I've taken my kids here twice and we had a great time on both occasions. We did the Wednesday…read morenight, 6pm, free art studio with Ginger, who is a volunteer art teacher. The first time, we crafted fish sculptures using bottles, glue, fabric, and other materials. The second time the kids made hand puppets with socks, googly eyes, and crafting materials. Then they performed individual shows with them. The kids LOVED being creative, and expressing themselves through art. Ginger was extremely patient, fun loving, and fostered a safe learning environment. The 6pm classes are only an hour and a half, but were laughed through most of it. We'll definitely come back for other Wednesday evening events, and will try to get to some of their weekend ones as well. CREATE is one of those places that every parent should experience with their kid(s). Side note - it's also great fun for a bunch of teenagers or adults who want to bond though creative means.

A community art studio for everyone. We have frequented the Schenectady location. I am not sure…read moreabout wheelchair accessibility and the location is not friendly for kids. But the programming is great.

Small gallery on Russell Sage campus doing some amazing work with screen printing…read more We left our donation& a valuable new experience:)!

I can't believe that there aren't any other reviews of this cool little gallery on Yelp yet! With…read moremost other arts and culture in the area on hold right now, we were craving something interesting to do, and decided to brave the snow to check out a brand new exhibition at the Opalka Gallery. First, I want to get this out of the way: the space is teeny-tiny, so you're not going to make a day of it. You might not even make a half-hour of it. For someone who really loves wandering around galleries and museums it feels a little like being served exactly five potato chips. However, the art on display is legitimately really interesting and worth seeing. Right now the exhibition includes prints, sculptures, and a motorized sound installation that was really cool to look at, even though we didn't get to see it in action (the artist wasn't there when we were). I'm really looking forward to coming back here post-covid to attend some of the musical performances and other events that the Opalka gallery runs -- in the summer of 2019 they were hosting an outdoor beer garden with art and music that I really regret never having checked out when I had the chance! Post script: COVID procedures are scrupulously followed here, so be prepared to fill out a contact-tracing form and have your temperature taken before you can check out the art.

I've lived in Albany for nearly four years now, and I never knew about this place! I found out…read moreabout this through the Yelp Events page (Bombs Away!) and was able to attend the event. It showcases numerous types of artwork throughout the building and has different studios for different purposes. They also offered a variety of different classes that I look forward to learn more about! The Bombs Away Workshop was incredibly fun! The instructors were really knowledgeable and helpful. It was a small group, so the ratio of instructor:students was pretty well balanced. They provided ample supplies and appropriate protective wear for the event. The only comment would be to provide more scales or request us to bring some in the invitation. I think that slowed down the efficiency of the workshop since we were just waiting for everyone to get their ingredients measured. Otherwise, I had a lot of fun and hope there are more fun events advertised!

Through the end of April, The Albany Barn is featuring an excellent exhibition of the contemporary…read moreart of Sarah Holub Schrom. Her paintings are soulful & evocative of her personal evolution as an artist and as a human being. It is definitely worth the trip to see these paintings! She is sure to soon take off as an artist, so take this opportunity to see it now. Make sure you call before going because the hours are limited & vary daily.

Albany was a Dutch colony and you can see historic Dutch style homes. Most of these homes are in…read morebad shape and Historic Albany Foundation preserves and protects buildings that have architectural, historic or civic value, by providing technical assistance, education, and advocacy. They do have a warehouse where you can buy old items on sale. If you would like to restore something that is beat up and has history and looks antique, you may find it here. I have been here a few times and they had cool stuff that I loved, however nothing caught my eye this time around. They did sell homes but I couldn't find much. I had a good business relationship with the former ED, Susan Holland as I was there Relationship manager at the bank. Susan educated me about being green and using wooden windows rather than vinyl. In addition, I believe yelp had organized a historic tour for the elites.

I have dropped off dozens of doors here and am so pleased to know that they have a chance to be…read moreused again instead of being trashed. I have also found some very good parts for my house. The staff are always helpful and knowledgeable.

