We offer educational and entertaining experiences for 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 club, please contact us to discuss the many options for your organization. Our interactive programs are approximately 45-60 minutes long and include visual presentations, original artifacts, quality replica items, and opportunities for discussion and memory sharing. All equipment, artifacts, and handouts are supplied by the museum.
Current Programs:
Historic Holidays
Learn how holidays have evolved over time. 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.
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 for Alonzo on the battlefield and for those back 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.
Passing the Time in Victorian Saratoga County
What did people do for fun during 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.
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 replica items 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. We will also be sharing memories of crafting, including weaving, knitting, and crocheting.
Programs in Development (please contact for availability):
Food for Thought
Food is an important part of our memories. Whether we remember the scent of baking bread in our childhood homes or a lunch in a tin pail taken to work at the mill, 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
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.
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. Participants are welcome to bring and display their own family quilts or quilts that they have made.
Travel, Recreation, & Tourism in Saratoga County, 1800-1960
Discover how guests and residents traveled 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.
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.
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 schoolhouses, 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.
Booking Information:
Program Fee: Each in-person history program is $120 per session, plus a round-trip mileage fee at current Federal reimbursement rates to and from 21 Fairground Ave., Ballston Spa, NY.
For more information on our programs or to be added to our mailing list, please e-mail our Education Director, Charlene DuBuque, at education@brooksidemuseum.org.
