Things To Do in Saratoga Springs

Saratoga is a delight to explore on foot, whether through its plentiful parks and gardens or its historic streets that are graced with fine examples of late-19th and early-20th-century architecture. But exploring Saratoga also means doing what visitors have come to this resort town to do for many decades: see a horse race at the internationally renowned Saratoga Race Course, walk or ski in Saratoga Spa State Park, and take advantage of some of the best summer cultural life any city has to offer. Saratoga Springs may be at its most enjoyable in summer, but the other seasons reveal a pleasant, slower pace.

The "Mane" Attractions

Saratogians like to say that their town isn't just about horses, but during the race season, everything else definitely takes a back seat to the track. Saratoga's race season lasts 6 weeks, from late July to Labor Day. The Saratoga Race Course, built in 1864, is the oldest thoroughbred track in the nation, acclaimed as perhaps the most beautiful in the country; its fans are legion. If you're in Saratoga during the meet, it's an obligatory visit to join the socialites and the hard-core race fans and bettors. Races are held Wednesday through Monday, with the first race post time at 1pm. The Saratoga Race Course (tel. 518/584-6200), a 350-acre, 1 1/8-mile track, is located at 267 Union Ave. General (grandstand) admission is $3 and Clubhouse admission is $5. Reserved seats in the Clubhouse are $8, grandstand $5. For advanced ticket purchase, contact the New York Racing Association at tel. 718/641-4700, or during race season, tel. 518/584-6200, ext. 360. You can also visit their website, www.nyra.com/index_saratoga.html, or call tel. 800/814-7846 for tickets, schedules, and additional information.

Race fans may also enjoy a bit of harness racing, which you can witness year-round at the Saratoga Equine Sports Center, Nelson Avenue (tel. 518/584-2110). Races generally start at 7:40pm, but see www.saratogaraceway.com for the exact schedule. Polo, anyone? From June to September, Saratoga Polo organizes matches played at Lodge Field (corner of Crescent and Nelson aves.) and Whitney Field (corner of Bloomfield and Denton rds.), usually four nights a week at 5:30pm. For more information, call tel. 518/584-8108.

Rewards for Early Risers -- Early morning before races is a great time to come out to the track; expert commentary accompanies the thoroughbreds as they go through their morning workouts, and a buffet breakfast is served each racing day on the Clubhouse Porch from 7 to 9:30am.

Hyde Collection Art Museum

Saratoga Springs' charms can make the resort town difficult to leave, but art fans may be pried loose by the presence of a splendid collection of old and modern masters just 20 minutes north of town in Glens Falls. The Hyde Collection Art Museum, housed in a gorgeous renovated mansion, is reminiscent of New York City's Frick Collection in its breadth and beautiful setting. Among the treasures assembled in the 1912, neo-Renaissance Florentine-style villa are works by Raphael, da Vinci, Van Dyck, Tiepolo, El Greco, Rubens, Tintoretto, Homer, Whistler, Turner, Degas, Seurat, Renoir, Picasso, and van Gogh. The most remarkable works are Rembrandt's unusual Portrait of Christ (1655-57), purchased from the Russian government in 1934, and Botticelli's small Annunciation (1492), the first piece collected by the Hydes. Louis and Charlotte Hyde were a wealthy industrialist couple who began collecting European art in the 1920s; their mansion is furnished as they maintained it, with French and Italian 17th- and 18th-century pieces and massive tropical plants in the sky-lit central courtyard. A new wing hosts temporary exhibits and a gift shop. You'll need at least an hour here. The museum is located about 8 miles north of Saratoga Springs at 16 Warren St. in Glens Falls (tel. 518/792-1761; www.hydecollection.org). Admission is free, but donations are accepted. It's open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm; and Sunday from noon to 5pm. Docent-led tours ($6 per person) daily 1pm to 4pm; tours of Hyde House, Thursday through Sunday at 3pm.

