The 10 best historic sites in Saratoga Springs

Much of Saratoga Springs sits inside five contiguous National Register historic districts, so history is on nearly every block. These ten places tell the city’s story best, from spring water to resort mansions to the cottages of the people who worked in them.

Most can be seen on foot from downtown. Many are private homes or working buildings, so enjoy them from the sidewalk unless they are open to visitors.

How we chose

We chose sites that are publicly visible or open to visitors and documented in the National Register, city records or established local sources. We mixed grand and modest buildings so the list reflects both the resort’s wealthy visitors and the people who worked for them. The list is unranked.

Hours and dates below come from each business, event organizer or official source and change without notice. Call ahead if you are making a special trip.

The Canfield Casino and Congress Park

The brick Canfield Casino, a former gambling house, stands in Congress Park at the south end of Broadway, and together the two form a National Historic Landmark district. The casino now holds the Saratoga Springs History Museum across three floors, and Congress Spring, discovered in 1792, runs under a pavilion nearby. It is the best place to start any history walk, since it explains how the springs built the city.

Hours: Park open daily. Check current hours before you go.

Address: Congress Park, Broadway and Spring Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• The park and casino are a National Historic Landmark district.
• The Saratoga Springs History Museum is inside.
• Congress Spring, discovered in 1792, runs under a pavilion here.

See the full directory listing

The Batcheller Mansion Inn

The Batcheller Mansion Inn at 20 Circular Street is a High Victorian Gothic mansion designed in 1873, with a red and gray slate mansard roof and clamshell-arch dormers. Its style mixes French Renaissance, Italian and Egyptian influences. Today it runs as an inn filled with carved woodwork, marble fireplaces and original family furnishings. Most East Side architecture tours start on its sidewalk, and it photographs well in any season.

Hours: Check current hours before you go.

Address: 20 Circular Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• It is the most photographed house on the East Side.
• It still operates as an inn.
• Most walking tours of the East Side start here.

See the full directory listing

The Drink Hall

The Drink Hall at 297 Broadway was built in 1915 as a trolley station for the Hudson Valley Railroad and designed by Ludlow and Peabody in the Beaux Arts style. Its rear porch served as the trolley platform, and the central room has a barrel-vaulted ceiling. It was listed on the National Register in 1974 and now houses the Heritage Area Visitor Center, so stepping inside costs nothing.

Hours: Check current hours before you go.

Address: 297 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• It was listed on the National Register in 1974.
• The rear porch served as the trolley platform.
• It is free to step inside.

See the full directory listing

The Lincoln Baths

The Lincoln Baths stand at the corner of Avenue of the Pines and Route 9 in Saratoga Spa State Park. When the bathhouse opened in 1930, it was among the largest in the world, according to the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. It anchors the state’s 1930s buildout of the spa. Today the building hosts park events, and the winter farmers market meets inside on Saturday mornings from November through April.

Hours: Open during park events and the winter farmers market.

Address: 65 South Broadway, Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• It anchors the state park’s 1930s spa buildout.
• The winter farmers market meets inside on Saturdays.
• It sits at the corner of Avenue of the Pines and Route 9.

See the full directory listing

The Union Avenue Historic District

The Union Avenue Historic District, listed in 1978, lines the boulevard from Congress Park to Saratoga Race Course. Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Gothic houses built from the 1860s into the early 1900s face the street, including R. Newton Brezee’s 1888 house at 203 Union Avenue. Several buildings near the park end once belonged to Skidmore College. The walk from the park to the track takes about 20 minutes.

Hours: Public street.

Address: Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• It was listed on the National Register in 1978.
• It includes Brezee’s 1888 Queen Anne house at 203 Union Avenue.
• The walk to the track takes about 20 minutes.

See the full directory listing

The East Side Historic District

The East Side Historic District covers about 114 acres east of Broadway and north of Union Avenue, where the city’s well-off year-round residents built their homes. It was listed on the National Register in 1982. Architect R. Newton Brezee designed nearly 50 buildings in the area, according to the Preservation Foundation. Look down the alleys behind the main streets for the carriage houses and barns that once served the big houses.

Hours: Public streets.

Address: East of Broadway, north of Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• It was listed on the National Register in 1982.
• Architect R. Newton Brezee designed nearly 50 buildings in the area, according to the Preservation Foundation.
• Alleys behind the main streets lead to old carriage houses.

See the full directory listing

Franklin Square

Franklin Square, at Division and Franklin streets, was the one upscale enclave on the working-class West Side. It grew up around the old train station, and large Greek Revival houses still ring it. The Hiram Charles Todd House at 4 Franklin Square, built around 1837 by a local hotelier, was listed on the National Register in 1972. The square is a short walk from the Beekman Street Arts District.

Hours: Public streets.

Address: Division and Franklin streets, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• The Hiram Charles Todd House at 4 Franklin Square dates to about 1837.
• The Todd House was listed on the National Register in 1972.
• It is a short walk from Beekman Street.

See the full directory listing

Universal Preservation Hall

Universal Preservation Hall at 25 Washington Street began as a Methodist church in 1871, built in the High Victorian Gothic style. When the building faced demolition for a parking lot, residents fought to save it, and it was restored between 2015 and 2019. Today it is a year-round performing arts and community venue affiliated with Proctors and theREP. Seeing a show there is the best way to see the interior.

Hours: Check current hours before you go.

Address: 25 Washington Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• It shows how the city reuses its historic buildings.
• It books concerts and community events year-round.
• The interior is worth the price of a ticket.

See the full directory listing

Yaddo

Yaddo, at 312 Union Avenue, was the estate of Spencer and Katrina Trask before it became one of the country’s best-known artists’ retreats. The Katrina Trask Memorial Staircase in Congress Park honors its co-founder. The retreat itself is private, but its formal gardens, with rose beds and fountains, are the public’s way in. It sits near Exit 14, a short drive past the racetrack on Union Avenue.

Hours: Garden hours are posted on site.

Address: 312 Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• The Katrina Trask Memorial Staircase in Congress Park honors its co-founder.
• The formal gardens are open to walkers.
• It is still a working retreat for artists.

See the full directory listing

North Broadway

North Broadway is the residential end of the Broadway Historic District, which was listed in 1979. North of Van Dam Street, the shops give way to some of the largest Victorian houses in the city, set back on deep lots. Brezee designed the 1887 house at 628 North Broadway. The street ends at Skidmore College’s campus at 815 North Broadway, where the Tang museum makes a good turnaround point.

Hours: Public street.

Address: North Broadway, north of Van Dam Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Why they made the list

• The Broadway Historic District was listed in 1979.
• Brezee designed the 1887 house at 628 North Broadway.
• It ends at Skidmore College’s campus.

See the full directory listing

Frequently asked questions

What is the most historic part of Saratoga Springs?

Congress Park and the Canfield Casino, a National Historic Landmark district, plus the East Side, Union Avenue, Broadway and West Side historic districts around them.

Are there guided history tours in Saratoga Springs?

Yes. The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation runs Sunday Strolls, $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers, through October 25, 2026.

Who designed Saratoga’s Victorian houses?

Many architects, but local architect R. Newton Brezee designed nearly 50 buildings in the area after 1884.

See a place we missed or a detail that has changed? Send us a correction.