Historic Cherry Hill
A single family lived in this 1787 farmhouse for five generations — and left behind 70,000 objects that tell the story of ordinary Albany life across 200 years.
Historic Cherry Hill 1787 Georgian farmhouse in South End Albany
What to expect at Historic Cherry Hill
Cherry Hill is a small Georgian farmhouse built by Philip and Maria Van Rensselaer in 1787 and lived in continuously by their descendants until 1963. Because five generations of one family stayed put, the collection — 70,000 objects from clothing to letters to kitchen tools — is one of the most complete portraits of American domestic life anywhere. Unlike grander Albany mansions, Cherry Hill was a working farm, and the interpretation focuses on everyday life: cooking, laundry, illness, courtship, and the household's enslaved and later paid workers.
Tours are led by trained guides and last about 45 minutes, covering the ground floor and one upstairs bedroom. The site sits just off South Pearl Street, a five-minute drive south of downtown, and it's often overlooked in favor of Schuyler Mansion nearby. Which is a mistake — Cherry Hill is quieter, weirder, and more human. Book ahead only for groups; individual visitors walk in during posted hours.
Questions about Historic Cherry Hill
$7 for adults, $5 for seniors and students, free for children under 6.
Free on Smithsonian Museum Day (late September) with advance registration.
About an hour for the guided tour and a brief look at the outbuildings.
Closed Monday through Wednesday all year, and closed entirely January through March.
Individual visitors walk in. Groups of 6+ should reserve at historiccherryhill.org.
CDTA route 18 stops at South Pearl and 2nd Avenue, one block away. Free on-site parking is available at 523 1/2 South Pearl Street.
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