Saratoga Springs

Understand

Saratoga is most known for its great horse racing track (oldest in the country) and harness racing track. Victorian visitors came to take the waters at springs. The spring waters are located at different pavilions around the city and surrounds and vary tremendously in flavor from a light mineral water to frosty and hard. The construction of a casino closely followed the marketing of Saratoga's waters as having healing properties, and the owner of the casino started the horse races as a draw for additional people, including those not wealthy enough to pay a $250 membership fee for the casino, which was a fortune in the 19th century. While the city's heyday was between the 1830s and the 1910s, when travel was arduous and people from far away, including the South before the Civil War, spent weeks or even all summer in grand hotels that were all torn down in the 1950s, this city of 28,000 people (2020) is still charming, has a rather extensive downtown, and is a major tourist destination during its summer horse racing season. Yaddo, the famous writers' and artists' retreat, is near the "flat track" on Union Avenue. If you call ahead, you may be able to tour.

Getting there

By plane Albany International Airport (ALB IATA) in Albany.

By car Saratoga Springs is just off Interstate 87 about 45 minutes north of Albany, 4 hours from New York City and 3.5 hours south of the Canadian border. Enjoy this tree-lined drive along I-87, also called the Adirondack Northway.

By train

1 Saratoga Springs station, 26 Station Lane (about a mile west downtown). Local buses are sometimes timed to arrive and depart in rough conjunction with trains; if not, you may have to call a taxi or ridehailing service (about $12 to Broadway as of May 2025). Long distance and local buses stop at the traffic circle, right outside the train station. (updated Oct 2023) Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates trains throughout the United States of America. (updated Dec 2020) Routes stopping at Saratoga Springs: Adirondack operating daily between Montreal and New York City including stops along the way in Saint-Lambert, Rouses Point, Plattsburgh, Westport, Ticonderoga, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers. Ethan Allen Express operating daily between Burlington and New York City including in Middlebury, Rutland, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers. The Ethan Allen Express (3 hours 35 minutes from New York's Penn Station, 1 train daily) is much faster than the Adirondack (5 hours 18 minutes, does not run every day) or a mixed service option (Empire Service to Albany-Rensselaer and then an Amtrak bus: 6 hours 24 minutes). All routes are highly scenic between New York City and Albany-Rensselaer.

By bus Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) operates local buses in the Albany area. Several routes operate to and within Saratoga Springs, including a Saratoga Visitors Trolley. Greyhound, in conjunction with other bus carriers, offers service to Saratoga from both the north and s

Getting around

The downtown walking area is centered on Broadway, but you may need to use public transport or a car to reach the world famous Saratoga Race Track and have limited time, the Saratoga Casino, Natural Museum of Dance, Roosevelt Spa, Saratoga SPA State Park or SPAC. However, there is a lot to see and do in the downtown area of Saratoga Springs.

Visitor center Saratoga Springs Urban Cultural Park Visitor Center, 297 Broadway, Phone: +1 518 587-3241. Daily 9AM-4PM (closed Su Dec-Mar).

See

1 Saratoga Spa State Park, 19 Roosevelt Dr (I-87 to exit 13N; take Route 9 north for 3 miles to park; or from Downtown, take Route 9 south about 2 miles), ☏ +1 518 584-2535. year round. Dubbed "The Public's Resort", this park has mineral baths, eighteen-hole and nine-hole golf courses, free hardtop and clay tennis courts, and several pool areas with showers, locker rooms, rest rooms and food concessions. Hiking (and cross country/snowshoe) trails and picnic areas complete with grills are available as well. The park encompasses and protects the mineral springs in use at least as far back as the 14th century. This "Queen of Spas" was a 19th-century vacation retreat for the rich and famous. $10/vehicle for some areas of the park. Victoria Pool: adults $8, children $4. 2 National Museum of Dance, 99 South Broadway, ☏ +1 518 584-2225. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM. Adults $6.50, students and seniors $5, under 12 $3. 3 Roosevelt Baths and Spa, 37-39 Roosevelt Dr (inside Saratoga Spa State Park), ☏ +1 518 226-4790. Daily 9AM-7PM. Despite the plethora of day spas around the city, this is the only place where you can relax in a natural mineral bath using water drawn straight from the ground. (It's mixed with hot tap water to bring it up to a comfortable temperature, though.) This facility was built in 1935 as part of the development of the park. While the mineral baths are their signature service, they also offer the standard menu of modern spa services: massages, facials, etc. The decor, with its aged porcelain fixtures and linoleum floors, may look a little institutional, but keep in mind any oxidation you see is natural, a result of iron in the spring water. And it's certainly the most authentic Saratoga spa experience you can get. 4 Saratoga Automobile Museum, 110 Avenue of the Pines, ☏ +1 518 587-1935. (updated Apr 2018) 5 The Children's Museum at Saratoga, 69 Caroline Street, ☏ +1 518 584-5540, fax: +1 518 584-6059. Summer: 9:30AM-4:30PM. Winter hours (Labor Day through June): T

Do

Adirondack Balloon Flights (4 exits north of Saratoga, exit 19 on I-87), ☏ +1 518 793-6342. Enjoy the gorgeous views of the Adirondack Region and the Green Mountains of Vermont from high in the sky with an experienced ballooning crew. 1 Caffè Lena, 47 Phila Street (second floor, accessible by elevator or stairs), ☏ +1 518 583-0022, toll-free: +1-800-838-3006, [email protected]. Daily 5-11 PM. Acoustic music in a 110-seat coffeehouse that opened in 1960. The venue enjoys a world-wide reputation for preserving and furthering American musical traditions. Its archives are held at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. The schedule features a mix of established career musicians and nationally touring emerging artists. Emerging artists presented by Caffe Lena have included Bob Dylan, EmmyLou Harris, Don McLean, Arlo Guthrie, Ani DiFranco, G. Love and Sawyer Fredericks. A complete performer list dating back to May 21, 1960 can be viewed on the venue's website. Hospitality for concert-goers includes desserts, light fare, local craft beer, wine, coffees and teas. The venue is operated as a non-profit organization. M W $3-5, other days $16-60. (updated Feb 2018) Saratoga Lake lies 4 miles southeast of Saratoga Springs. This 8½-mile-long lake has a public boat launch at the north end, and several private m