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.

We have made the Canfield Casino our home and museum 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. On the first floor we feature our changing exhibit gallery and gift shop. Every six months we feature a new and exciting look at Saratoga Springs past.

The High Stakes Room, on the 2nd floor contains some original furnishings and gambling paraphernalia from the Casino. The Bracket-Belter Room, also called the Victorian parlor with furniture by John Henry Belter is a vignette of a turn of the century parlor, The Main Exhibit Room tells the story of the springs, travel, recreation and the great hotels in Saratoga Springs. The entire third floor is encompassed by the Walworth Memorial Museum. These seven rooms replicate the home of the internationally known Walworth family. The Walworth orientation room describes the history of this illustrious family.

During the summer months we conduct scheduled tours through the Parlor and dining rooms of the Casino with its vaulted, stained-glass ceiling, that are not ordinarily open to the public.

The Historical Society presents changing exhibitions, public programs, serves hundreds of researchers in the archives, and publishes articles on Saratoga Springs history in its quarterly membership newsletter, Chips. In keeping with our mission, the Historical Society is a major repository for Saratoga Springs historical objects and archives. Its collections include the George S. Bolster Photographic Collection, a photographic archive of over 375,000 images; thousands of historical documents; a significant costume and accessory collection; and thousands of objects from the grand hotels, spas, casinos, neighborhoods, and organizations that form the tapestry of Saratoga Springs history.

The next time you are in Saratoga Springs, we hope you will visit the Historical Society in Congress Park because there is no substitute for experiencing the history of our region in person. In the meantime, we would welcome your comments on this Web site. Please send them to the following Web address: historicalsociety@spa.net.

James D. Parillo, Executive Director