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Schenectady is a city of about 68,000 people on the Mohawk River in upstate New York, about 15 miles northwest of Albany. Founded by Dutch settlers in 1661, it survived a devastating French and Native attack in 1690 and grew into a canal and railroad town. In the late 1800s Thomas Edison moved his works here, and General Electric made Schenectady famous as the city that lights and hauls the world.
The Stockade Historic District, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the country, keeps narrow streets of colonial and Federal houses beside the river. Downtown, the grand 1926 Proctors theater hosts Broadway tours, and miSci, the Museum of Innovation and Science, tells the story of GE and its inventions. Union College, founded in 1795, has the striking round Nott Memorial and the lovely Jackson's Garden.
The riverfront has been reborn at Mohawk Harbor with a casino, hotels and restaurants, and the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail follows the river through town. Mabee Farm, the Central Park rose garden and Vale Cemetery round out a visit, and Saratoga Springs is a short drive north.
One of the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhoods in the United States, with narrow streets of 18th and 19th-century houses, churches and markers recalling the 1690 massacre, set beside the Mohawk River. Walk the streets slowly to read the house plaques, and end in Riverside Park for views of the river.
A redeveloped riverfront district on the former site of the ALCO locomotive works, with a marina, hotels, restaurants, apartments, the casino and a riverside promenade linked to the Bike-Hike Trail. It is a lively spot on summer evenings. Walk the harbor promenade at sunset, and look for boat tours in season.
A restored 1926 vaudeville and movie palace downtown that now hosts touring Broadway shows, concerts, comedy and films, with a gilded auditorium and Goldie, its mighty Wurlitzer organ. It is the region's main stage for big productions. Book ahead for Broadway shows, and arrive early to explore the arcade lobby.
A casino resort at Mohawk Harbor with slot machines, table games, a poker room, several restaurants and bars, a hotel and an event center. It sits beside the Mohawk River and the waterfront trail. Guests must be 21 or older for the gaming floor, and parking in the garage is free for visitors.
A 16-sided domed building at the center of the Union College campus, completed in 1879 and named for longtime college president Eliphalet Nott. It is a National Historic Landmark with a colorful interior and a gallery. Walk around the campus green to see it from all sides, and step inside when it is open to visitors.
An eight-acre garden on the Union College campus with formal flower beds, woodland paths and a stream, first planted in the 1830s by professor Isaac Jackson. It is open to the public free of charge. Visit from late spring to early fall for peak blooms, and combine it with a stroll past the Nott Memorial.
A large public rose garden inside Schenectady's Central Park, with hundreds of varieties of roses arranged in formal beds around a fountain, cared for by volunteers. The surrounding park has a lake, trails and sports fields. Visit in June and early July when the roses are at their peak, and bring a camera.
A science museum with hands-on exhibits, a planetarium and a large archive of General Electric history, telling the story of the inventions made in Schenectady, from electric lighting to locomotives and radio. It is great for families. Check planetarium show times, and plan about two hours for the galleries.
A museum and research library in a historic Stockade building with exhibits on Schenectady's Dutch colonial origins, the 1690 massacre, the Erie Canal era and the city's industrial history, plus period rooms and portraits. It is a good place to start a Stockade walk. Check hours, which are limited.
One of the oldest surviving farm sites in the Mohawk Valley, with a stone Dutch colonial house, a Dutch barn, a family cemetery and a heritage center run by the Schenectady County Historical Society. It sits on the Mohawk River west of the city in Rotterdam Junction. Check seasonal hours and events.
A large Victorian rural cemetery founded in 1857 with winding lanes, old trees, ponds and monuments to many of Schenectady's leading citizens, including GE scientists and early settlers. It is a peaceful place for a walk. Pick up a map at the office, and visit in fall when the trees are colorful.
A paved trail of about 40 miles following the Mohawk and Hudson rivers between Rotterdam and Albany, much of it on old railroad and canal routes, passing through Schenectady's riverfront, woods and parks. It is great for biking and walking. Start at Mohawk Harbor and ride west along the river toward Rotterdam.
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Log in to add photosPhoto: UpstateNYer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: UpstateNYer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: UpstateNYer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Daniel Case, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Dougtone, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Dougtone, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Daniel Case, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Daniel Case, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Proctors Collaborative Archive, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Tyler A. McNeil, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Daniel Case, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Daniel Case, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: UpstateNYer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: UpstateNYer, color correction and perspective/barrel adjustments by User:Jaakobo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: UpstateNYer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: NottMemorialPano.jpg: Wadester16, color correction and perspective/barrel adjust, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Dougtone, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Dougtone, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Dougtone, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Dougtone, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
