The Saratoga County History Center has announced an additional walking tour to conclude our 2025 season. Experienced tour guide Gloria Marceau will lead a fall walkabout of the Greenridge Cemetery on Lincoln Avenue in Saratoga Springs. This tour is focused on Civil War veterans and their stories and will include a ghostly tale appropriate for the season. Attendees will meet... Read more »

Final Car Show Flyer 2025 - 1

Due to popular demand, local history buffs Tom Salvadore and Bob Murphy will lead a second walk through the historic cemetery, made even more beautiful  by the fall colors. Beginning at the gravesite of Civil War hero Elmer Elsworth, they will tell stories of community leaders in the glory days of the city during the industrial age.  Parking is available... Read more »

In the Wheel of the Year, our ancestors celebrated the arrival of fall with Mabon on the autumn equinox in September and Samhain in October (that has led to modern day Halloween). Learn about these fall celebrations - the traditions, festivals, symbols, and their traditional plants.  We will look closer at some herbs of autumn and their myth, magic and folklore,... Read more »

Get ready for a spooktacular afternoon of family fun at Brookside Museum! Our Halloween celebration will take place on Saturday, October 25th from 2-4pm (rain date of Sunday, October 26), will feature treats, games, and learning adventures for kids of all ages. Live Halloween music will be provided by the Scotties Quartet, a talented string ensemble from Ballston Spa High... Read more »

The Saratoga County History Center and the Village of Victory invite the public to a special presentation by Skidmore College student Nicholas Sisto on “The Company and its Town: Textile Production in Victory Mills and the Community Built Around It.” The program will be held on Tuesday, November 11, at 7 p.m. at the Village of Victory Hall, 23 Pine... Read more »

During the Gilded Age Saratoga Springs, the Queen of America’s Spas, was a major thread in the social fabric of America. The obvious question is in an era before instant communication what was life like here? That question is for both those who were seasonal guests of the village and equally important, those who were year round residents. Noted local... Read more »

On November 15, the third season of the "Sounds in Winter" concert series will debut with a performance by Stringwynde in the historic Long Room at Brookside Museum. This musical duo features flautist Melanie Chirignan and harpist Darhon Rees-Rohrbacher, who have performed together for many years and embrace a wide variety of music. Stringwynde has been showcased in many performances... Read more »

On November 16 at 2:00 PM, Saratoga County History Center is hosting our annual members' meeting. At this meeting, members will have the opportunity to meet our new Executive Director, Anne Hollmuller, Ph.D. and to learn more about her vision for Brookside and our goals for the coming year. At this event, we will also be debuting a new and enhanced... Read more »

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 »