Overview
Cohoes is a city in Albany County on the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers, where the Mohawk forms several channels and islands.
5 sights · 3 places to eat
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Cohoes
Cohoes Music Hall
This beautiful 1874 theater is used for performances today, some of them free, and also can be visited as part of a free trip to the Hudson-Mohawk Heritage Area (RiverSpark) Visitor Center on the ground floor, which has …
Peebles Island State Park
Cohoes Falls
90 feet (27 m) high, 1,000 feet (300 m) wide, this bifurcated waterfall is somewhat of a very poor man's Niagara (that is, with much less water, no rainbow and a much shorter drop, but still impressive) and well worth a …
Downtown Cohoes Historic District
This historic district, centered around Remsen and Mohawk Streets, is full of gorgeous historic houses and low-rise buildings from the early 19th to early 20th century, including the fanciful neo-Romanesque 1895 City Hal…
Harmony Mill No. 3
Impressive four-story red brick industrial structure, with beautiful Victorian-era decorations. When it opened in 1872 it was the largest cotton mill complex in the world. Now refurbished into luxury loft apartments, it …
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 84°F; winter lows dip to about 16°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jul and Jun. (climate data from nearby Albany)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- ALB Albany International Airport, Albany — 5 mi away (major hub). Directions
- RUT Rutland - Southern Vermont Regional Airport, Rutland — 65 mi away. Directions
Cohoes is easily accessible by car from nearby cities such as Albany, Schenectady, Troy and Waterford.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Typical meal: about $6 per person at listed restaurants.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Cohoes Falls, Harmony Mill No. 3, Cohoes Music Hall
- Lunch Smith's Public House
- Afternoon Peebles Island State Park, Downtown Cohoes Historic District
- Dinner Tugboat Tavern
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Cohoes, just northeast of Albany and across the Hudson from Troy, is a beautiful city that's full of lovely historic architecture. Founded by the Dutch, it flourished during the 19th century as a center of textile manufacturing. The power for the now-historic textile mills (the largest of which — the vast Harmony Mill No. 3 — you can see on the right side of the pagebanner) came from the Cohoes Falls on the Mohawk River, still the town's foremost attraction. Now a quiet town, Cohoes may feel to visitors like an ideal movie set for a drama set in the 19th or early 20th century. Most of its attractions are walkable from each other, but there's a lot to see, so consider allotting 2 hours or more if you are an architecture or history buff.
Get in
Cohoes is easily accessible by car from nearby cities such as Albany, Schenectady, Troy and Waterford.
The Capital District Transportation Authority provides bus service from the Albany Bus Terminal and Troy (4th St and Fulton) into Cohoes on Route 182 every half hour M-F and every hour Sa and Su.
Get around
The historic districts in Cohoes are walkable. There is ample free 2-hour parking in both historic districts.
See
See Cohoes Falls
90 feet (27 m) high, 1,000 feet (300 m) wide, this bifurcated waterfall is somewhat of a very poor man's Niagara (that is, with much less water, no rainbow and a much shorter drop, but still impressive) and well worth a detour by itself. It is part of the Harmony Mills Historic District and just a bit past Harmony Mill No. 3, off of N. Mohawk St.
See Cohoes Music Hall
This beautiful 1874 theater is used for performances today, some of them free, and also can be visited as part of a free trip to the Hudson-Mohawk Heritage Area (RiverSpark) Visitor Center on the ground floor, which has some very interesting documents, objects, photos and memorabilia about the history of the city and is open Tu-Sa 10AM-3PM.
See Downtown Cohoes Historic District
This historic district, centered around Remsen and Mohawk Streets, is full of gorgeous historic houses and low-rise buildings from the early 19th to early 20th century, including the fanciful neo-Romanesque 1895 City Hall. The historic buildings actually extend a bit past the formal boundaries of the protected area, but it's all easily walkable.
See Harmony Mill No. 3
Impressive four-story red brick industrial structure, with beautiful Victorian-era decorations. When it opened in 1872 it was the largest cotton mill complex in the world. Now refurbished into luxury loft apartments, it is well worth looking at. It is one of four mill buildings that are all on North Mohawk St. and landmarked, constituting along with the falls and housing that was built for mill workers the Harmony Mills Historic District.
Eat
Eat Smith's Public House
This restaurant is in a space that dates back to 1873 and later was for a time the unofficial headquarters of the local Democratic Party machine. It has classic wood furnishings, inlaid floor tiles and a 50-foot bar. The cuisine is pretty traditional American food with some Italian influences.
Eat Tugboat Tavern
They describe themselves as offering "casual dining experience in a family run environment". They serve seafood, Italian food, American food and so on and also have a full bar. Prices are gentle: Main dishes cluster in the mid-teens, with only seafood fra diavolo priced in the 20s.
Eat Yuan Sushi
Sushi specialist.
Sleep
Accommodations can be found in nearby Latham or Troy.
Go next
Nearby
Troy
City / town · 37 listings · 3 mi away
Watervliet
City / town · 4 listings · 3 mi away
Clifton Park
City / town · 20 listings · 9 mi away
Albany
City / town · 103 listings · 9 mi away
Rensselaer
City / town · 9 listings · 9 mi away
Schenectady
City / town · 11 listings · 12 mi away
Ballston Spa
City / town · 5 listings · 18 mi away
Cambridge
City / town · 4 listings · 20 mi away
My experience
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