Overview
Troy is a city in Rensselaer County, New York located northeast of Albany. Its nicknames include "The Collar City" and "Home of Uncle Sam." As a result of its unique history, Troy still has what is widely considered to be the best-preserved big-city 19th-century downtown in the country.
7 sights · 9 things to do · 10 places to eat · 5 bars & cafés · 3 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Troy
Oakwood Cemetery
A very large cemetery with many monuments, mausoleums, and statues. Among the interred is Samuel Wilson, considered a possible namesake of the "Uncle Sam" character.
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
Frear Park
247-acre 18-hole public golf course, hockey arena, and outdoor playgrounds.
Prospect Park
80-acre city park which includes 14 tennis courts.
Tri-City Valleycats
The Valleycats are nearby Troy's minor league baseball team. The team is a Single A team that competes in the New York- Penn League (NYPL). The major league team associated with the Valleycats are the Houston Astros.
Burden Iron Works Museum
Schedule a tour for a crash course in area history.
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 — 6 mi away (major hub). Directions
- RUT Rutland - Southern Vermont Regional Airport, Rutland — 67 mi away. Directions
By plane, fly into Albany International Airport. If you visit via train, the nearest Amtrak station is Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station. The Greyhound bus drops you off in downtown Albany's Greyhound terminal, from which you can take CDTA bus #22 to downtown Troy.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Oakwood Cemetery, Knickerbacker Park & Ice Arena, Sanctuary for Independent Media
- Lunch Bella Napoli Italian Bakery
- Afternoon Troy Bike Rescue, Frear Park
- Dinner The Ale House
- Evening Brown's Brewing Company
Day 2
- Morning Poesten Kill Gorge Park, Prospect Park, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
- Lunch I Love
- Afternoon Captain JP Cruise Line, T'was the Night Before Christmas historical marker
- Dinner Greek House
- Evening The Ruck
Day 3
- Morning Burden Iron Works Museum, Tri-City Valleycats
- Lunch DeFazio's
- Afternoon Peebles Island State Park, Troy Farmers Market
- Dinner Dinosaur BBQ
- Evening Franklin Alley Social Club
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
Troy was a major city during the early years of American industrialization in the first half of the 19th century, with iron, ironware, steel, flour and textile manufacturing among the industries that flourished in and around Troy throughout the boom times of the entire 19th century. Troy continued to have some very productive industries through the 1920s, but during Prohibition, its bootlegging industry was probably the most famous in the area. Starting not long after World War II, most of Troy's industries increasingly either fled to the South, where the cotton for the textiles is grown, unions were weaker and wages were lower; or to the West, which was by that time closer to most of the mines that were still productive; or simply went out of business. Then, when U.S. industries went bust starting in the 1960s and 70s, Troy went even further into a depression, losing population and having the feel of being lost in time. Since there was no monetary profit in tearing down buildings in Troy and replacing them with modern highrises, they were just left alone until the early 1960s, when public opposition to a plan to raze some historic buildings downtown prompted successful applications to preserve buildings and later entire districts of Troy as landmarks. Troy has since revived to a significant degree, with numerous buildings in its Central Historic District being restored.
Get in
By plane, fly into Albany International Airport. If you visit via train, the nearest Amtrak station is Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station. The Greyhound bus drops you off in downtown Albany's Greyhound terminal, from which you can take CDTA bus #22 to downtown Troy.
Troy is easily accessible by way of I-87 North, exit 7. It is also well connected to local highway 787 from exits 7E, 8 and 9E.
Get around
Public Transportation CDTA (Capital District Transit Authority) serves Troy as well as Albany, Schenectady and (to an extent) Saratoga Springs. For full information on bus routes and schedules, visit the CDTA website at CDTA.org. Many of the cab companies in Troy serve Albany as well but may have different fare structures. Cab fare from downtown Troy to downtown Albany is approximately $30.
See
See Poesten Kill Gorge Park
literally means "foaming or puffing stream" in Dutch, powered mills in the gorge for more than 300 years. The waterfall is located in a peaceful, secluded location in the middle of the city of Troy. The gorge can be viewed from a visitors' lot off Linden Avenue, between Pawling and Spring Avenues.
See T'was the Night Before Christmas historical marker
The poem A Visit from St. Nicolas that begins with "T'was the night before Christmas" was first published in The Troy Sentinel, a local newspaper, on December 23, 1823 and is memorialized in this marker.
Do
Aside from the specific listings below, it's great just to walk around the historic district and look at the buildings.
Do Sanctuary for Independent Media
The Sanctuary for Independent Media is a telecommunications production facility dedicated to community media arts, located in an historic former church. The Sanctuary hosts screening, production and performance facilities, training in media production and a meeting space for artists, activists and independent media makers of all kinds. The diverse films, talks, showcases and music events in 2010 included a talk by bestselling "Blackwater" investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill; music from emerging Afropop star Bassekou Kouyate and his band from Mali; a multimedia presentation by author Scott Christianson on Harriet Tubman's heroic 1860 slave rescue in Troy; filmmaker Alex Rivera screening his acclaimed sci-fi adventure "Sleep Dealer"; and the weekend Bike!Bike! Northeast celebration of bicycle culture.
Do Troy Bike Rescue
Troy Bike Rescue is a collective of people in the capital region committed to removing bikes from the waste stream and getting them back on the streets. Operating on a volunteer basis out of donated spaces in both Troy and Albany, they are part of an international movement of "community bike projects" - using bicycles to create community.
Do Captain JP Cruise Line
The Captain JP can accommodate up to 600 passengers and is by far the most lavish vessel in the Capital District. The Capt. JP II has three climate-controlled enclosed decks, along with full service bars and dance floors on each deck. They regularly feature live entertainment on the music cruises and also hold private events.