Especially for Kids

Saratoga Springs is a nice and relaxed place for families, with plenty of parks and sights that should entertain children of all ages. Most kids would love to attend a thoroughbred horse race at the Saratoga Race Course, one of the most famous and beautiful tracks in the world. There are great features for kids at the track, including free walking tours of the stable area, a tram ride, and a starting gate demonstration. An interactive exhibit, the Discovery Paddock, teaches children how horses and jockeys prepare for races, and kids can even ride the "Equipony" and dress up like a jockey, "weigh in" on a scale, and hammer a shoe on a mock-horse hoof. Open every racing day from 8am to 9am in season.

The Saratoga Children's Museum, with its cute play areas, is a no-brainer for tots, and the Saratoga Automobile Museum is also a fun outing. Older children, especially those budding ballerinas, will enjoy the National Museum of Dance & Hall of Fame. Saratoga Spa State Park is a delightful urban park with miles of hiking trails, two swimming pools, and a skating rink, fun in any season. The Heritage Area Visitors Center publishes a brochure called Things to Do with Kids!

Saratoga's Spas & Springs

Native Americans believed the waters of Saratoga Springs had natural therapeutic properties, and so did early Americans such as George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. Saratoga Springs became a famous spa town in the 19th century, and was known as "Queen of the Spas," with hotels hosting visitors seeking the local mineral waters for drinking and mineral baths. A geological fault line runs through Saratoga Springs and a solid layer of shale produces naturally carbonated waters from deep limestone beds. Saratoga Springs' heritage as a mineral spa resort town lives on, if on a smaller scale. Roosevelt Baths and Spa, 39 Roosevelt Dr., in Saratoga Spa State Park (tel. 518/226-4790; www.gideonputnam.com/spa.aspx), makes the most of the town's heritage with a full-service spa in one of the old classic spa buildings, built in 1935. Charmingly low-tech and reminiscent of old-world European spas, it even retains old steam cubicles and instruments. Services include mineral baths, massages, reflexology, body wraps, facials, and hot stone therapy. More modern is The Crystal Spa, 120 S. Broadway (tel. 518/584-2556; www.grandunionmotel.com/spa.htm), also offering clay and mud wraps, facials, and "pamper packages." Credit cards are not accepted.

You can also take a self-guided tour of Saratoga's mineral springs. There are 16 spots in and around the city, in Congress Park, Saratoga Spa State Park, and High Rock Park. Pick up the tour brochure Tasting Tour of Saratoga's Springs at the Saratoga Springs Visitor Center.

Until recently, Saratoga Springs had no national chain stores in its historic downtown. Today, inevitably, local independent shops mingle with a small number of chains, such as Gap, Eddie Bauer, and Banana Republic. In the heart of downtown, there are also about a half-dozen antiques dealers, mostly on Broadway and Regent Street, including Forty Caroline Antiques, 454 Broadway, in the Downstreet Marketplace (tel. 518/424-4201); and Regent Street Antique Center, 153 Regent St. (tel. 518/584-0107), with 30 dealers under its historic roof. A good antiquarian bookseller is Lyrical Ballad Bookstore, 7-9 Phila St. (tel. 518/584-8779), and a popular antiques shop is Saratoga Collectible Closet, 474 Maple Ave. (5 min. north of Saratoga on Rte. 9; tel. 518/682-2002). Jewelry, clothing, home furnishings and accessories, and gift shops line Broadway and dot other streets in historic downtown Saratoga Springs. A particularly interesting shop, specializing in contemporary American glass, is Symmetry Gallery, 348 Broadway (tel. 518/584-5090). Check out deJonghe Original Jewelry, 470 Broadway (tel. 518/587-6422), for, well, it's all in the name.

