American Italian Heritage Museum

The American Italian Heritage Museum, located in a former Catholic church along Albany’s Central Ave, houses an eclectic mix of memorabilia documenting the Italian-American community’s contribution to life in the United States.

The museum was created in Utica in 1985 and moved to its current location in Albany in 2004. The building was built by Italian immigrant laborers at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in 1922.

It’s believed to be the second-largest museum dedicated to Italian American heritage in the U.S. More than half a dozen rooms on the first floor abound with items showcasing the myriad ways that Italian Americans have shaped art, music, politics, food, and just about everything else in the U.S. There are also rotating exhibits on various aspects of Italian folk culture and a well-stocked gift shop.

The second story holds a small chapel, a meeting room for Italian language classes, movie nights, and briscola games, and a library with an extensive collection of more than 1,700 books, maps, CDs, DVDs, and magazines.