Empire State Aerosciences MuseumAbout Empire State Aerosciences Museum
The Empire State Aerosciences Museum is an aviation museum located at Schenectady County Airport, near Schenectady in upstate New York. It preserves and interprets aerospace and aviation history with a focus on New York State.
Exhibits include restored military and civilian aircraft, cockpits and engines, interpretive displays and hands-on exhibits; an outdoor aircraft park sits adjacent to the hangars. The museum runs education and restoration programs and hosts events related to aviation history.
The museum operates from hangars and outdoor display areas on airport property, which allows some aircraft to be displayed in near-original airfield settings. It serves visitors from the Capital Region and the broader upstate New York area.
- Airport location: Located directly at Schenectady County Airport, providing easy access to the museum’s hangars and outdoor displays and enabling some exhibits to be shown on airfield property.
- Regional focus: Focuses on New York State aviation history with hands-on exhibits and restoration projects that frequently support school and community programs.
What to See#
- Hangar exhibits: Indoor hangars that display restored aircraft, cockpits and aviation artifacts illustrating both military and civil aviation in New York State.
- Outdoor aircraft park: Outdoor aircraft park with full-size airframes and engines on display adjacent to the museum hangars.
- Education and restoration: Education and restoration areas used for school programs, outreach and volunteer restoration projects.
Best Time to Visit Empire State Aerosciences Museum
Open mostly Thu-Sun; plan visits around scheduled air shows and special events.
Weather & Climate near Empire State Aerosciences Museum
Empire State Aerosciences Museum's climate is classified as Hot-Summer Continental - Hot-Summer Continental climate with warm summers (peaking in July) and freezing winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from -11°C to 28°C. Abundant rainfall (1011 mm/year), wettest in June, distributed fairly evenly throughout the year.
| Month | Comfort | Temp | Feels | Rain | Sky | Humidity | Wind | UV | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | - | -11° - -1° | -11° | 71 mm | - | - | 3.4 m/s | - | - |
| February | - | -10° - 1° | -10° | 59 mm | - | - | 3.6 m/s | - | - |
| March | - | -4° - 7° | -3° | 81 mm | - | - | 3.7 m/s | - | - |
| April | - | 2° - 14° | 6° | 85 mm | - | - | 3.7 m/s | - | - |
| May | - | 8° - 21° | 15° | 95 mm | - | - | 3.2 m/s | - | - |
| June | - | 13° - 26° | 19° | 97 mm | - | - | 2.8 m/s | - | - |
| July | - | 16° - 28° | 22° | 93 mm | - | - | 2.6 m/s | - | - |
| August | - | 14° - 27° | 21° | 95 mm | - | - | 2.4 m/s | - | - |
| September | - | 10° - 22° | 16° | 89 mm | - | - | 2.6 m/s | - | - |
| October | - | 4° - 16° | 8° | 83 mm | - | - | 2.9 m/s | - | - |
| November | - | -1° - 9° | 1° | 87 mm | - | - | 3.3 m/s | - | - |
| December | - | -7° - 2° | -7° | 76 mm | - | - | 3.3 m/s | - | - |
How to Get to Empire State Aerosciences Museum
ESAM is located at Schenectady County Airport (Glenville), about 10-15 minutes from downtown Schenectady and 20-30 minutes from Albany. From I-87/I-787 take local connectors toward Schenectady and follow airport signage to Rudy Chase Drive. On-site parking is available.
Tips for Visiting Empire State Aerosciences Museum
- Check the flight-demos schedule - the museum coordinates events around weekends and holidays.
- Wear layers; hangars can be cool even in summer and some exhibits are in outdoor spaces.
- If interested in restoration, ask staff about volunteer programs - the museum is active in aircraft conservation.