The staff here were pleasant, kind and helpful. We came for a Saturday night light show in the…read moreplanetarium. About 45 minutes long, a good time you can't beat it. A few jokes from the ticket-taker as well. Tip: try and grab the seats toward the back, to keep your neck more comfortable. We arrived ~15 minutes before start time and were able to peruse around the different displays and interactive exhibits. A place for all ages. This was a nice indoor activity to get out of the house and not be in the frigid cold.

Visited the planetarium to see James Hood's "Beautifica" on date night, the event itself was a…read morewonderful visual meditative experience! The building itself could definitely use some updating (the bathroom is kind of falling apart). The staff were super friendly! True to brand we showed up late and the show had already started, but staff were kind enough to sneak us into our seats without disrupting everyone else's experience. I look forward to going back here to see the rest of the museum!

Something that one person considers worthless may be considered valuable by someone else…read more They do have a warehouse where you can buy old items on sale. If you would like to restore something that is beat up and has history and looks antique, you may find it here. I have been here a few times and they had cool stuff that I loved, however nothing caught my eye this time around. They did sell homes but I couldn't find much. I had a good business relationship with the former ED, Susan Holland as I was there Relationship manager at the bank. Susan educated me about being green and using wooden windows rather than vinyl.

Great place for vintage salvage items. Knowledgeable staff, knew how to answer my questions. You…read morecould spend hours looking at old door, windows, mantles and vintage bathroom pieces. They have a lot of different colors of sinks and toilets.

I was recommended here for custom framing work after my regular store closed. They were very…read morefriendly here, and they worked with me to obtain a special frame through custom ordering. They have "regular" hours but they also do appointments by request, which is nice. Of note, they had to search multiple companies to find a frame that was similar to some we already had, and that took several weeks. In general, I had to call them for updates even when deadlines were missed (they had good reasons for it) and I wish they had taken the initiative to call me first. However, it all worked out in the end and I am happy with the job they did.

I needed something for Christmas framed and this was the place to go to!…read moreIt was my first visit to the gallery but not my last! The gallery has a very central and safe location with plenty of parking in front. It made a very professionell impression, being very well lit, open and friendly. I got really good advice, the process was flawless and the product came out super well. This is now my go - to gallery for sure!

A friend's wedding reception is what brought me to the national museum of dance. The location is…read moreideal if you are having guests stay over in Saratoga. The cocktail hour was hosted in the lobby. It is a small space. There were tables with snacks along the middle and a small table set up in the back as a bar. There was not much room for tables so we had to stand along the side and use the window ledge to hold our drinks. The service was great. The cocktail servers did a great job at bringing out snacks and making sure every guest was taken care of! The only thing I found strange was that the "bar" did not serve water. We had to wait until the reception started to get a glass of water. The reception hall was beautiful. It is the perfect venue for a small wedding. If you are planning to have more than 100 people at your event, I think it will be too small. The tables were a little tight which made it difficult to get in and out BUT everything was beautiful. Again, this wedding was the perfect size for this venue. I will not comment on the food since I am certain it was catered by an outside company. Overall, we had a great experience at the wedding and the venue was beautiful. If we plan to have a small wedding, this is a place I would consider!

I feel like my friend should write this as it was her wedding that I attended there, but since I am…read moresure as a newlywed she is busy, I am going to give my two cents worth. Coming from a guest, I cannot say how expensive this place is, but my friends had about 100 people in attendance to their October nuptials and this venue was fabulous. They had the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception here and it was a beautiful setting. It was very convenient for guests, parking was substantial and it was beautiful. There was an elegant and simple beauty to all parts of the celebration. There were enough bathrooms, even for the women. Though it was flat pouring rain outside, we were comfortable and happy inside. If I was having my wedding in Saratoga Springs in the Fall, I would definitely recommend The National Museum of Dance.