Events
- Victorian Stroll Historic downtown Troy is transformed into a bygone Victorian era in December each year.
Learn
Buy
Troy boasts many shopping venues, including a few each of Redbox, Walmart, Goodwill, Radioshack, and a few other brand names. It also has many unique stores and specialty shops, such as antiques, promotional items, art supplies, healing techniques, and murals.
Shop Brunswick Plaza and Brunswick Square
Retail parks, including Walmart, Price Chopper and a number of food chains.
Eat
Eat The Ale House
A pub well known for its big and crispy Buffalo style chicken wings. They offer patio seating on warm nights and frequently host live bands on weekends. Worth a stop north of Hoosick for the nicely priced brews, consistently perfect chicken wings, and lively neighborhood atmosphere.
Eat Ali Baba
serves affordable and generously portioned Turkish and Greek dishes. Their enormous lavash bread is baked on site in an impressive brick fire oven.
Eat Bella Napoli Italian Bakery
is one of two branches (the other is in Latham). Feast on Italian style cookies, almond horns, cakes and freshly baked rolls and breads.
Eat DeFazio's
makes homemade pasta and award-winning pizza, as well as their own sauce. Adjacent to the small restaurant (just a couple tables, take-out also available) is a small Italian grocery store where you can buy DeFazio's pasta, sauces, and goods in jars.
Eat Dinosaur BBQ
It has become a favorite, with several locations throughout New York. Expect hearty portions of Southern-style barbeque ribs, jerk chicken, fried green tomatoes, and a mighty spicy macaroni and cheese. Dinosaur is located right on the river and was flooded badly in September 2011 by Tropical Storm Irene; restoration took place in less than two weeks. Varied and affordable beers on tap, outdoor seating and live music on weekends make it a very popular spot year round.
Eat Greek House
It offers gyros, souvlaki, burgers, salads, etc. Smart people pass on the Greek fries and substitute the delicious zesty lemon potatoes.
Eat Green Shell
It is one of many area Chinese takeout joints sandwiched between discount shops in a strip mall, but the excellent food and generous delivery radius make it stand out among the crowd.
Eat I Love
It is the only late-night pizza place you need patronize after a long night at The Ruck.
Eat Plum Blossom
A very popular Chinese sit-down restaurant that tries to change up the typical Chinese-American classics (to varying degrees of success).
Eat Snow Man
It is a seasonal ice cream stand in Lansingburgh on Fifth Avenue. Expect long lines, diabetes-inducing serving sizes and monster creations like the "Boston Shake," an ice cream sundae floating atop an ice cream milkshake.
Drink
Drink Brown's Brewing Company
It is a highly rated and very popular craft brewery and pub-restaurant that has been supplying the Capital Region with ales, lagers, stouts and more since 1993. The Taproom is a comfortable spot for after-work drinks and dinner on warm evenings. Amid the myriad reviews singing its praise lie some complaints that their lines are not always clean, but Brown's offers an undeniably chill and laid-back experience, with lots of weekly/monthly events, theme dinners, and a great patio. The nacho starter is a meal for three. You can find Brown's beers at local supermarkets.
Drink Footsy Magoos
It doesn't have a sign on either side, so ask a plugged-in local where to find it (hint: it's downtown on 1st St). Once you find it, enjoy a relaxed bar with tabletop games, Skee-ball (will cost you 25 cents), cool bathroom decor, and a cozy enclosed patio out back.
Drink The Ruck
It functions primarily as a "last stop of the night" bar, but their Buffalo wings (and "wing fries" - French fries drowning in an artery-clogging mixture of buffalo sauce and bleu cheese) deserve a shout-out. Stop by between 6-8PM on Friday evenings and wait patiently by the counter for free wings at happy hour! stays open late - until 4AM - and almost everybody ends up there at the end of the night. Their selection of beers on tap is excellent, with lower prices than a lot of competing bars. Thursday night is "Pint Night" and patrons get $1.00 off each pint purchased. Late weekend nights usually mean at least one fight inside or outside The Ruck. Don't look for buybacks from the bartenders.
Drink Ryan's Wake
A fairly generic bar with a superb location and a big patio. It gets very crowded in the summer whenever there's an event by the marina (e.g. Rockin' On The River).
Drink Franklin Alley Social Club
Unique retro cruise ship-themed bar replete with bocce and shuffleboard courts, arcade games, and a menu of comfort food, some of which involves tater tots. Local craft brews on tap and in bottles or cans, along with unique cocktails.
Sleep
Go next
- Albany, the state's capital, is a 15- to 20-minute drive across the river and slightly south.
See Peebles Island State Park
A 5-10 minute drive from downtown Troy. Take Second Ave to 112th St and turn left onto 470 by the Stewart's. Meander through the woods, see some white-tailed deer and bald eagles, and walk across the bridge from Cohoes to Waterford.
See Pittstown State Forest
A few miles east of Brunswick and a peaceful escape from concrete and brick.
- Rensselaer
- The charming town of Saratoga Springs is about a 40-minute drive north on I-87.
- Watervliet
Nearby
Watervliet
City / town · 4 listings · 1 mi away
Cohoes
City / town · 8 listings · 3 mi away
Rensselaer
City / town · 9 listings · 6 mi away
Albany
City / town · 103 listings · 6 mi away
Clifton Park
City / town · 20 listings · 11 mi away
Schenectady
City / town · 11 listings · 13 mi away
Ballston Spa
City / town · 5 listings · 21 mi away
Cambridge
City / town · 4 listings · 22 mi away
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