The Saranac Laboratory

Built in 1894, The Saranac Laboratory was the first lab built in the U.S. for the research of tuberculosis. Historic Saranac Lake rehabilitated the building and opened it as a museum in 2009. Learn about the history of the Saranac Laboratory here!

The Saranac Laboratory is open year-round with permanent exhibits on scientific research and patient care, and temporary exhibits on topics of local history. Exhibits are self-guided, however staff is always on hand to help guide visitors through the exhibits and answer any questions. The main laboratory space explores Saranac Lake's unique history as a world-wide center for TB research and patient care. Visitors can listen to audio tours and view a variety of short films on TB and local history in the main laboratory space. Learn more about visiting the museum.

THE JOHN BLACK ROOM

The John Black Room Library was added to the Saranac Laboratory in 1928. The addition was dedicated in the memory of John Baxter Black, of Mansfield, Ohio. Mr. Black came to Saranac Lake with TB and died in 1923. Historic Saranac Lake hosts temporary exhibits in the space and rents the room for public and private use. Download our Room Use Policy and Form or contact us with questions about renting the John Black Room. Learn more about the John Black Room here!

In 2021, Historic Saranac Lake opened the Pandemic Perspectives exhibit. On display in the John Black Room, the exhibit compares the history of tuberculosis to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Using quotes from fiction and literature the exhibit discusses the experience of living through a pandemic and asks visitors to share their thoughts and experiences from Covid-19. View the Pandemic Perspectives Exhibit online.

Thanks to generous support from John and Peter Black and the Robert and Esther Black Family Foundation and Fund at the Richland County Foundation, the legacy of the Black Family in Saranac Lake lives on at Historic Saranac Lake. Pictured left, in 2011, Executive Director Amy Catania visited John Baxter Black's nephew and namesake John Black in Mansfield, Ohio, where a replica hung over John's fireplace. Read more about the legacy of the Black Family in Saranac Lake.

The Trudeau Building

In 2019, Historic Saranac Lake acquired the historic home and medical office of Dr. E. L. Trudeau, pioneer in tuberculosis treatment and scientific research. We will rehabilitate the building and reopen it as a museum exploring the story of the Saranac Lake region and Trudeau’s pioneering work in tuberculosis treatment. Learn more about the Trudeau Building project here.

Highlights of the Trudeau Building Museum expansion include:

• Improved museum collections storage space, defined as a priority in our ongoing Preservation Planning Project funded by an IMLS grant in 2018. This will allow us to grow our collection and make it available to humanities scholars.
• Creation of a research room that will facilitate public access to our collection.
• Installation of interactive children’s exhibits in both buildings.
• Rotating exhibits in collaboration with other area museums and organizations.
• Implementation of hands-on science activities in the laboratory space.
• Expanded interpretation at the Saranac Laboratory Museum exploring important present day issues in public health and tuberculosis control and treatment.