Albany History Race 2017

Coming up this weekend, Saturday, 30 September, is the fourth annual Albany History Race 2017; sponsored by the Albany Public Library. We participated in last year's race taking first place and also in the previous year's race taking third place. This year we are unable to participate. The event is a lot of fun! Check it out!

The following information is cut from Albany History Race Facebook page.

The Fourth Annual Albany History Race is an Amazing Race-style afternoon scavenger hunt for history experts, novices, & visitors interested in learning about Albany's past!

The event is free & no prior knowledge is needed. This year, to support the efforts of the future Albany Firefighters Museum, Albany Public Library is partnering with Albany firefighter Tim Blaney & City Historian Tony Opalka, who are researching the history of the Albany Fire Department. All locations visited in the race will have connections to the fire department & historic Albany fires.

*Here's how YOU can participate & win:

- Make a team! All teammates must fit in ONE car. You provide the car.

- Meet at the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center (25 Quackenbush Sq.), not the library, at 2pm on Saturday, 9/30 to receive clues directing you to historic locations in Albany.

- Plan the quickest route to visit the locations that afternoon.

- Hop in your team's car, race to the spots, & document your visit with your cell phone camera or digital camera.

- The final stop is the Albany Distilling Company’s new bar (75 Livingston Ave.), where teams that complete the race will get pizza. Stay to purchase your own drinks. The fastest teams to arrive will win Albany themed prizes!

**The starting location for this event is the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center (25 Quackenbush Square).**

To sign up, have only ONE member of your team register by clicking the ticket link. For more details, please email localhistory@albanypubliclibrary.org or call (518) 427-4376.

Upcoming Albany History Event

Coming up on Saturday 24 September 2016 is the third annual Albany History Race. Last year I participated in this race with a friend Paul. It was a lot of fun and we took third place out of about 20 + teams. Not bad for first-timers. The event is hosted by the Albany Public Library and its focus will be on historic buildings in the city.

Last September I posted an article on my participation in the Albany History Race. The story can be found here.

Details clipped from the library website:

Event Type: Adult Program
Age Group(s): Adult (Ages 18+)
Date: 9/24/2016
Start Time: 1:00 PM
End Time: 4:00 PM

Description:

 The Third Annual Albany History Race is an Amazing Race style afternoon scavenger hunt for history experts, novices, and visitors interested in learning about Albany’s past. No prior knowledge is needed to participate. For this year's race, the Albany Public Library is partnering with Historic Albany Foundation and showcasing the endangered buildings of our city. The event will begin in the library’s local history room and conclude at McGeary’s Pub, where teams will receive 20% off their food and drink that afternoon. Additional Albany themed prizes will be awarded to the fastest teams!

Here's how you can participate and win!

Make a team! All teammates must fit in one car. You provide the car.

Meet at the library at 1pm on Saturday, 9/24 to receive clues directing you to historic locations in Albany.

Plan the quickest route to visit the locations that afternoon.

Hop in your team's car, race to the spots, and document your visit with your cell phone camera or digital camera.

The final stop is McGeary's Pub where all teams will get a 20% discount on food and drink! We'll also reward the fastest teams with additional Albany themed prizes!

Registration begins September 1, 2016. To sign up your team, have only one member of your team register below. or call 518-427-4376. For more details, please email localhistory@albanypubliclibrary.org.

Library: Washington Ave. Branch    Map 
Location: Albany Public Library -- Washington Ave.
Registration Ends: 9/23/2016 at 5:00 PM
Status: Openings

Register at this link

Albany History Race 2015

Earlier today my new friend Paul and I competed in the second annual Albany History Race hosted by the Albany Public Library. The goal of the race is to introduce Albany's history in a fun and competitive way by getting clues from a booklet and then driving to a specific location where a photo of a team member has to be taken to prove that you found it. It is a big scavenger hunt. Last year I missed the race but was not going to miss it this year.

Every team had to pick four out of six "missions" to seek, find, and photograph with a team member in each picture. Each mission had two locations to find. So we had to find a total of eight locations. Upwards of twenty teams; each with varying numbers of members competed today. After finding each location and taking a picture, we raced to the next location.

We quickly tried to plan our route in a loop fashion so that we did not have to back track. When we left the Albany Public Library on Washington Avenue we headed out and got on Lark Street on our way to a secluded ravine just west of Lincoln Park where the water from the Beaverkill can be seen. The stream is completely underground flowing through a large conduit.

Our next stop was to find the Trolley Tree Sculpture at the Delaware Avenue public library.

Next we headed over to the Myers Middle School off Whitehall Road for a quick photo.

The fourth stop was to go to where Dan O'Connell was born at the corner of Second Avenue and South Pearl Street.

Our fifth stop was to photograph the small bridge and fencing where the Patroon Creek went underground and flowed to the Hudson River on North Pearl Street near Tivoli Street.

The sixth stop was to find the Myers house on Livingston Avenue.

The seventh stop was head to the birth place of Mayor Erastus Corning. He was born on Chestnut Street between Lark and Dove Streets. We realized this mission/stop while we were on Lark Street heading to our first stop; just after we passed Chestnut Street. With all of the one way streets in that area it was thought to get it later.

Our last stop was at the United Traction Company on Broadway and Columbia Street.

After we left the former United Traction Company we rushed around the corner to McGeary's where the finish line was. Paul and I came in third place and it was a great time. If this race is continued, I would recommend this event to anyone; especially families. At McGeary's it was nice to meet and chat with some other Albany historians who are involved with the Facebook group Assiduity!

Albany History Race 2015

Coming up soon is an event that I missed last year and sounds like a lot of fun. The Albany Public Library is hosting its second "History Race" on September 26. It is modeled after the TV show the Amazing Race. Details of this event are below and clipped from Albany.com

Albany History Race

September 26, 2015 - September 26, 2015

• Location: Albany Public Library
• Address: 161 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12210
• Times: From: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
• Admission: Free!
• Contact: Local History Librarian
• Phone:518-427-4376

Why visit one historic site in Albany when you can visit eight in one afternoon followed by a discounted meal with fellow history enthusiasts? The Second Annual Albany History Race is an Amazing Race style afternoon scavenger hunt for history experts, novices, and visitors interested in learning about Albany's past. The event will begin in the library's local history room and conclude at McGeary's Pub where participating teams will receive 20% off their food and drink that afternoon, plus additional discounts and prizes for the fastest teams! Registration required. For more details on how this exciting and educational competition works, and to register your team, visit the albanypubliclibrary.org event calendar.

Event Duration (Hours): 3
* Advanced registration required
Advanced Registration Information: Registration required. Please register your team by September 26th through the albanypubliclibrary.org event calendar.  Register here 

Not suitable for children under: 8
Additional Equipment required: Each team must have a car and either a phone or digital camera to take and store photos of their visits.
Not Wheelchair Accessible