Historic Saranac Lake

08/30/2026

This community constantly blows us away!

To gear up for Giving Day, local businesses and friends of HSL have put together an incredible online silent auction. Every bid directly supports our new campus and programs.

Check out the auction page (https://givebutter.com/c/building-our-future/auction) to browse the items and place your bids through this weekend!

08/29/2026

We just wanted to take a moment to give a shoutout to all of our wonderful volunteers who helped make our museum opening possible! So many hands and even more hours went into bringing this expansion to life. We can't believe how lucky we are to be supported by a community that cares so deeply about our local history and works so hard to help us preserve and present it.

If you've been thinking about volunteering with us, we'd love to have you on the team! You can fill out our volunteer survey (https://historicsaranaclake.org/volunteer/) or email Alex at [email protected] for more information!

08/28/2026

It's hard to believe the Grand Opening of our new museum campus was just a week ago! We had over 350 people stop by to check out the new exhibits, chat with HSL staff and volunteers, and see what’s coming next.

If you missed the big day, no worries! We are officially open to the public, which means a visit to HSL now includes two museum spaces full of Saranac Lake history.

Now is a great time to celebrate the new campus with a gift for our Giving Day! Every donation made through this weekend will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

Follow this link to donate or check out our silent auction item: https://givebutter.com/c/building-our-future

08/27/2026

: This postcard shows churchgoers arriving by boat to Chapel Island, likely sometime in the early 1900s! The original chapel, seen here, burned down in a fiery accident in 1956 and was replaced by the modern chapel two years later. Services on the island for this year are ending in a week, which means that summer is nearing its end!⁠
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[Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2026.3.4.]

08/26/2026

: Historic Saranac Lake needs your help identifying the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and/or WHY of this photo. This photograph was just donated to us this week, and not only is it a great photograph, but it's also a mystery! It was with a group of photographs, primarily of events at Pontiac Bay in the 1910s, but we don't recognize these two buildings. Do you? Let us know by leaving a comment or sending us a message!⁠
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[Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2026.1. Gift of Ann Pecora Diamond.]

08/25/2026

This past year was HUGE! And we couldn't have done it without your support.

With the launch of our new museum campus, this next year is shaping up to be our biggest one yet! Brand-new exhibits, artifacts never displayed before, and a dedicated public research room are all designed to bring the history of the Saranac Lake region to life like never before.

But this expansion is about so much more than just a building and a collection. At HSL, our goal is to connect with everyone, from the curious student to the story-filled grandparent. With new tours, programs, school lesson plans, and oral history events planned for the year ahead, we want to show you that this isn’t just HSL’s museum. It’s yours!

We hope you'll join us. While our Giving Day doesn't officially launch until September, you can support us early by following the link: https://givebutter.com/c/building-our-future!

Please consider making a donation, sharing our campaign, or supporting our online auction!

08/24/2026

We are honored to be one of AARCH’s 2026 Preservation Award winners!

Announcing our 2026 Preservation Award winners!

• David Thomas-Train: Lifetime Achievement

• First Church of Granville: Rehabilitation
(Cristiana Peña & Nick Porter)

• Caddie House: Long-Term Stewardship
(Karl Beckwith Smith & Harold Hilton Truesdale)

• Kessel Park Inn: Long-Term Stewardship
(Richard L. & Zoanne K. Schnell)

• Eagle Island Camp: Restoration
(Eagle Island, Inc.)

• Trudeau Building: Rehabilitation
(Historic Saranac Lake)

Join us at The Lodge at Schroon Lake on October 2 to celebrate this year's award winners!

Read about the awardees here:
https://aarch.org/preserve/aarch-awards/recent/

Get your tickets here: https://aarch.org/adventure/events/awards/

08/21/2026

Tomorrow is THE GRAND OPENING of our expanded museum! We cannot wait for you to visit, explore, and get hands-on with all the new interactive exhibits.

We are beyond excited, and judging by the reactions from the St. Bernard's School students this past week, we think you will be, too!

A huge thank-you goes out to Keith and Marge Murphy, who let us borrow their goats this week to help spread the word about the big day.

We open at 10 AM tomorrow with FREE ADMISSION! Plus, from 11 AM to 2 PM, we'll be serving up free Stewart's ice cream in the John Black Room at the Saranac Laboratory Museum.

Bring a friend, bring two, bring the whole family! We'll see you tomorrow!

08/20/2026

: We're so excited to welcome you all to the new exhibits in the Trudeau Building this Saturday, August 22! This photograph shows the building around 1915, and it looks remarkably similar to its appearance today. Please join us for the public open house from 10-5, with free admission and an ice cream social in the afternoon! See our website (link in bio) for all of the details. See you soon!⁠
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[Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2024.3.1.3.]

08/19/2026

We're still over the moon about this past weekend! But the fun isn't over yet! Join us this Saturday, August 22, for the grand opening of the museum expansion! Start at the new building at 118 Main Street, check out all of the new exhibits, and continue on over to the Saranac Laboratory Museum. ADMISSION is FREE all day, plus we'll be serving up Stewarts Ice Cream from 11 AM to 2 PM.
It's a historic moment, and we hope you can join us!