Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Albany

Established in 1852, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of Albany. The cathedral, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, was designed by the prominent Irish American architect Patrick Keely.

Keely's Gothic Revival design aimed to accommodate Albany's burgeoning population of Catholic immigrants, making it the second-oldest cathedral in New York State, following Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. It is also notable for being the third-oldest Catholic cathedral in the United States and the first American Catholic cathedral to be built in the Neo-Gothic style.

One of the cathedral's most striking features is its twin spires, which have become symbolic of New York's capital city. These spires, however, were not constructed simultaneously. The north tower was completed in 1862, and the south tower followed in 1888. In the same year as the completion of the north tower, one of the cathedral's bishops blessed its bells, adding to the spiritual and communal significance of the structure. The interior of the cathedral houses a crypt containing the coffins of six of Bishop Howard Hubbard's predecessors, adding a historical and sacred dimension to the building.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception underwent significant renovations in May 2010, that have helped preserve the cathedral's intricate Gothic details and its role as a cornerstone of the Catholic community in Albany.