A Reading of "Safe Harbor," Friday, November 4 6:00-8:00pm
Join us at the former Trudeau Sanatorium auditorium (576 Park Ave, Saranac Lake) for a reading of the play, "Safe Harbor" by Karen Lewis. Tickets are $30 per person, to benefit Historic Saranac Lake. Hors d'oeuvres, wine, and cocktails will be served. See flyer and press release. Purchase tickets here. 

Haunted History House Trick-or-Treat, Monday October 31st 3:00-5:00pm
The Cure Porch on Wheels will be participating in Saranac Lake's Dowtown Trick-or-Treat this year as a mini haunted house.  Check it out at the Broadway/Main Street intersection!

Click Here To Reserve Little Red Tickets

Little Red and Trudeau Statue Tour: Take a tour of one of Saranac Lake's first cure cottages! You will get to go inside Little Red, visit the statue of Dr. Edward L. Trudeau, and learn about their history and significance. Advance ticket purchases or RSVPs are required in advance by noon on the Monday before the tour. A maximum of 10 tickets will be available for this tour. Tickets are non-refundable.  Rain or shine. $10/person, children and members of Historic Saranac Lake free. Tickets include same-day admission to the Saranac Laboratory Museum.
Upcoming Tour Dates: October 25th (All tours begin at 1:00PM)

Monday, September 19 at 6 PM in the John Black Room --  Book Signing: Beaver River Country, Edward Pitts. 
Historic Saranac Lake and The Village Mercantile are partnering to present author Edward I Pitts for a book signing and evening of history sharing. Edward I. Pitts is the author of The History of the Rap-Shaw Club and most recently, Beaver River Country published by Syracuse University Press.  Pitts will present on his most recent publication, Bear River Country  but will sign either of his books for attendees.  The author will also share stories about E.L. Trudeau’s personal connections to the Beaver River as a favorite recreation spot. Copies of Bear River Country will be available for purchase at the event through the Village Mercantile. 

Tuesday, September 13 at 6pm on Zoom — Letters from the Porch, Revisted -- a discussion with Amy Catania                                               Historic Saranac Lake Executive Director Amy Catania will revisit her series of essays that drew parallels between the Covid-19 pandemic and Saranac Lake's tuberculosis history. She will elaborate on some of essays with additional photos, history, and anecdotes. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and offer their own insights. This is a special discussion to close out HSL's John Black Room Exhibit, "Pandemic Perspectives." The program and exhibit is generously supported by Humanities New York. Register Here.

Friday, September 2 from 5pm to 8pm — A special program for First Friday: Preservation Myth-Busting
Historic Saranac Lake staff will be on hand to answer your questions about cure cottages, historic preservation, listing your property on the National Register, and using tax credits to help pay for repairs. Stop by the Saranac Laboratory Museum, 89 Church Street between 5:00pm and 8:00pm. This event is FREE and open to the public, no reservations required. Light refreshments will be served. The Saranac Laboratory Museum will also be open during this time for self-guided tours. See the Preservation Myth-Busting Event Flyer

LooN lake live Summer concerts

Loon Lake Live is returning to the Adirondacks for its 26th season! They will present four concerts in the John Black Room at the Saranac Laboratory Museum​ on July 27, August 1st, August 8th, August 12th. Concerts begin at 7:30 PM.
Visit the Loon Lake Live website for more information about their summer concerts at other locations!  

The Hanmer is Back!

• June 28-30: As a special addition to the July 3 Willard Hanmer Guideboat Race, the Hotel Saranac will host a three-day boat show in the Hotel Saranac ballroom from June 28-30 (noon to 9 p.m. daily). The show will feature several vintage guideboats, a silent film showing Willard Hanmer building one of his boats, Gar Munn’s medley of films of past year races, a slideshow of historic images preserved by Historic Saranac Lake and Adirondack Experience and a display of perpetual race trophies that will again be awarded on race day. The boat show is sponsored by the Hotel Saranac and coordinated by Historic Saranac Lake and local guideboat enthusiasts. 

