The Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum is celebrating the 25th year of our annual Artisan's Market, which will be open between November 29 and December 24, 2025. This annual market features exclusively handmade and handcrafted products created by local artisans. Items featured at the market will include soaps, lotions, ornaments, jewelry, syrups, scarves, ceramics, hats, and much, much... Read more »

From “Small Business Saturday” November 29 through December 24, 2025. Like its predecessors, the 25th installment of the market will feature only handcrafted products created by local artisans.  Everything from natural soaps and lotions to unique ornaments and jewelry to pottery and photography – simply the best that our community has to offer. Brookside Museum, headquarters of the Saratoga County... Read more »

The Saratoga County History Center presents a special evening of sipping. strolling and shopping at our 25th Annual Artisan's Market. This holiday event will be held on Friday December 19 from 4:00 – 6:00PM. Shop the creations of local artisans while enjoying sparkling water, hot cocoa, or soft drinks, and treating yourself to some complimentary sweets. Enjoy the opportunity to... Read more »

Long before e-mail, Facebook, and Instagram, letter writing was the only way to communicate. The recipient, not the sender, had to pay to receive a letter at the time of delivery. Postage rates in early Victorian Britain were so high that many people dreaded the postman’s knock. But all that changed in 1840 with the Penny Post. Letter writing—no longer... Read more »

Photos Credit: Drawings\Watercolor shown are by Friedrich von Germann  in The New York State Public Library This talk examines how Continental soldiers often wore civilian clothing during the early Revolutionary War years (1775–1777), exploring the styles, materials, and regional influences of these garments, and how they reflected the soldiers’ backgrounds and the logistical challenges of outfitting an army in its... Read more »

The specter of empire haunts European museums. The correlation between museological collecting and imperial ideology is now widely taken for granted in academic circles, but the question of what is to be done with and in western museums that hold colonial collections persists. This essay takes one small Māori hei tiki (RCIN 69263) from the Royal Collection as a case... Read more »

Join us for the next meeting of the Brookside Explorers Club, a new history and learning club for kids! This month, we’re celebrating the Ballston Spa Chocolate Fest with a deliciously fun lineup of activities. Kids will: Learn about the history of chocolate, including local connections, through a hands‑on learning activity Design their own chocolate label Create a cocoa powder... Read more »

Chris Leonard will reminisce on his first year as Executive Director of the nearly 50-year-old National Bottle Museum. His talk will cover stories of some of his favorite bottles from the museum’s collection, including one dating to the early 18th c. These 10-15 bottles will be on site and part of the discussion allowing attendees to get a close-up view... Read more »

Join us for an afternoon of romantic woodwinds! Tune in for the third and final edition of the third season of the Sounds in Winter concert series. On February 14, Brookside welcomes A Touch of Woodwinds, who will play music for Valentine's Day. Enjoy the performance of this classical group within the wonderful acoustics of our historic Long Room. These... Read more »

Now in it’s third year, the “Sounds in Winter” Concert Series will continue with a January 17, 2026 appearance of the Eribeth Trio. Based in the Capital District, the Eribeth Chamber Players have performed throughout the Northeast, as well as in Germany. With flexible instrumentation, the group presents a variety of programs, from string quartet and piano trio concerts to... Read more »

Join us for a Revolutionary meal at Brookside Museum! Travel back in time and enjoy a tavern-inspired feast featuring traditional recipes and historic ambiance at Brookside Museum. Partake in a delightful three course meal, served by historians in 18th-century attire, as they discuss their lives and the events of the day. One drink of beer or water is included in... Read more »

This event has been rescheduled to March 16 at 7pm. Since the founding of the United States, France and its capital have held a singular place in the American imagination. The trans-atlantic conversation that flourished throughout the 19th century between America and its oldest ally was uniquely important to the development of American identity. After WWI, this Franco-American relationship only... Read more »

STONE SOUP pairs composer Joe Illick and librettist Mark Campbell for an operatic retelling of the classic European folk tale. Their reimagining will transport audiences to Blessing, Texas for a rocking-chair view of the comings and goings at Max’s General store. From the opera’s opening notes representing a young girl’s stomach rumblings, through the whimsically collaborative creation of the title... Read more »

Join us for a Revolutionary meal at Brookside Museum! Travel back in time and enjoy a tavern-inspired feast featuring traditional recipes and historic ambiance at Brookside Museum. Partake in a delightful three course meal, served by historians in 18th-century attire, as they discuss their lives and the events of the day. One drink of beer or water is included in... Read more »

Learn from Nancy White as she describes the development and purpose of her many gardens within The Healing Garden - a unique property certified as a United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary, with an environment rich in biodiversity, including endangered native medicinal plants and wetlands. The house was built with a focus on sustainability, i.e., to conserve fossil fuels and water,... Read more »