Historic preservation is about more than saving old buildings. It is about honoring the past, understanding the power of place, and carrying local stories into the future.
May is National Historic Preservation Month, a nationwide celebration of the places, people, and traditions that shape our communities. In Albany, preservation has special meaning. Our city is known for its historic homes, commercial buildings, churches, museums, and walkable historic districts. With more than 800 historic buildings and a wide range of architectural styles, Albany has earned a reputation as one of Oregon’s must-see destinations for historic architecture.
You can see that history throughout Albany’s four National Historic Districts. The Monteith, Hackleman, and Downtown Commercial Districts are filled with homes, storefronts, and public spaces that reflect the city’s growth from the mid-1800s through the 20th century. The Albany Municipal Airport District highlights another chapter of local history as the oldest continuously operating airfield in Oregon.
This May, Albany and nearby communities are celebrating preservation with guided tours, history talks, cultural events, hands-on demonstrations, vintage bicycles, and community gatherings. Each event offers a chance to learn, connect, and experience the many layers of our shared heritage.
For dates, times, locations, registration details, and the latest updates on the events listed below, visit our Events Calendar.
You don't have to wait for a scheduled event to enjoy Albany’s history.
The Albany Explorer app, presented by Albany Visitors Association and HospitalityVision, offers a free way to discover places to visit around town. The app highlights historic sites, shops, restaurants, and community events. Download it from the Apple Store or Google Play before heading out.
You can also explore Albany’s historic districts through self-guided walking routes. Look closely as you walk. Porches, stained glass, carved woodwork, rooflines, brick details, and historic windows all help tell the story of Albany’s past.
These events invite you to step into Albany’s history, one street, building, and story at a time. Guided tours make the past easier to see, especially in a city where historic homes, storefronts, and civic buildings still shape daily life.
The Albany Tweed Ride brings vintage style to Albany’s historic streets. Riders are encouraged to dress in tweed or period-inspired clothing, join costume and best bike contests, and pedal through Albany’s National Historic Districts with stops that highlight historic buildings and local stories.
The Albany Streetcar History Tour offers a narrated ride through historic Albany. Bill Maddy will guide participants through the city’s past, sharing stories tied to streets, landmarks, neighborhoods, and the people who helped shape Albany.
The Pioneering Women Walking Tour shares the stories of influential women in Albany history, including Bessie Hale, the first Black woman business owner in Albany. This guided walk offers a closer look at the women whose work, leadership, and community presence helped shape the city.
The Linn County Courthouse Historic Tour gives visitors a chance to step inside one of Albany’s important public buildings. The tour will highlight the courthouse’s history, architecture, and the stories connected to civic life in Linn County.
The 1st and 2nd Avenue Walking Tours explore two of Downtown Albany’s most historic streets. Led by Oscar Hult of The Natty Dresser, these tours invite participants to look closely at downtown buildings, architectural details, and the stories behind familiar storefronts.
Preservation often starts with curiosity. These programs help visitors and residents learn how to research homes, understand local routes, and see the past through everyday objects, clothing, and records.
Who Lived in Your House? Using Genealogical Tools to Research Your Historic Home helps people uncover the history of a property. Participants will learn how to use property records, tax assessments, census data, historic photos, Sanborn maps, and online genealogy tools to learn more about the people who lived in a home before them.
The Santiam Wagon Road Library Talk explores one of Oregon’s early routes through the Cascade Range. Marcia Morse will share how the Santiam Wagon Road connected the Willamette Valley to Central Oregon and supported travel, trade, and settlement.
History Bites: If Walls Could Talk focuses on the stories hidden inside historic homes. Camron Settlemier will share methods and resources for researching the history of a house, making this a helpful program for homeowners, history lovers, and curious neighbors.
100 Years of Historic Fashion: 1849-1949 looks at fashion through the lens of Albany’s Historic Districts. Fashion historians Kay Demlow and Oscar Hult will use photos, period clothing, and reproduction pieces to show how style changed across a century of local life.
Objects of Albany offers a close-up look at local history through artifacts and historical treasures. Visitors can discover objects that are not always on public view and learn how everyday items can reveal stories about Albany’s past.
Preservation gives historic places a future. These events show how older buildings, long-loved properties, and historic districts continue to bring people together through performance, celebration, wine, music, and shared community experiences.
The Monteith House becomes a stage for “Little Women,” a one-act play presented by South Albany High School. Held inside one of Albany’s most important historic homes, the performance connects classic storytelling with a place that helps tell Albany’s earliest history. Space is limited, and tickets will be available through MonteithHouse.org.