• Nurses Week Recognition: In honor of National Nurses Week, Historic Saranac Lake is offering free admission to the Saranac Laboratory Museum for healthcare workers from May 6th to May 12th during the museum's open hours (Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm). Check out the new installation of the Pandemic Perspectives exhibit and a temporary display of objects from nursing history.​

• Thursday March 3rd, 7:00PM, Trudeau Institute Founders Library or via Livestream -- Exploring Vaccine Resistance Past and Present, Deborah Brown  In this talk, Deborah Brown, Ph.D. will discuss popular resistance to vaccines and other public health measures using past and present infectious disease pandemics as a backdrop. She will discuss some of the public health measures and mandates disseminated during tuberculosis, the 1918 Influenza pandemic, the polio epidemic, and our current SARS CoV-2 pandemic,  and the often present public pushback against these measures. Vaccine resistance is not a new phenomenon and approaches to increase public trust in science and enhance science literacy will be examined.  This talk is co-hosted by North Country Community College and the Trudeau Institute and is one in a series of programs supported by Humanities New York.  Click here to access the livestream.

Winter Carnival Special Hours and Programming:

• The Cure Porch on Wheels at Lake Flower Boat Launch -- Learn about Winter Carnival history and its connections to the tuberculosis industry in Saranac Lake in a special pop up exhibit, "Taking the Cure During Carnival".  Share your favorite Winter Carnival memories and add to an interactive display.  See below for open hours.
• Make Your Own Winter Carnival Button -- Show your Carnival pride and creativity by making your own button inspired by the traditional buttons designed by Garry Trudeau.  Button making is available during our special Winter Carnival museum open hours (see below).  Carnival Admission is pay what you can! Buttons cost $1.00 each.

Cure Porch on Wheels at Lake Flower Boat Launch: 

• Saturday 2/5: OPEN 1:00pm-4:00pm
• Sunday 2/6: CLOSED
• Monday 2/7: OPEN 1:00pm-4:00pm
• Tuesday 2/8: OPEN 1:00pm-4:00pm
• Wednesday 2/9: OPEN 1:00pm-4:00pm
• Thursday 2/10: OPEN 1:00pm-4:00pm
• Friday 2/11: OPEN 1:00pm-4:00pm
• Saturday: 2/12: OPEN following the Parade till 4:00pm
• Sunday: CLOSED

Special Museum Hours for Winter Carnival: ​

• Saturday 2/5: OPEN 10:00am-5:00pm
• Sunday 2/6: OPEN 10:00am-5:00pm
• Monday 2/7: CLOSED 
• Tuesday 2/8: OPEN 10:00am-5:00pm
• Wednesday 2/9: OPEN 10:00am-5:00pm
• Thursday 2/10: OPEN 10:00am-5:00pm
• Friday 2/11: OPEN 10:00am-5:00pm
• Saturday: 2/12: CLOSED
• Sunday: 2/13: CLOSED

Carnival Admission is pay what you can!

Humanities New York Speaker Series
This past summer and fall we hosted a speaker series supported by Humanities New York on the four topics as they relate to Saranac Lake’s history as a tuberculosis sanatorium community including Cure Porch Architecture, Women in Medical History, Narrative Medicine and Occupational Therapy.  If you missed any of this talks, you can view the recordings on our YouTube channel here.

• Thursday February 3, 6:00PM on Zoom -- Book Talk: Place of treatment, place of isolation, place of community: the Sanatorium in Context, Tegan Kehoe  In this talk, public historian Tegan Kehoe will share stories from her book Exploring American Healthcare through 50 Historic Treasures. The book presents a history of health and medicine through the lens of historic sites and artifacts in museums around the country. She will focus on her chapter on Saranac Lake, comparing and contrasting the patient experience with other sites of medical care. ​Tegan Kehoe is a public historian specializing in healthcare and science. She is the Exhibit and Education Specialist at the Russell Museum of Medical History and Innovation at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Her projects there have ranged from an exhibit that used xylophones to explain how anesthesia affects the brain, to a display of the personal items belonging to a WWI nurse. Kehoe’s research interests include material culture and interpretation strategies in the history of medicine and the history of scientific study methodologies. She received her M.A. in History and Museum Studies from Tufts University. This presentation is one in a series of programs supported by Humanities New York. Register for the Zoom Link Here.

