Saratoga – The Horse Racing Capital of New York
I first visited the small city of Saratoga Springs in 2017, on my way to New York city from Montreal to see a Billy Joel concert at Madison Square Gardens. After dropping off my bags at my accommodation, I made my way into town. It was charming, Christmas decorations lined the main street and the Victorian buildings radiated with life. Unfortunately, it was a cold November evening and the town streets were practically devoid of pedestrian traffic. It was the end of the tourist season, the racetrack was closed and it was the last weekend that the bed and breakfasts were open. The hordes of downstate visitors had all but vanished (although a few restaurants on the main street seemed to be quite busy). Famished, and craving a cold beer after a long drive, it stopped at the Druthers Brewery. Although the streets outside were empty the place was bumping, when I walked into the building, it was so crowded that we had to have our beers and food outside, in the courtyard, underneath the patio heaters. Damn it was a cold night! The Yuppies were gone, a much different experience than in 2019 when I visited in August at the peak of tourist season.
Table of Contents
A Brief History
Modest Beginnings:
Founded by the English as Fort Saratoga at the end of the 17th century (1691), the area was once home to the Mahican people, an important native American tribe. The fort was built on the bank of the Hudson river, a few miles east of where the modern city of Saratoga Springs is located today. The original town of Saratoga, now Schuylerville, was founded in 1776. It was located near the Hudson river and more importantly the High Rock Springs, a freshwater spring thought to have medicinal properties. In 1767 William Johnson, an important British official in good standing with the Iroquois, was brought here to treat his war wounds. Johnson proceeded to recover and this only served to reinforce the reputation of these mythical waters.
The town gained further fame after a series of battles amalgamated under the name Battle of Saratoga took place nearby. This was a turning point in the revolutionary war. It is in this battle that Benedict Arnold suffered the crushing leg wound that would confine him to Philadelphia. At the time Arnold was the leading commander of the American troops and his wise military tactics made him a hero, something that would only change after his betrayal of the American army at West Point. Thaddeus Kosciuszko, the polish American hero proved his worth as a military engineer, buying time for the rebel army and fortifying their position at Bemis Heights, he is considered a national hero in both Poland and America.
The Wonderful Mr. Putnam:
In 1789 an entrepreneurial man by the name of Gideon Putnam built a cabin adjacent to one of the freshwater springs. A visionary, he proceeded to build a sawmill and later a log hotel. The hotel in particular was seen as a mistake by the locals and was dubbed “Putnam’s Folly”. Putnam believed in his project and continued to buy more land and eventually started the village that would become Saratoga. The springs were to be the centerpiece of the town. By this time, Putnam had begun bottling the water and had opened a public bath. Business had picked up so he began construction on a new hotel to accommodate visitors to the springs, this one a grand gambling structure. Sadly, it was demolished in 1907 due to a crackdown on gambling. This, along with a ban on the sale of bottled spring water, ended the towns golden era. Putnam, for his part, died in 1812 at age 49 during the construction of his hotel. He became the first body to be laid in Putnam’s cemetery, the burial ground he created for his beloved Saratoga.
A Leading Spa Town
Putnam had created a resort to rival nearby Ballston Spa, but Saratoga was not done developing. In 1832 the Saratoga Schenectady Railroad was extended from Ballston to the South to Saratoga. This connected the city to existing corridors in downstate New York and the town was flooded with travellers. In 1863 the Saratoga Race Course was opened and gambling became the bread and butter of the city. By 1870 a train called the Empire State Express operated directly from New York city. Many grand hotels were opened to accommodate the influx of people. One of these hotels, the Grand Union Hotel, was the largest in the world.
Decline and Revival
As mentioned earlier, it all came to a crashing halt in 1907, when radicals took hold of the local government and gambling was banned within the city limits. This was compounded by the passing of 1906’s Pure Food and Drug Act. The passing of the act act hurt the sale of Saratoga bottled water. The final nail in the coffin was the start of Second World War. During the conflict travel restrictions were put in place thought the state and many businesses closed down. Most tourists never returned when the travel ban restrictions were lifted as new modes of transportation made out of state travel more attractive. Many of the grand hotels that were not shuttered before the war were demolished, including the beautiful Grand Union Hotel, a structure once considered to be the architectural Jewell of the town. The town would not recover until the 1970’s. Today the population is increasing and retail is booming. Saratoga Springs has been included on many lists of the best places to live in New York State.
Fun Fact
The potato chip may have been invented in Saratoga in 1853!
Things to Do in Saratoga:
For starters, you can begin your day at the visitors center located on Broadway Ave. This pretty building will contain all the information you will need for your time in Saratoga. The structure is very pretty and is worth a peak for those that are history buffs. After leaving the visitors center, look down the road towards the downtown, this is Broadway street – the main street in Saratoga Springs. It has a large assortment of shops and restaurants that are convenient to access and have a large assortment of goods. Don’t miss Druthers Brewing, located down a small alley on Broadway they make an excellent beer.
Across from the visitors center there is a large park, called Congress Park. You can find the Columbian spring, a small war memorial, the local history museum (located in the old Canfield Casino building ) along with the carousels as well as many statues and water features. The park has a Greco-Roman revival feel and is best explored in the summer.
