A Living Museum
The city grew and prospered at a slow and steady pace. Each year, houses and commercial buildings were built in styles fashionable at the time. New industry moved to the outskirts, the main highway bypassed the downtown and post-World War II housing developed outside the original core of the city, leaving the old downtown and residential neighborhoods almost intact.
Today Albany is credited by historians and architects with having the most varied collection of historic buildings in Oregon. This collection includes styles from the 1840's through the 1920's and is concentrated within an area of approximately 100 square blocks. Three Albany Historic Districts are listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.
You can explore Albany's Historic Districts by foot, bicycle, automobile, or organized tours. As you do, try to imagine the slower, quieter pace of days gone by.