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About the History Museum
The Saratoga Springs History Museum is located in the
Canfield Casino in Congress Park, off Broadway in Saratoga Springs. The Museum presents changing exhibitions, public programs, and serves hundreds of researchers annually. The museum's six exhibits of Saratoga History are located on three floors of a historic 1870s gambling casino,designated a National Historic Landmark.
Our Historical Society was founded in 1883. As one of the earliest organizations of its type, our early collections and displays were quite eclectic. Artifacts from all around northern New York were collected and preserved. Since then, our mission has become focused on the City of Saratoga Springs, but our desire to collect, preserve, and exhibit has not.
Our mission is to foster public education and chronicle the story of Saratoga Springs history by operating the History Museum, conducting programs, and collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting materials that document the city's social, political, economic, geological, and cultural history.
We have made the Canfield Casino our home since 1911. This beautiful 1870 gambling casino, owned by the City of Saratoga Springs, is on the National Register of Historic Places. While the building was originally intended for gambling and elegant dining, reformers closed it in 1907.
Visitors to our museum can take a tour through time as they see exhibits on three floors of the Casino displaying different aspects of Saratoga Springs history.
Programs
The History Museum hosts free lectures and educational programs on Saratoga Springs history every month. These informative programs are presented by local historians and nationally recognized scholars.
Education
Nearly 1000 elementary, high school, and college students participate in our educational programs each year. These programs focus on the History of Saratoga Springs compared to national and worldwide events. Our Health, History and Horses program is our most popular educational component. Designed to meet fourth grade curriculum, this program takes students back to 19th century Saratoga Springs to learn about what their lives would have been like long ago.
Tours
Group tours of the History Museum, Congress Park, and the Italian Gardens can be arranged by special appointment. Special arrangements can be made to open the museum after hours for groups holding a function in the Canfield Casino. Call the museum office at (518) 584-6920 to discuss pricing and availability.
Preservation of Collections
The History Museum preserves a diverse collection of 15,000 objects that range from the 1802 Gideon Putnam Tavern sign, to Victorian dresses, to ephemera from the mineral springs and beyond. We also preserve the George S. Bolster Collection. This nationally recognized archive contains over 375,000 photographic negatives of Saratoga Springs, 1855-1980. These provide a visual record of the history of Saratoga Springs and are an excellent resource for professional and casual researchers. The Beatrice Sweeney Archive contains thousands of documents and business records such as the Caffe Lena papers. These are preserved and made available to anyone wishing to utilize this resource."
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