Saratoga's Farms -- The Saratoga area is blessed with a surfeit of farms, including dairy and horse farms, orchards, and farm stands. Saratoga Farmers' Market, 110 Spring St. (tel. 518/638-8530), is located in High Rock Park and open May to October, Wednesday 3 to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm. Saratoga Apple, 1174 Rte. 29, Schuylerville (tel. 518/695-3131), is a year-round farmers' market and pick-your-own apple orchard with wagon rides in autumn. Weber's Farm, 115 King Rd., Saratoga Springs, has a pick-your-own vegetable operation from May to December. Hanehan's Pumpkins, 223 County Rte. 67, Saratoga Springs, is a farm stand that sells pumpkins, squash, and corn in season. Clark Dahlia Garden & Greenhouses, 139 Hop City Rd., Ballston Spa (tel. 518/885-7356), has homemade jams, seasonal produce, and fruit and flowers. Bliss Glad Farm, 129 Hop City Rd., Ballston Spa (tel. 518/885-9314), specializes in gladiolus bulbs and has cut flowers and perennials. There are many others in easy reach of Saratoga Springs; pick up a brochure of Saratoga farms at the visitor center.

The Saratoga Performing Arts Center, or SPAC, is in a class by itself. From June to September, this is the place to be in Saratoga Springs (after you've already been to the Race Course, of course) to see the amazing roster of high-culture talent that takes up summer residence, including the New York City Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra. SPAC is also the host of the Saratoga Chamber Music Festival, Freihofer's Jazz Festival in late June (which has been hosting top-flight jazz talent for over 30 years), the Lake George Opera, and the 3-day Saratoga Wine & Food Festival. Set within the Saratoga Spa State Park grounds, perfect for walks and picnics, the center has a sheltered amphitheater and an intimate Spa Little Theatre. The box office opens May 11, but preseason discounts are available (up to 50% off ticket prices). The "tickets" section of SPAC's website offers a number of other discount ticket options. Call tel. 518/584-9330 or check the website, www.spac.org, for schedules and tickets.

Lake George Opera at Saratoga is celebrating a decade of performances, including "The Barber of Seville" and "La Bohème" in the Spa Little Theatre in the Saratoga Performing Arts Complex, 480 Broadway, Ste. 336. For current schedule information, visit their website at www.lakegeorgeopera.org or call tel. 518/587-3330 for tickets.

Caffè Lena, 47 Phila St. (tel. 518/583-0022; www.caffelena.org), is a small and legendary upstairs folk-music coffeehouse that's a little tattered but still reeks of all the folkies that have played here since 1960. There's mostly live acoustic music (and some blues, jazz, and poetry) Thursday to Sunday nights, and some relatively big names, like Tish Hinojosa, still drop by. Reservations are recommended; covers are generally $10 to $15. 9 Maple Avenue, named for its address (tel. 518/583-CLUB; www.9mapleavenue.com), is a cool little jazz bar with live music on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as a huge selection of single-malt scotches, a martini menu, and great cocktails. Tin 'n' Lint, 2 Caroline St. (tel. 518/587-5897), is a pub that's been around since the 1930s and remains popular with Skidmore students; it's where Don McLean, a former waiter, wrote the '70s pop anthem "American Pie" on a cocktail napkin. Luna Lounge, 17 Maple Ave. (tel. 518/583-6955), is a flashy late-night lounge and dance club with an industrial look of brushed-steel and copper walls, owned by the proprietor of the more sedate Chianti Il Ristorante. It's open 10pm to 4am on Friday and Saturday nights. The Wine Bar, 417 Broadway (tel. 518/584-8777), has a cigar lounge, an upstairs bar, loads of wine by the glass, and live piano music on weekends. The local movie theater, Saratoga Film Forum, 320 Broadway (tel. 518/584-FILM), shows first-run films. For a romantic end to the evening (or a nice afternoon activity), Saratoga Horse & Carriage Company (tel. 800/320-6211 or 518/584-8820; www.saratogahorseandcarriage.com) provides horse-drawn carriage rides through Saratoga Springs. For contracted private rides, they'll pick you up at your hotel or inn in Saratoga.