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Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm

Historic Saranac Lake

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Saranac Lake, NY
Historic Saranac Lake

Historic Saranac Lake's mission is to preserve and present area history and architecture to build a stronger community.

We operate out of the Saranac Laboratory Museum. Add to our online archive of local history: wiki.historicsaranaclake.org

05/28/2026

: We’re so excited for our upcoming behind-the-scenes look at the former Trudeau Sanatorium campus with the owners of the property on June 13! In honor of this event, we’re sharing a postcard showing some of the buildings on the campus, including the Medical and Reception Pavilion, which guests will be allowed to go inside.

This event offers a rare opportunity to step inside some of the buildings that have been recently renovated. Guests will have the opportunity to learn about the history of these buildings, the work that was done to preserve them, and the way they will be used going forward. You can find out more about the tour by visiting our website: historicsaranaclake.org/events! Please note that due to high interest, pre-registration is required and spots are limited!

[Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2024.3.96. Gift of an anonymous donor.]

05/27/2026

: Historic Saranac Lake needs your help identifying the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and/or WHY of this photo. This week, we have another Winter Carnival parade mystery! The woman on the horse in this photograph was identified as Myrtle Cagle, but otherwise we know nothing! She may have been riding with a float with the slogan, “See the Nature Facing Freaks!” which is another mystery to us. Do you know anything about Myrtle (or Myrtel)? Does that float slogan mean anything to you? Do you recognize the building behind her? Let us know by leaving a comment or sending us a message!

[Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2009.10.4.35. Gift of Natalie Leduc.]

05/26/2026

Rainy weather couldn't keep us down! Last Monday, we partnered up with our friends from the Adirondack Experience to welcome Tupper Lake fifth graders to the Saranac Laboratory Museum. They explored the lab, learned all about the history of tuberculosis in Saranac Lake, and even got to check out the Dickert collection at the Saranac Lake Free Library.
Huge thanks to the ADKx team, the library, and our volunteers for helping us put together such a great day for the kids!

If you're interested in working with students, are a retired teacher, or just want to help inspire the next generation of historians, reach out to Alex about joining our education team: [email protected].

05/23/2026

UPCOMING PRESENTATION AND EXHIBIT- Tuesday, May 26; 6 PM
Saranac Laboratory Museum

We’ve been hard at work today with John Lazzaro, photographer and author of "Sanatorium: Inside the Architectural Cure for Tuberculosis," to install a special exhibit featuring his photographs alongside artifacts from our own HSL collection.

Join us this Tuesday, May 26, for a special presentation and the launch of this new exhibit. Over five years, John captured the quiet beauty of historic TB sanatoria across the country. During the talk, he will share his approach to photography, his inspiration for the project, and a thought-provoking look at the history of the sites he visited for the book.

05/21/2026

: In honor of a special event at Historic Saranac Lake next week, we're sharing a photograph of one of the buildings at Trudeau Sanatorium! This photograph shows the James Memorial Staff Building on the Sanatorium grounds, sometime in the 1930s. This building is named for Dr. Walter B. James, who was elected president of the Board of Trustees upon the death of Dr. Trudeau in 1915, and served until his own death in 1927. It is still standing on the Trudeau Village campus today! ⁠
⁠
The upcoming talk and exhibit, "Sanatorium: Inside the Architectural Cure for Tuberculosis," will be presented by John Lazarro on May 26 at 6:00PM. Over five years, photographer John Lazzaro captured the quiet beauty of historic TB sanatoria across the country. Join us on May 26 for a special presentation and the launch of our new exhibit, featuring John’s photography alongside artifacts from your HSL collection. Check our website for all the news on the event and exhibit: https://historicsaranaclake.org/events/
⁠
[Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2025.29.1.12. Gift of the Waltien Family in Memory of Stevenson Waltien and Frances O'Brien Waltien.]

05/20/2026

: Historic Saranac Lake needs your help identifying the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and/or WHY of this photo. We got a request from a donor who wants to identify this man in a photograph in her collection. She thinks he might be a vaudeville artist in Saranac Lake as a tuberculosis patient, but can't place him! Do you recognize him? Let us know by leaving a comment or sending us a message!

[Courtesy of Kay and Marvin Best.]

05/19/2026

Registration is officially OPEN for our behind-the-scenes tour of the former Trudeau Sanatorium on Saturday, June 13! ⁠
Led by HSL staff and the owners of Trudeau Village, this unique tour gives you a rare look inside the preservation work happening at the Baker Chapel, Ladd Cottage, the Auditorium, and the Gibson Stable.
⁠Tickets are limited and advanced registration is required. Purchase your tickets here: https://shop.beyonk.com/4dqowc3g/experiences/4gvx896a

Please note: Due to the historic nature of this route, including steep inclines, walking along roads, and navigating staircases, accessibility for this tour is limited. The event will take place rain or shine.

05/15/2026

We’re so excited to welcome Will back to the Historic Saranac Lake team! Will, who worked with us temporarily in 2023, is joining us on a more permanent basis as our new Visitor Services Specialist. Will is not originally a local of Saranac Lake, however while studying for their Bachelors of Science in Biology at Paul Smiths College, they fell in love with the area and have returned after a brief year in Washington State.

Come say hi to them at the front desk sometime!

05/14/2026

: Some of our favorite postcards in the collection are just plain fun! Our collection features all kinds of souvenir items throughout the decades, from postcards to salt shakers. We don't know this woman on the card, and it's likely a stock photo, but we love it anyway! This postcard was sent from Saranac Lake in 1912, and included the line, "Hope you will never have to come up here and lie around as so many do."⁠
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[Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2021.3.30. Gift of the Florence Wright Tuberculosis Postcard Collection.]

05/13/2026

: Historic Saranac Lake needs your help identifying the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and/or WHY of this photo. This photograph shows Marguerite Kennedy pulled on a sled by a Mr. Clark in the snow. We don't know the first name of Mr. Clark, but we also don't know which houses they are sledding in front of. It's likely somewhere on Helen Hill, as the photograph was kept by a patient at Kennedy Cottage on Shepard Avenue. Do you recognize the buildings behind them? Let us know by leaving a comment or sending us a message!⁠
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[Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2024.23.2.195.]

Address

89 Church Street, Ste 2
Saranac Lake, NY
12983

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

(518) 891-4606

Website

http://www.historicsaranaclake.org/

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