• Thursday, December 9, 10:00AM to 6:00PM -- Holiday Open House!  All are welcome!  Stop by and share your holiday memories anytime on Thursday! Admission will be free of charge. All attendees will receive 10% off any purchases in our museum gift shop. Masks are required. Due to increasing COVID-19 cases in our area, we are making a change to the schedule of our Holiday Open House this Thursday, December 9. In order to give people time to attend without congregating at one time, we are extending the hours of the open house from 10am to 6pm. Drop by and say hello! See the flyer.

• Thursday, November 4th, 6:00PM on Zoom -- Book Talk: A Prison in the Woods with author Clarence Jefferson Hall Jr. Using case studies drawn from the book, the talk will introduce listeners to some of the many ways in which the Adirondack environment proved a pivotal force in the planning, construction, and operation of prisons in northern New York State.  Hall will also focus on how the opening of prisons in the North Country—and the incarceration of thousands of men of color in their cells—both scrambled the region’s racial politics and created an important, if largely invisible, environmental legacy. Clarence Jefferson (Jeff) Hall Jr. grew up near Plattsburgh, New York and currently works as an assistant professor in the Department of History at Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York and as a visiting instructor in Sustainability Studies at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.  His research investigates the intersectional histories of environment, race, and incarceration in the U.S.  Hall’s first book, A Prison in the Woods: Environment and Incarceration in New York’s North Country, was published by the University of Massachusetts Press in November 2020.  Register for the Zoom link here.

• Tuesday, October 26, 6:00PM -- Annual Meeting: Members and those interested in becoming members of Historic Saranac Lake are invited to our Annual Meeting on Zoom! We will give a brief report on the activities and accomplishments of this year. The main topic of the meeting will be the Trudeau Building project, with a special presentation by our historic preservation consultants at Landmark Consulting, LLC. Advance registration is required; a link to the Zoom meeting will be emailed to you.
  

​Humanities New York Speaker Series
This summer and fall we hosted a speaker series supported by Humanities New York on the following four topics as they relate to Saranac Lake’s history as a tuberculosis sanatorium community.  We will soon be posting recordings of each of these talks so be sure to check back if you missed them: 

• Wednesday August 4, 10:00AM: Cure Porch Architecture, Amy Catania
• Thursday August 5, 6:00PM: The Roles of Women in Medical History, R. E. Fulton
• Thursday September 23, 6:00PM: Patients’ Stories: Saranac Lake’s History through the Lens of Narrative Medicine, Danielle Spencer
• Saturday October 2: The Healing Power of Occupational Therapy, Beth Randall​

• Saturday, October 9, 11:00AM & 3:00PM -- Art of the Cure Guided Painting Classes with ADK ArtRise: Historic Saranac Lake and ADK ArtRise  are excited to partner to offer two guided painting classes inspired by and in the Art of the Cure exhibit! Both classes take place in the John Black Room at the Saranac Lake Laboratory Museum. Participants will recreate a beautiful painting by nationally recognized artist Amy Jones. All supplies included!
  
  Both classes take place on Saturday, October 9.
  11:00AM-12:00PM: Ages 8-13
  3:00PM-4:30PM: Ages 14+
  
  Sign up through ADK ArtRise! A portion of the registration fee will be donated to Historic Saranac Lake, and one free admission to the museum is included.
  

• Saturday October 2nd, 2:00PM at the Trudeau Sanatorium Auditorium: The Healing Power of Occupational Therapy, Beth Randall
  This talk will look at the history of occupational therapy, both in the United States and locally in Saranac Lake, and talk about how this history influences modern practice of occupational therapy and our modern understanding of the meaning of occupation. Beth Randall, OTD, OTR/L is a clinical assistant professor in the Occupational Therapy Department at Clarkson University and also directs the Assistive Technology Resource and Education Center housed in the Clarkson OT department. She has two decades of experience working in various pediatric settings as well as addressing assistive technology needs for school aged students with disabilities. This talk will take place in the Auditorium building of the Trudeau Sanatorium and attendees will have a chance to see the Occupational Therapy workshop following the talk. 
• Find driving directions to the Trudeau Sanatorium here. The Auditorium is a pink building on the right hand side midway through the campus. Parking is available just past the Park Avenue gates, behind the Auditorium builiding or at the north end of the campus in the Blumenthal lot. Masks are required for attendees. RSVP here. This program is part of a series of educational talks sponsored by a Humanities New York Action Grant. ​

