2024 Geocache challenge
Crailo is the museum of the Colonial Dutch in the Hudson River Valley. Originally a part of the vast landholding called the Manor or Patroonship of Rensselaerswyck, the Crailo farm was named after the Van Rensselaer's estate in the Netherlands, variously spelled Crayloo or Cralo in the 17th century, and meaning "crows' wood" in Dutch.
Crailo was built in the early 18th century by Hendrick Van Rensselaer, grandson of the First Patroon. Hendrick died in 1740 and his eldest son, Johannes, inherited Crailo. He remodeled the house and added an east wing in the Georgian style, reflecting the increasing influence of the English on the Albany-area Dutch.In the late 18th century, Crailo was remodeled in the Federal style. It served as a boys' boarding school in the 1840s and later as a church rectory. Each new venture brought more changes to the structure. In 1924 Crailo was donated to New York State for development as a museum.Crailo today tells the story of the early Dutch inhabitants of the upper Hudson Valley through exhibits highlighting archeological finds from the Albany Fort Orange excavations, special programs, and guided tours of the museum.
Outreach programs to schools and hearthside cooking programs are available by reservation.
Congratulations Crailo, WINNER of the 2010 CINE Special Jury Award for the film: "Keeping Order: A Fort Orange Court Record"
Hours of Operation
- Hours of Operation2024 Season
Crailo opens for the seasonon Wednesday, May 15 and runs through October 31, 2024.
Days open: Wednesday â Sunday, Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00p.m.
In general, guided tours ofthe museum begin at 11:00 a.m. and are offered on the hour, with the last tourat 4:00 p.m.
Please note: Pre-registered group and special eventsmay alter tour schedules, so calling the site prior to your visit inrecommended!
Crailo grounds and riversidepark are free and open to the public, dawn through dusk.
Fees & Rates
Most New York State Parks charge a vehicle use fee to enter the facility.Fees vary by location and season. A list of entry fees and other park use feesis available below. For fees not listed or to verify information, pleasecontact the park directly.
- Tours Admission
- Adults / $5.00
Seniors & Students / $4.00
Children (12 & under) / Free
- SCHOOL GROUPS (ON-SITE) / K â 12th Grade
- Fee per student: $1.00
Minimum fee per group: $20.00
Teacher & Required chaperones: Free
Extra adults (beyond required # chaps): $4.00 per person
HearthCooking Program added to tour: additional $3.00 per person. Please note: themax amount of participants for Hearth Cooking is 20
- OTHER GROUPS (ON-SITE)
- Kâ12 Groups (Scouts, camp, etc)
Fee per child: $1.00
Minimum fee per group: $20.00
Group leader / Guide / Required chaperones: Free
Chaperones: 2 chaperones for every 10 children required
Extra adults (beyond required #): $4.00 per person
Maximum #people per each guide: 12
Hearth Cooking Program added to tour: additional $3.00 per person. Please note: the max amount of participants for Hearth Cooking is 20
- Other Groups
- (Any group outside K â 12) older youth Groups, College- Age Groups, Seniors, Organizations, Etc.
Fee per person: $4.00
Minimum fee per group: $20.00
Tour leader / Guide: Free
Maximum 3 people per each guide: 12 OR
Maximum amount people in house museum: 56 (busload) / 4 staff required
Hearth Cooking Program added to tour: additional $3.00 per person. Please note: the max amount of participants for Hearth Cooking is 20
- Special Needs Group
- Ask if they have the PARKS ACCESS PASS
If no: treat like K â 12 groups
Fee per person (including chaperones): $1.00
Minimum fee per group: $20.00 (Check with Michelle for exceptions)
Maximum # people per each guide: 12
- OUTREACH (OFF-SITE)
- Schools (Kâ 12)
Fee per student: $1.00
Minimum fee for presentation: $30.00
For schools, generally 1 classroom = 1 presentation
Combining classrooms not permitted (please ask)
Other Groups (other than K-12 or Schools):
Fee per presentation: $30.00
All outreach programs limited to a 30 minute drive from Crailo SHS **
Tours 2024 Season
Crailo opens for the seasonon Wednesday, May 15 and runs through October 31, 2024.
Days open: Wednesday â SundayHours: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00p.m.
In general, guided tours ofthe museum begin at 11:00 a.m. and are offered on the hour, with the last tourat 4:00 p.m. Tours are an hour long. Ofcourse, this can vary, depending on the visitor.
Please note: Pre-registered group and special eventsmay alter tour schedules, so calling the site prior to your visit inrecommended!
Crailo grounds and riversidepark are free and open to the public, dawn through dusk.
A Dishonorable Trade: Human Trafficking in the Dutch Atlantic World
Photo Credit: Detail of a 17th century Dutch Colonial Map
Sugar Works and Plantation, Pernabuco, Brazil
John Bleau c.1640
Courtesy of the John Carter Brown Library, Brown University
This temporary exhibit on the Dutch slave trade in the seventeenth century highlights both the Dutch trade network in the Atlantic and the effect this commercial enterprise had on the lives of Africans who became forced laborers in foreign lands. One exhibit space is devoted to the trade and another to the people who were enslaved. The exhibit explores the interconnectedness of the African, Caribbean, South American, North American and European trade networks of the Dutch West India Company and highlights the activity between Curacao and New Netherland. New Amsterdam and the van Rensselaer family are another focus of the exhibit.
Research and the development of the exhibit was spearheaded by an important grant from the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Abolition and Resistance and an immersive study session at the Yale Public History Institute of Yale University during the summer of 2013. Three Crailo staff members worked with Yale History professors, Gilder Lehrman Center staff, the American History Workshop staff, The Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture staff, and experts in the interpretation of the history of slavery and civil rights. Artists, curators and educators of art museums offered creative ways to interpret the history of people whose own words and objects are often missing from the historical record. Two Yale University graduate students also assisted in researching the exhibit. We are grateful for the opportunity to have worked with these talented people and for their contributions to both the exhibit and the subsequent interpretation we use at the museum to engage people in this little known, but important history.
The exhibit A Dishonorable Trade: Human Trafficking in the Dutch Atlantic World was displayed at Crailo State Historic Site from 2015-2018.
Crailo Wins 2010 CINE Eagle Award & Special Jury Prize!
An idea generated by the staff at Crailo State Historic Siteâto combine a 350 year old local court record and Dutch genre painting and bring them to life--has been recognized by the National CINE Film Awards! In early 2009, Argentine Productions was chosen to produce the 2 - 3 minute film for Crailo's 2009 permanent installation, A Sweet and Alien Land: Colony of the Dutch in the Hudson River Valley. The production, which took place near Pittsburgh, Pa. in a very cold studio, included two Dutch Americans, actors from local colleges, and a couple volunteers. Site staff were on hand to advise on 17th century Dutch mannerisms and costuming. While there were many tricky obstacles to overcome with the 17th century script, the most challenging aspect of the filming was the struggle toreplicatethe exact poses of the six actors to those of the characters within the painting.
Just before the holidays, Crailo's 2 minute and 48 second film,Keeping Order: A Fort Orange Court Recordhad wona prestigious CINE Golden Eagle Award. Shortly afterthe film recieved a second honor, the CINE Golden Eagle Special Jury Prize for Best in Arts and Exhibitsâthe top award of all films in this category for 2009. The film can be seen in its entirety at the museum.
