16,000-Square-Foot Museum Offers Engaging Exhibits and Interactive Programming for Children of All Ages
Museum Breathes New Life into Historic Landmark with Modern Facility That Expands Options for Young Families in 'Park of the Arts'
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the grand opening of the Children's Museum at Saratoga following a $3.1 million renovation project to relocate the Museum to the historic Lincoln Bathhouse on Broadway in Saratoga Spa State Park. The fully accessible 16,000-square-foot facility is the first major public facing operation in the Lincoln Bathhouse since the 1990s. The project, which is supported by a $600,000 Empire State Development grant, as well as other public grants and private donations, joins a growing list of public-private partnerships in the park that make up the Park of the Arts initiative.
"The opening of the Children's Museum adds another major attraction to our growing list of partners in the beautiful, natural setting of Saratoga Spa State Park," Governor Hochul said. " The Park of the Arts initiative will continue to define Saratoga Springs as a year-round destination for world class arts programming, and this project marks a major milestone in our efforts to restore and reactivate the National Historic Landmark structures throughout the park."
Occupying three of the original bathing wings, the Children's Museum features rebuilt and refurbished exhibits, plus a new slate of STEM exhibits where visitors can experiment and learn with hands-on activities. A mock grocery store includes a register with a fully functional scanner, while the fire station's interactive screen lets guests extinguish a virtual fire. Children can pick vegetables at the farm exhibit, record a news segment at the museum's news station, or scoop ice cream and learn how it's made at the ice cream parlor. Built with universal accessibility in mind, the museum also features a calming room that provides quiet space to decompress with soothing tactile elements.