We are happy to provide educational and entertaining experiences to all groups. Whether you are an activities coordinator at a retirement community, planning entertainment for your high school or college reunion, or responsible for finding the next meeting place for your quilting club, please contact us to discuss the many options for your organization. We offer a wide range of presentations and are happy to host programs at the Museum as well as bring them to your organization. We can also work with you to design a program on a particular topic to meet the needs and interests of your audience. Our interactive senior programs are approximately 45 minutes long and include visual presentations, original artifacts, quality replica items and opportunities for discussion and memory sharing. All equipment, artifacts, and hand-outs are supplied by the museum.
Program Fees: Each in-person history program is $120, plus a round-trip mileage fee at current Federal reimbursement rates to and from 6 Charlton Street, Ballston Spa, NY.
To receive additional information on any of our community programs or to be added to our mailing list, please e-mail our Education Director Anne Clothier, education@brooksidemuseum.org
A Historic Holiday
Learn how Saratoga County residents celebrated holidays in the past. View images of past festivities and see holiday-related objects. Participants are encouraged to share their own holiday memories of Christmas, Hanukkah, Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and other holidays important to them.
Food for Thought
Foods are a vitally important part of our memories. Whether we remember the scent of baking bread in our childhood homes or the lunches in tin pails taken to work at the mill, or church clam bakes, the topic of food can take us back to earlier times. In this program, participants will learn about various culinary traditions and have an opportunity to discuss and share personal food memories.
Here Comes the Bride
Join us for this travelling version of our popular wedding gowns exhibit. Learn about marriage customs, view bridal fashions through the years, and discover wedding related stories from Saratoga County history. Participants are encouraged to bring family photos and share memories of weddings.
A Few Lines to Let You Know
Discover the world of Alonzo Bump, a Civil War soldier from Saratoga County, through the letters sent home to his wife. Learn about what life was like on campaign and at home. We will read excerpts of his letters, discuss the timeline of the Civil War, and examine original and replica items from the era.
Behind the Seams
Quilts are fascinating because they are both functional and artistic. Saratoga County has been home to many quilters over the past two centuries. Learn about their work and creations in this program. View images of quilts from the museum’s collection and examine an original textile to discover clues about its origins. Participants are welcome to bring and display their own family quilts or quilts that they have made.
Passing the Time in Victorian Saratoga County
What did people do for fun around here in the Victorian era? They certainly had plenty of events, activities and organizations to choose from! Learn about the many fraternal groups, soirees, fairs, church socials, casinos, and academies that offered entertainment and enrichment to Saratogians long ago.
Travel, Recreation, & Tourism in Saratoga County, 1800-1960
Discover how guests and residents travelled around our region for vacations and recreation. Learn about early travelers who came here for the mineral waters and toured the nearby Saratoga Battlegrounds and other notable landmarks. Explore memories of the guest cottages along Route 9, visits to the Track, and sunny days spent at Kaydeross Park along Saratoga Lake. Participants are encouraged to share memories of their past vacations (to anywhere!) and bring photos or souvenirs to show the group.
All About Chickens
Take this opportunity to learn all about the history of Chickens in Saratoga County. Discover their role as livestock, pets, show birds, dinner, and a major economic driver throughout the region’s history. Participants are welcome to share stories of farm life and cooking with chickens and eggs.
Weather Memories
Stories of extreme weather and other natural phenomena are interwoven throughout our local history. Explore the influence of weather and learn about the ways in which locals tried to control these natural forces (such as dams and changes in infrastructure). We will examine a variety of historical resources and participants will also be invited to share memories or family stories of storms and other natural events.
A Virtual Tour of Ballston Spa
Explore this Saratoga County village and compare and contrast modern views with ones from over a century ago. Learn about how this booming tourist destination adapted and evolved into an industrial center in the nineteenth century. Discover the many hidden stories of the County Seat.
Native New York
Learn about the history of the region’s earliest residents through interaction with quality replicas and original artifacts. We will discuss early gardening and farming techniques, the importance of local waterways and springs, and how natural materials were used to create useful tools.
Sheep to Shawl
Travel back to an era when sheep drastically outnumbered the human population in Saratoga County. Explore the many steps that go into making a wool shawl, including shearing the sheep, washing the wool, combing and carding the wool, spinning the wool into yarn and weaving the yarn into cloth. Feel samples of wool from each step of the way and try your hand at spinning. We will also be sharing memories of crafting, including weaving, knitting, and crocheting.
Lost Landmarks of Saratoga County
Take a walk down memory lane and discuss views, buildings, and neighborhoods that no longer exist or have changed dramatically over the years. From amusement parks to mills, bridges to one room school houses, explore old postcards and other early images and hear stories of this region from long ago. Participants are encouraged to share their own memories and observations on the changing world.
Planning a Program
SCHC offers specialized programming to seniors in a variety of settings. Our interactive senior programs are approximately 45 minutes long and include visual presentations, artifacts, replicas, and opportunities for discussion and memory sharing. Each history program is $120, plus a mileage fee. Contact us at education@brooksidemuseum.org (recommended) or by phone at (518) 885-4000 with any questions or to schedule a program.
