Saratoga Springs, New York: An ideal weekend destination

Located almost equidistant from New York City and Boston, Saratoga Springs, New York is an excellent destination for an unforgettable getaway from city life.

One of town’s slogans highlights three of its charms: health, history and horses.

Admittedly, town is best known for its famous horse racing track, but visitors can put together a weekend program that seamlessly combines historic horse racing with spa options, positive dining, shopping, art and culture.

A centre for horse racing enthusiasts

The Belmont Stakes, the ultimate leg of the Triple Crown, will happen in Saratoga Racetrack in 2024 (on June 8) and 2025. (The first change of location of this stage in 156 years will allow for the renovation of Belmont Park.)

Saratoga is one among the oldest operating horse racing tracks within the country and was the positioning of the primary thoroughbred race in 1863, shortly after the Battle of Gettysburg. Sports illustrated named the track one among the ten largest sports venues on the planet.

Saratoga’s racing season runs from July to September, but you do not have to be a gambler or horse racing enthusiast to get goosebumps whenever you step onto this hallowed ground.

Beautiful trees and greenery surround the historic Victorian grandstand. Lush plantings of red and white flowers reflect the colours of the grandstand roof. Bronze floor plaques (called the Hoofprints Walk of Fame) on the Marylou Whitney entrance to the racecourse pay homage to a few of the best horses in racing history.

Of course, people-watching is the second hottest pastime on the racetrack through the season, with even sober spectators wearing playful hats and colourful clothing.

Sports fans can even benefit from the multimedia National Racing Museum and Hall of Fameconveniently situated on Union Street across from the race track. The front yard is lined with politically correct white-faced jockey statues.

The museum’s collection of over 29,000 objects and artifacts, including movies, statues, photographs, paintings and jockeys’ racing clothes, brings the history of horse racing to life.

One of America’s first spas

As wellness tourism became increasingly popular, the Saratoga Springs spa officially opened to the general public on July 26, 1935.

But even before that, Native Americans relied on the healing properties of natural mineral springs on the positioning of what’s now Saratoga Spa State Park. In the mid-Nineteenth century, the bathhouses at Saratoga Springs became a “watering hole” for the wealthy and famous until private industry discovered the water and risked its depletion.

After New York State launched into an ambitious project to create a landscaped park modeled on European spas, it became a mecca for people searching for healing and preventive therapy for various heart, skin, arthritis and digestive ailments. In addition, the state built a plant (in operation from 1935 to 1970) to bottle the mineral water.

Today, the park’s Roosevelt Baths (named after Franklin D. Roosevelt, who directed the development of the bathhouses under the Works Progress Administration) allow visitors the unique experience of relaxing in a non-public mineral bath in one among the 42 original treatment rooms and receiving massages, facials and scrubs.

Saratoga Springs State ParkSpanning 2,370 acres, it’s a National Historic Landmark known for its recreational activities and stunning neoclassical architecture, including buildings with impressive temple facades, massive columns and arcades.

The beautifully landscaped park features two swimming pools, two golf courses, tennis courts, mountaineering trails, picnic areas, seasonal cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails, an environmental education constructing and 13 public mineral springs from which anyone can bottle their very own mineral water.

The Saratoga Automobile Museum is situated in a completely restored modern facility (formerly a water bottling plant). There are everlasting and changing exhibitions that trace the history, technology and design of automobiles. The current exhibition “Enzo Ferrari: An obsession with speed”, runs until October 27, 2024 and incorporates a rare choice of Ferraris.

The park can also be the setting for the spectacular Saratoga Performing Arts Center, It is home to the New York City Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra in the summertime and offers world-class music, dance and other entertainment year-round.

Saratoga National Historical Park

History buffs should make a visit to the family-friendly, 3,200-hectare Saratoga National Historical Parkoperated by the National Park Service, only a 20-minute drive from downtown Saratoga. This is where the Battle of Saratoga took place in 1777, marking the primary give up of the British Army through the Revolutionary War.

After a stop on the visitor centre, visitors can explore the battlefield, follow the half-mile trail through Victory Woods, tour the last British Army camp, visit restored houses and necessary monuments within the park, and attend special events and demonstrations that educate and encourage.

And so way more

Broadway, downtown Saratoga Springs’ pedestrian-friendly, tree-lined foremost street, is a consumer’s paradise with unique boutiques, gift shops, art galleries and dozens of restaurants. Some of the Victorian buildings date back to the Nineteenth century.

Many shops sell horse-themed souvenirs, clothing and jewellery. Visitors may even buy a jockey statue to take home.

A wide range of accommodations include country inns, bed and breakfasts, full-service resorts, retro-style motels, and an upscale Holiday Inn. The Adelphi Hotel and the Saratoga Arms Hotel are two notable hotels situated right on Broadway.

The Adelphi Hotel, once a saloon for Saratoga society, opened its doors in 1877. The 65-room home was renovated within the Nineteen Seventies after sitting vacant for five years. But as only one example of a historic town always reinventing itself, the owners at the moment are marketing modern, branded residences not removed from the hotel.

Built in 1870, the four-diamond Saratoga Arms Hotel is a beautifully restored 31-room property that mixes modern amenities and bespoke service with the ambiance of a boutique inn. Beyond the inviting veranda are parlors and lounges with turn-of-the-century furnishings, original fireplaces, moldings and crown molding, and chandeliers. Guest rooms are impeccably modern, spacious, and well-appointed. The hotel is run by the mother-daughter team of Saratoga natives Kathleen and Amy Smith, who’ve transformed a run-down boarding house into its current glory.

Whether for a romantic couples weekend, a girlfriends trip or a family vacation – the various charms of this deceptively small but impressive city in upstate New York will draw you back many times.

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