Saratoga Springs, Upstate New York
American History and Modern Day Attractions
From the Battle of Saratoga and the country's oldest thoroughbred racetrack, to golf courses, hiking trails and natural spas, Saratoga Springs has a lot to see and do.
Saratoga Springs, NY, is a hip, modern town that is also seeped in history. Victorian tourists and luxury travelers once flocked to this beautiful place at the foothills of the Adirondacks, to partake of the natural spas and mineral waters, and many ended up staying. Today, Victorian houses line many streets in Saratoga Springs, adding to the sense of living history in upstate New York.
Abbreviated History:
- The area was first settled by Native Americans, because of the belief that the mineral waters possessed healing properties. Called "Sarachtogue" by the local Iroquois, larger Saratoga Springs was later the site of the first significant victory of the Revolutionary War. In 1777, American Revolutionaries fought both British and German forces here (and in modern-day Stillwater), and interestingly, their decisive victory was aided in no small part by Benedict Arnold. This is known in American history as the Battle of Saratoga, and it marked a turning point in the war for American independence. George Washington enjoyed the mineral springs so much that he tried to buy the adjacent land (in the late 1700's), but he was unable to because the land was already secured by the Walton and Livingston families. Saratoga Springs was established in 1851.
- JP Morgan, the Vanderbilts, Rockefellers and other famously wealthy families often visited Saratoga Springs and spent their days at the spas and racetrack. Built during the Civil War, The Saratoga Racetrack is now the oldest thoroughbred racetrack in the country.
- In 1900, an artists' retreat called Yaddo was established in Saratoga Springs. With the design of Italianate gardens, Yaddo provides 400 acres in which artists can create uninterruptedly, and many still do. 60 Pulitzer Prizes and a Nobel Prize for have all been awarded to authors who spent time at Yaddo.
- Bob Dylan got his start performing in Caffe Lena, a coffeehouse in Saratoga Springs which is still in operation. Arlo Guthrie and Don McLean also sang there often as young men. Caffe Lena is a popular place for small, intimate performances, and famous blues/folk/jazz musicians still stop by for an impromptu performances.
Modern Day Attractions:
- The Saratoga Racetrack is a big draw for tourists and race fans alike, particularly in the summer.
- The Saratoga Performance Art Center, or SPAC, is the summer home for the New York Ballet, the Boys Choir of Harlem, and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
- The Saratoga Spa State Park is a National Historic Landmark. It has hiking, golf, walking and bike paths, as well as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter.
- Saratoga Battlefield has regularly scheduled Revolutionary War/Battle of Saratoga reenactments. For tourists less inclined to view war reenactments, there is great hiking and skiing here as well.
- The Tang Museum at Skidmore College has an art gallery that features mainly contemporary art. The Tang serves as a teaching museum, and has a collection of over four thousand artworks in rotation. Full disclosure: I went to Skidmore College.
- Petrified Sea Gardens: 500 million years ago, Upstate New York was under water. Today, visitors can see this massive fossilized ocean reef. Hiking trails meander through fossil rock gardens and glacial erratics, or "standing stones," left in position from the Ice Age.
Saratoga Springs also has ten other museums, along with Yaddo, Caffe Lena, Grant's Cottage, seven golf courses, and a full range of restaurants along Broadway. The only time tourists find themselves with nothing to do but relax, is when that's when they want to do!
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