• Saturday October 2nd, 12:00-2:00PM: Cure Porch on Wheels at the Trudeau Sanatorium
  The Cure Porch on Wheels will visit the Trudeau Sanatorium a special event.  Stop by the porch to learn about the history of the campus and check out components of our Pandemic Perspectives exhibit. Take some time to enjoy the fall colors and stroll the grounds before attending the coinciding talk on occupational therapy.  The porch will be set up inside the stone gates off of Park Avenue. Parking is available just past the Park Avenue gates or at the Blumenthal lot at the north end of campus. ​

• Thursday September 23rd at 6:00pm on Zoom: Patients’ Stories: Saranac Lake’s History through the Lens of Narrative Medicine, Danielle Spencer
  This talk offers a brief introduction to the field of Narrative Medicine, including its fundamental principles, practices, and some applications.Dr. Spencer serves as Academic Director of the Columbia University Narrative Medicine Program. She is author of Metagnosis: Revelatory Narratives of Health and Identity (Oxford University Press, 2021) and co-author of Perkins-Prize-winning The Principles and Practice of Narrative Medicine (OUP, 2017). Research interests include retrospective diagnosis, contemporary film and bioethics, and healthcare pedagogy (learn more about her work at www.daniellespencer.com) . This program is part of a series of educational talks sponsored by a Humanities New York Action Grant. Register Here.

• Saturday September 18th: Free Community Day featuring the Cure Porch on Wheels
  We invite you to visit the museum for a Community Day with FREE admission to the Saranac Laboratory during open hours, 10:00am to 5:00pm. Explore the exhibits, check out the Cure Porch on Wheels and participate in a family activity on the Porch, available from 12:00-4:00pm..

• Friday September 17th, 6:00PM: Art of the Cure Exhibit Closing Talk 
  Historic Saranac Lake Archivist/Curator Chessie Monks-Kelly will talk about the history of occupational therapy in Saranac Lake and its use with tuberculosis patients. Monks-Kelly will highlight some of the artists and craftspeople featured in the exhibit and talk about the public response to the exhibit. This presentation will take place in person in the John Black Room of the Saranac Laboratory Museum, and masks are required for attendees. This presentation will be recorded and shared online at a later date.

          Note: the Art of the Cure exhibit will close in November 2021. Catch it while you can!

• Thursday September 16th, 5:00-7:00PM: ArtWalk Extended Museum Hours
  Stop by the Saranac Laboratory Museum while you enjoy the ArtWalk during the extended hours with FREE Admission. Learn about the art made by tuberculosis patients while they took the cure in our Art of the Cure exhibit. 
  

NOW through September 14 — Online Auction of Paintings by Ursula Trudeau: Historic Saranac Lake is honored to offer for auction a collection of twenty paintings by Saranac Lake’s legendary artist, Ursula Trudeau. Visit the auction website to place your bid​. View large images of the paintings here.

• Tuesday, August 24, 5:30-7PM  -- Join us for a wine and cheese reception to view the paintings, place bids, and share memories of Ursula. Space is limited. RSVPs required, call 518-891-4606. The reception will be outside. Viewings of the paintings indoors will be in small groups, wearing masks. Plans for this in-person event may change due to COVID-19. Stay tuned to our website for updated information. Our thanks to the Trudeau Family for donating this collection to support the work of Historic Saranac Lake.​

• Wednesdays and Fridays August 18th through September 3rd -- Volunteer Docent Open Training Hours: Want to get involved as a docent with Historic Saranac Lake and the Saranac Laboratory Museum? Join us for walk-in training hours to learn what it's all about. Training can also include administrative tasks as interests dictate.
  No registration is required, but you can fill out our volunteer form at www.historicsaranaclake.org/volunteer in advance. If you cannot join us during open training hours, fill out the above form or contact Mahala Nyberg at mahala@historicsaranaclake.org or 518-891-4606 to arrange another time.

