The state capital, Albany lies 150 mi. north of New York in the valley of the Hudson River. It was given a great boost as an industrial and commercial center by the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825. There is a fine view of the town and the Hudson River from the Corning Tower of the modern Empire State Plaza. Albany has many fine old 18th and 1
9th c. buildings that have been carefully restored in recent years. The Albany Institute of History and Art has one of the oldest collections in the United States (including pictures of the 19th c. Hudson River school).