Across from this park, on Spring Street, you have the Hawthorne Spring. It is located under a small pavilion and has a drinking fountain so you can try the water. By now you may have already tasted the water of the Columbia spring and will have an opinion about the taste of spring-water and whether you want to replicate the experience. There are approximately 21 separate springs in the city and some crazy people make a day out of trying/collecting water from all 21. All of the different springs have different levels of carbonation and minerals giving them a unique taste. Just for reference I did not enjoy the water from the Hawthorne Spring, the “flavor” was much too strong for my liking, but I hope enjoy it more than I did.
Your next step should be Saratoga Spa State Park just south on Broadway. The park was created by the state of New York in 1907, in the goal of protecting the springs, when it was found that the over-extraction and bottling of spring-water had depleted the city’s aquifer. The townspeople used this aquifer for their municipal services, as such it had become quite the concern. Instead of bottling and shipping out the spring water, the park then concentrated its energies on providing bathing services instead. This era is characterized by the imposing Lincoln Baths, one of the first building you will see when entering the park and one of the finest.
We were starving so I parked the car and took a look at the outdoor Farmers Market located in the grassy area beside the Lincoln Baths. Once my hunger was quenched I proceeded to the baths. The federal style bathhouse was the largest of its kind when it opened in 1930, this is reflected in the grand colonnade at the front of the building. When the bathing culture fell on hard time, the building, one of many in the state park, was converted to other uses. Walking inside now, you can feel how empty this once grand structure is. We were the only ones inside, it seems like it is now used as police offices and not much more. The pretty old fountains are no longer active and the floor has been replaced with a more utilitarian material. The walls still display pretty turquoise tiles, signs of a once proud building filled with life. Next door you have another large building that houses the National Museum of Dance, something I was rather less interested in.
As you venture further into the park you can find the famous Gideon Putnam, a pretty brick hotel located at the very heart of the park. It is near two golf course and it’s not a bad place if you have the money (I don’t). At the west of this building is the old brick bottling plant, now an automobile museum. The main exhibit at the time of my visit was on vehicles from the 60’s. Just south is the Hall of Springs and the Roosevelt Baths. The baths are the last operating bathhouse on the Spa property. The Hall of Springs for its part is a historic banquet hall, located on the grounds of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. If you continue just a little further from here along the the Geyser Creek trail creek, you will see a small Geyser as well as several other fresh water springs such as Orenda Spring.
Other attractions nearby include the Saratoga Battlefield, an important revolutionary war site, the Saratoga Lake as well as the renowned horse races located not far from the park. It is to this attraction that you should dedicate your attention to next. For those looking to gamble but are not interested in horse racing Saratoga has a casino as well.
The horse races are located on the East side of the city. To walk here from downtown, follow East Congress Street trough Congress Park and onto Union Avenue. This important thoroughfare, lined with colorful Victorian and Federal mansions, leads to the racetrack. The historic mansions are the cream of Saratoga architecture and ensured that the Union Avenue Historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. If you come on a race weekend the sidewalks will undoubtedly be packed, so prepare accordingly.
Opened in 1863, the racetrack is the fourth oldest in the United States and one of the most important in the country. The energy here is palatable, bets are being placed at an astounding rate and you can’t help but join in on the festivities. Unlike some parts of the country that have lost the appetite for this type of outing, Saratoga’s racetrack remains strong. The general admission tickets sell for an affordable rate ensuring that the track is an affordable afternoon outing for everyone. You can see people form all strata’s of society, including many families, the old and the young enjoying the races. Unlike the rest of Saratoga, this is an attraction for everyone, rich or poor.
Outside of the racing facility, you have the option visit the horse enclosures and the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. If you are here earliy enough you can also get breakfast at the racecourse. Once inside, grab a beer and prepare to place some bets on some horses! I usually place mine on the horse with the most ridiculous name but, as always, I have no luck in the betting department. My horse, Hail for The King did not win his heat and the horse I would have bet on the previous round, Professor Snape won his heat before I had the chance to place a bet on him. There are food option on site but you are allowed to bring in your own food and there is a lawn area with pick-nick tables to eat at. The grandstands are immense and on a nice day they provide much needed shade to those who have bough those seats. For the general admission folks like me, you can roast in the summer heat.
In the 1940’s New York State weeded out Illegal gambling and established the system used at the track today, that is where you bet wagers against others and not the track itself. If you wish to gamble remember these three words Win, Place, Show. In a win you bet on your horse finishing first (obviously), in a place you horse finishes in the top two and in show the top three. Winnings are based on the odds you placed your bet at.
Where to Stay
Saratoga is known for its bed and breakfasts (B&B’s). There are many pretty ones in the city as well as some great ones just outside of it, usually located on farmsteads. There are no hostels but I did spot a motel or two.
Conclusion:
A weekend in Saratoga can be the ideal getaway. The area is host to beautiful old Victorian streets, fine dining and entertainment. For those on a budget the area isn’t cheap but nothing stops you from bringing the tent and staying at the nearby state park campgrounds. Driving into town for the race day action is a blast; the town is lively, parking is difficult but I guarantee you will have a great time!
