Our current visitor hours are noon to 4:00PM Wednesdays to Fridays; special tours by appointment.
The Burden Iron Works Museum
The Burden Iron Works was an iron works and industrial complex on the Hudson River and Wynantskill Creek in Troy, New York. It once housed the Burden Water Wheel, the most powerful vertical water wheel in history. It is widely believed that George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., inventor of the Ferris wheel, had occasion to observe the wheel while a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The iron works site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an archaeological site in 1977. The Burden Ironworks Office Building was previously listed in 1972. READ MORE HERE
The Burden Iron Works Museum, South Troy, NY
2024 Interior Museum Tour
by Lisa Martinese
Dr. Susan M. Ouellette, Executive Director
Museum Update:
The Museum opened for the season on July 10th and closed on December 13th. We will reopen in the late spring, date TBA.
The interior work is finished for the time being. Our application to NYS for a grant to address the cherry paneling and the floors was not funded for 2025. We’ll resubmit and -fingers crossed- that work may happen in 2026. Exterior renovations are now finished, our new stone steps are installed, the decorative wrought iron bannisters and brass handrails are now in place! It is a beautiful entrance to our building. We are now on a hunt for appropriate Victorian door hardware. In the meantime, Happy New Year and we look forward to welcoming new visitors in the spaing!
Tours and Events
Overview: Traditionally the Gateway has offered an annual tour program including visits to historic sites broadly related to the region’s industrial history, visits to current industries, and our famous “Troy’s Tiffany Treasures” stained-glass window tour.
This past winter the museum building underwent additional construction underwritten by a grant from New York State. The finishing touches with ironwork have been installed. Exciting end to 2024!
As a teaser for those of you interested in our 2025 Tiffany tour, we're pleased to be able to post a little history of the Tiffany window over the altar at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Troy. It was written by the late Jane Gale, a descendant of the man in whose memory the window was installed. We thank Miss Gale for allowing us to put this document on our website for the public to enjoy.
Our Guided & Lecture Troy’s Tiffany Treasure Tour