Rensselaer, NY – On Saturday, June 1, 2024, Crailo State Historic Site will hold a Centennial Celebration to honor 100 years of Crailo as a State Historic Site. The event will be held from 1:00 p.m to 4:00 p.m and is free and open to the public. The NYS Park system is also celebrating its 100 anniversary this year with Crailo as one of the few sites celebrating its own centennial in conjunction with the system.

“Crailo is a prime example of how the action of a single person can benefit a community for generations to come.” says Crailo Historic Site Manager Michelle Mavigliano. “It is an honor to celebrate Susan deLancey Van Rensselaer Strong, the woman who saved Crailo and the NYS Parks system’s century of commitment to protecting this and other historic structures in this state.”

The celebration will kick off at 1:00 p.m. with a parade along Riverside Ave featuring the Yankee Doodle Marching Band, which will be followed by guest speakers representing NYS Parks, the Bureau of Historic Preservation, and the City of Rensselaer. A reception and refreshments will follow in the back garden. The museum gift shop will be available during the event for shopping and the house will be available for open house (self-guided) tours. Please note that guided tours will not be offered this day.

Gifted to New York State in 1924 by Van Rensselaer descendent, Susan de Lancey van Rensselaer Strong, Crailo State Historic Site today is the museum of the Colonial Dutch in the Hudson River Valley. Originally part of the vast landholding called Rensselaerswyck, Crailo was named after the Van Rensselaer’s estate in the Netherlands, variously spelled Crayloo or Cralo in the 17th century, meaning “crows’ wood” in Dutch. In 1707, Hendrick van Rensselaer, grandson of the original Patroon Kiliaen van Rensselaer, built the building that today is known as Crailo.

Crailo State Historic Site is located at 9 ½ Riverside Avenue, Rensselaer, NY 12144. For more information visit https://parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/crailo/details.aspx or call 518-463-8738.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which saw a record 84 million visits in 2023. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer app or call 518.474.0456. Join us in celebrating our Centennial throughout 2024, and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and the OPRHP Blog