Knox Schoolhouse No. 5 open from 1 pm - 3pm at Thacher State Park. An educator will be at the schoolhouse with an informational table about the schoolhouse and answer visitor questions as they explore inside. Please note: There is very limited parking (2-3 spots) at the schoolhouse. If lot is full, visitors are encouraged to park at the Emma Treadwell Thacher Nature Center and walk through nearby meadows using the Schoolhouse Trail if they are able.
- The New Scotland Historical Association will be hosting a display within the magnificent Hilton Barn located next to the Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail in the Town of New Scotland. Inside the newly finished section of the barn, the association will have a display of historical objects and educational panels about the Hilton family.
4) Special events at the Ten Broeck Mansion from 11 am -4 pm (park in our free Livingston Avenue lot):
- Meet historically-costumed interpreters repsenting the era of King George's War (1740s) and the Civil War, and learn about the ties to the Ten Broeck Mansion!Free full-length tours 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm (Please note that space is limited. ).
- Free walk-through tours from 11 am - 1 pm (available every 30 minutes).
- Meet local history organizations including representatives from .
- Browse local history titles with .
- Free family art kits & self-guided garden discovery tours
- Ten Broeck Museum Shop open 11am - 4 pm: books & fine locally made artisan goods
- Doughnuts available for purchase from
5) Enjoy Albany Hospitality!
- Attendees get discounts & special offers for October 10 at &
- You must check in at the Ten Broeck Mansion to get your Path Through History discount coupon.
Safety Practices & Suggestions:
- Keep in mind that if you wish to visit each site, you will need to pace yourself!
- You may visit all of the sites or choose to visit a few sites and have a more in-depth experience.
- Wear comfortable walking or hiking shoes - many historic and natural sites have uneven walkways.
- Use your GPS/phone to set the directions for the next stop, following the recommended route on our map.
- Drive carefully: bring a friend to help navigate. Never text or re-set your phone while driving.
- The tour passes private property & private historic homes and farms. Enjoy the view but do not park on or visit private sites.
- Bring your own lunch to enjoy at select sites or stop at the many roadside farmstands or restaurants along the way. Shop local!
- Keep Albany County beautiful. Practice "leave no trace."
- Programs are free, but donations are appreciated to help all of the historic sites continue their important work.
Images: (below) Hall Place, Arbor Hill, Albany NY; Historical Interpreter Maya Terry; Village Fife & Drum Corps at Path Through History 2025;Ten Broeck Mansion interior, Albany NY; Rensselaerville Historical Society, Rensselaerville NY; Hilton Barn, New Scotland NY.
Event venue & nearby stays
Albany County Historical Association, 9 Ten Broeck Place, Albany, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.