The Cumberland 134th Birthday Celebration and Open House invites visitors inside a beloved historic community building. Guests can tour the space, learn about its past, and see how volunteers are restoring it for future gatherings and events. In addition, the church bell will ring for the first time since its installation in the restored steeple.
The Albany Downtown Wine Walk invites guests to explore Historic Downtown Albany while visiting local businesses and tasting regional wines. It is a lively way to enjoy downtown’s historic setting and support the shops, restaurants, and gathering places that keep the district active today.
4th Fridays at Springhill Cellars Winery brings together local wine, live music, and hilltop views. Once a miniature pony farm, the property is now a family-owned winery with vines first planted in 1978, during the early days of Oregon’s wine industry. Guests can settle in for dinner, wine, sunset views over the Cascade Range, and live jazz by local singer Just Lonna.
Some of Albany’s best stories are found in the details. These events highlight the windows, woodwork, materials, and craftsmanship that give historic buildings their character.
The Hidden History Scavenger Hunt turns Downtown Albany into a hands-on architectural search. Participants use photos of building details to identify features around downtown, making it a fun way to slow down, look up, and notice the craftsmanship that often goes unseen.
The Historic Window Demonstration shows how historic windows can be repaired and preserved instead of replaced. Vance McDermott of Tried and True Window will demonstrate restoration techniques and answer questions about caring for older windows.
The Vintage Windows Open House offers a behind-the-scenes look at historic window restoration tools and techniques. Visitors can stop by, ask questions, and learn why original windows are an important part of historic building character.
Preservation is not limited to buildings. It also lives in long-running markets, fairs, music gatherings, collections, and local traditions that carry community memory forward.
The 91st Annual Linn County Lamb & Wool Fair celebrates the region’s sheep, wool, and agricultural traditions. The fair includes community events and activities that connect visitors with rural heritage, local makers, and a long-running Linn County tradition.
The Albany Farmers’ Market celebrates local food, agriculture, and community connection. Founded in 1978, it is the oldest continuously operated open-air farmers’ market in Oregon. Visitors can shop for seasonal produce, artisan cheeses, fresh bread, and locally sourced food while enjoying a tradition that has grown with the community for decades.
The Beer Collectibles Swap Meet invites collectors and curious visitors to explore the history of brewing through signs, glasses, coasters, tap handles, cans, trays, labels, neons, and other memorabilia. Hosted by the Cascade Breweriana Association at Calapooia Brewing, this free event offers a fun look at the objects, artwork, and gathering culture connected to beer history.
Froggy’s Blues Jam at Calapooia Brewing is one of Albany’s long-running music traditions. Known by many as the “Church of Eternal Suds,” the jam has been going strong for 19 years and welcomes musicians to bring instruments and join in. Guests can enjoy live blues, food, craft beer, and a relaxed all-ages atmosphere.
The Albany Vintage Bicycle Show & Swap Meet celebrates bicycle history with a large display of vintage bikes. Visitors can see bicycles from earlier decades, meet fellow enthusiasts, and enjoy a nostalgic look at transportation, design, and collecting.
Historic Preservation Month is a time to honor the many stories connected to place. In the Willamette Valley, those stories begin long before today’s buildings and recorded town histories.
The powwows included in this month’s event lineup honor living Indigenous cultures and traditions. They offer opportunities to gather, listen, learn, and engage with respect while recognizing the deep and continuing connections Indigenous communities have to this land.
The 47th Annual łatwa ina Pow-Wow brings together Indigenous dancers, singers, vendors, and community members for a day of culture and connection. Visitors can experience Grand Entries, a marketplace, and opportunities to learn through living tradition.
The 2nd Annual Lebanon Powwow features dance, drumming, community, and culture. This year’s gathering will honor Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Persons, creating space for remembrance, respect, and community connection.
National Historic Preservation Month is a reminder that history lives in the places we care for and the stories we choose to share.
In Albany, preserved buildings continue to welcome new businesses, walking tours introduce new generations to local history, and restoration work keeps craftsmanship alive. Markets, music, theater, cultural gatherings, and long-running community traditions also help tell the story of this part of the Willamette Valley.
This May, take a walk, join a tour, visit a museum, attend a performance, explore a market, ask questions, and look closely. Albany’s history is all around you.
The Albany Visitors Association is here to help you make the most of your visit. Visit our Events Calendar for current dates, times, locations, ticket details, and registration information.
