Department of Labor, a fire started in the Assembly library. Its cause has never been established; theories suggest either an electrical problem or a dropped cigar. A night watchman was the only fatality, but thousands of volumes in the state library, almost its entire collection, and many documents and artifacts in the state museum's collections, then housed in the building, were destroyed. The flames reached at one point, requiring the evacuation of nearby homes; the fire took 125 firefighters to extinguish. Heat from the fire was intense enough to twist framing in a skylight above the building's western stairs and melt their sandstone filigree. The building's southwest corner was devastated. It took three months to clear the rubble and then a year to rebuild it, at a cost of $5 million ($ today.) Visiting and tours The New York State Capitol is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. The building is closed most weekends and holidays. Official guided tours of the Capitol are offered at various times on weekdays beginning at the Information Desk located in the State Street Lobby of the Capitol. There is a Visitor Center for the New York State Capitol and Empire State Plaza, located on Concourse Level of the Plaza near the underground entrance to the Capitol. Official tour guides offers a special Hauntings Tour during October. The best known alleged-ghost is that of Samuel Abbott, a night watchman who died during a severe fire on March 29, 1911. There is also a "demon" carved into the elaborate stonework, supposedly by an angry stoneworker. Gallery See also List of National Historic Landmarks in New York List of reportedly haunted locations in the United States List of tallest buildings in Albany, New York National Register of Historic Places listings in Albany, New York List of state and territorial capitols in the United States References Further reading Capitol Story, Third Edition, SUNY Press, 2014 Paterson, David (2020). Black, Blind, & In Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. External links New York State Capitol Virtual Tour New York State Capitol at Emporis Buildings New York State Capitol at Wonders of the World Databank New York State Capitol Tour Program New York State Capitol History and Timeline New York State Capitol: 30 photos Buildings with sculpture by Corrado Parducci Empire State Plaza Government buildings on the National Register