• Tuesday, August 24, 1:00PM -- Little Red and Trudeau Statue Tour: Take a tour of one of Saranac Lake's first cure cottages! You will get to go inside Little Red, visit the statue of Dr. Edward L. Trudeau, and learn about their history and significance. Advance ticket purchases or RSVPs are required in advance by noon on the Monday before the tour. A maximum of 8 tickets will be available for this tour. Tickets are non-refundable. Masks are required if not vaccinated! Rain or shine. $10/person, children and members of Historic Saranac Lake free. Tickets include same-day admission to the Saranac Laboratory Museum. Reserve tickets here.

• Saturday, August 14, 12:00-4:00PM -- Cure Porch on Wheels at Kate Mountain Park: The Cure Porch on Wheels will be visiting Kate Mountain Park in Vermontville, NY for the Town of Franklin’s “Kate Mountain Jam at the Park”.  Come check it out to see components of Historic Saranac Lake's new exhibit "Pandemic Perspectives.” Learn more about the event the Town of Franklin Newsletter 
  
  

Cure Cottage Museum

Visit a patient room and cure porch in an historic private home and learn about the experiences of tuberculosis patients in Saranac Lake. Meet on the porch of 103 Helen Street in Saranac Lake at 10:30AM. $10/person, children and members of Historic Saranac Lake free. The tour price includes admission to the Saranac Laboratory Museum.

• Wednesday, August 11, 12:00-1:30PM -- Don't miss this upcoming online discussion hosted by the Preservation League -- "Preservation in the Adirondacks". Our Executive Director, Amy Catania, will be participating as a panelist along with Steven Engelhart, Howard Kirschenbaum, and Anne Van Ingen. For more information and to register click here.

• Thursday August 5th at 6:00pm on Zoom: The Roles of Women in Medical History, R.E. Fulton
  Register Here.  This talk will discuss the variety of roles that women played in the medical field in the United States prior to the twentieth century, using Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a lifelong activist who became the first woman to serve as a surgeon for the US Army, as a case study. Dr. Walker’s career demonstrates the roles that women could take in healthcare outside of the traditionally “feminine” positions of nurse or patient. . This program is part of a series of educational talks sponsored by a Humanities New York Action Grant.

• Wednesday August 4. 10:00AM -- Cure Porch Architecture with Amy Catania: Join us for a morning of celebrating cure porch architecture and educating our neighbors about historic preservation. We need your help to spread the word! Meet at the Cure Porch on Wheels parked behind the Saranac Laboratory Museum for a brief training with Executive Director Amy Catania on cure porch architecture and the importance of historic preservation. Then help us educate the local community with a walk through Helen Hill Historic District distributing flyers.  We will leave from the museum following the introduction at the Cure Porch and walk through the main streets of Helen Hill, rain or shine! This program is part of a series of educational talks and programs sponsored by a Humanities New York Action Grant.

• Tuesday, July 27, 1:00PM -- Little Red and Trudeau Statute Tour: Take a tour of one of Saranac Lake's first cure cottages! You will get to go inside Little Red, visit the statue of Dr. Edward L. Trudeau, and learn about their history and significance. Advance ticket purchases or RSVPs are required in advance by noon on the Monday before the tour. A maximum of 8 tickets will be available for this tour. Tickets are non-refundable. Masks are required if not vaccinated! Rain or shine. $10/person, children and members of Historic Saranac Lake free. Tickets include same-day admission to the Saranac Laboratory Museum. Reserve tickets here.

• Saturday, July 24, 12:00-2:00PM -- Cure Porch on Wheels at The Station in Onchiota: For the first of four local history days this summer and fall, the Cure Porch on Wheels will be visiting the Summer Market at The Station in Onchiota, NY.  Come check it out to learn more about cure porch architecture and see components of Historic Saranac Lake's new exhibit "Pandemic Perspectives." Learn more about the Station on their website.