Things to Do in Troy
A Victorian river city with a celebrated music hall and a year-round farmers market.
See top-rated activities »About Troy
Troy sits on the east bank of the Hudson, about ten minutes north of Albany, at the point where the river stops being tidal. In the 19th century it was one of the richest cities in the country, producing iron for railroads and the first Monitor-class warship, and making so many detachable shirt collars that it was nicknamed the Collar City. Much of the wealth went into buildings that still stand: blocks of brownstone row houses, ornate banks and churches, and a downtown that looks much as it did around 1900.
The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, opened in 1875 on the upper floors of a bank building, is prized by performers and recording engineers for its acoustics, and it hosts a full season of classical, folk and jazz concerts. St. Paul's Episcopal Church downtown has an interior designed by the Tiffany studios, and several other Troy churches also hold Tiffany windows. The Hart Cluett Museum, run by the county historical society, shows a merchant family's 1827 townhouse alongside exhibits on the city's industries.
On Saturdays the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market draws shoppers from across the region. It runs year-round: outdoors in Monument Square from spring to fall and indoors at the Troy Atrium in winter. Downtown's River Street and Broadway have independent shops, cafes, bars and restaurants, and the city holds a Troy Night Out art walk on the last Friday of most months.
Above downtown, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1824, is the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world. North of the campus, Oakwood Cemetery spreads across a bluff with views of the Hudson and Mohawk valleys, and it is the burial place of Samuel Wilson, the meat packer often credited as the inspiration for Uncle Sam. In South Troy, the Burden Iron Works Museum, in the former office of an ironworks whose founder invented a horseshoe-making machine, reopened in 2026.
Don’t Miss
An 1875 concert hall known for its acoustics, with a busy schedule of concerts.
A year-round Saturday market, outdoors from May to October and indoors in winter.
A downtown church with an interior and windows by the Tiffany studios.
An 1827 townhouse and exhibits on Troy's history, run by the Rensselaer County Historical Society.
A 19th-century rural cemetery with river views and the Gardner Earl Memorial Chapel.
Industrial history in the former ironworks office building; reopened in 2026 with limited weekday hours.
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Get free trip quotes »Troy — FAQ
When is the Troy farmers market?
Every Saturday morning into early afternoon, all year. It is in Monument Square from May through October and inside the Troy Atrium from November through April.
How far is Troy from Albany?
About ten to fifteen minutes by car, across the Hudson. CDTA buses also connect the two downtowns.
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