When you head off to college, you’ll obviously be spending most of your time on campus. But if you’re looking at schools that are situated somewhere that makes venturing off campus easy and exciting, it’s a smart idea to devote at least a few hours to exploring the neighboring towns.
Next time you’re swinging through Siena—for a campus tour, Design Your Own Day, Open House, Accepted Students Day or other (we have a lot of visit options!)—peruse these links below. Siena’s beautiful and suburban hometown, Loudonville, is nestled among some really awesome cities, with cool sights to see and really good food to try. Have fun!
Inside Saratoga
You may have heard about Saratoga for its renowned racetrack (or maybe you saw it in Seabiscuit), healing Roosevelt Baths or entertainment venue locally known as SPAC. Now experience the town firsthand with your parents, who will love the beauty and history that Saratoga offers. Inside Saratoga tours are 60-70 minutes long, and you can even customize your own tour. At Siena, you may very well venture up to Saratoga with your new friends to grab a bite to eat on the weekends, so dig in.
Central Troy Historic District Food Tour
A hop and skip from Siena College is Troy, New York—home of the original Uncle Sam and what some locals are calling the “new Brooklyn.” What you need to know: the food here is amazing and the year-round farmers market is practically famous. Take this 3-hour Central Troy Historic District Food Tour with your fam to get to know the 200-year -old city’s culinary scene. You’ll enjoy 5+ tastings, get an insider’s tour of an entire Tiffany-designed church interior, and more.
Historic Downtown Albany Food Tour
Food is a big deal around here, can you tell? In the Albany version of the previously mentioned food tour, you’ll get to know the capital of NYS through six tastes—vegetarian and gluten-free options available—but you’ll also, again, get a bit of a history lesson, including an insider’s introduction to one of the oldest churches in New York and discover where a few famous congregants sat.
Dutch Apple Cruises & Tours
Prefer to see Albany by boat? Cruise along the Hudson River with one of the Dutch Apple’s narrated scenic Sightseeing Tours, which run an hour and a half. Their site says: “For the 1st half of the cruise, our Hudson River Historian will narrate live about the history of Albany and point out sights along the river. The 2nd half of the cruise, passengers are able to relax and enjoy the sights. Don't forget to bring your binoculars, for possible bald eagle sightings!”
Albany Walking Tour (audio)
If you’d rather see Albany with just you and your family, consider an Albany Walking Tour with audio. It starts at the Discover Albany Visitors Center and continues on through downtown Albany, showing you the fascinating landmarks that you’d expect of our state’s capital and a 400-year-old city. Find the audio right here.
The best part of all this is that, as a student here, you’ll always come back to a spot that feels like home. Siena’s gorgeous campus is something we take pride in, so be sure to check out all its nooks and crannies too on your visit. See you soon!
