Lincoln Bathhouse reopens as Spa State Park’s front door

The Lincoln Bathhouse at Saratoga Spa State Park reopened on Thursday, Oct. 1, after a $6.9 million renovation that makes the 1930 building on South Broadway in Saratoga Springs the park’s main front door, according to the state’s announcement. The park office and gift store have moved in from Roosevelt Drive, and a new Saratoga Museum of Hydrotherapy opens for weekend previews starting Oct. 10.

The state spent $2.5 million on the inside of the building and $4.4 million on the grounds around it, including parking, paths and access for people with disabilities, NEWS10 reported.

What reopened and what moved

Here is how the building and the park’s operations shake out after the move, according to the state.

• The Saratoga Spa State Park office and the park gift store moved from 19 Roosevelt Drive to the Lincoln Bathhouse at 65 South Broadway.
• Park staff will keep the information desk open at the former office on the Roosevelt campus.
• The state parks agency’s Saratoga/Capital District regional headquarters stays in the Administration Building at 19 Roosevelt Drive.
• The building’s other tenants stay put: The Children’s Museum at Saratoga, the regional headquarters of the New York State Park Police and the New York State Court of Claims.
• The Spa City Farmers’ Market uses the building from November through April.

Inside, the work created a visitor welcome hall, the gift store, exhibit space, better offices and meeting rooms, and new heating, cooling and sprinkler systems, along with structural repairs, the state said. The announcement describes the building as fully accessible and fully in use for the first time in decades.

The Saratoga Museum of Hydrotherapy

The new museum fills an original wing of the bathhouse and tells the story of the mineral waters and the treatments built around them. Exhibits include a 1930s General Electric X-ray machine, physical therapy equipment, mineral water treatment systems and ceramic bathing tubs, according to the state.

The museum is opening with a preview period so staff can adjust and gather feedback before a full opening. These are the details for a first visit.

• Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, starting the weekend of Oct. 10 and 11.
• Guided tours: 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
• Location: the Lincoln Bathhouse, 65 South Broadway, at the park’s South Broadway side.
• Cost: the state’s announcement did not list an admission fee, so check with the park office before you go.

Kathy Moser, the state parks commissioner, said the renovated building creates “a more welcoming and accessible gateway for the millions of people” who visit the park each year, according to the announcement.

Parking, paths and access

Most of the money went into the grounds. The $4.4 million site project includes these changes, according to the state.

• New accessible paths, sidewalks and crossings, with curb cuts, ramps and drop-off areas.
• Larger accessible parking lots and a new electrical system with electric vehicle chargers.
• Separate entrances for visitors, staff and the Park Police.
• New lighting, bike racks, benches and orientation signs, plus 122 native trees. The state said in March that the work would remove 84 trees.

The Children’s Museum moved into the building from downtown in 2022 and draws about 79,000 visitors a year, the state said. An inclusive courtyard playground with play pieces for children of all abilities opened there in June 2025. Kim Ridley, the state’s chief disability officer, pointed to the new paths, parking and playground as proof that the park can be open to everyone, according to the announcement.

A building with a long history

The first Lincoln Bathhouse opened in 1915 and offered mineral spring baths until a fire destroyed it in 1927. The current building opened in 1930, according to the state. Moser referred to the site as a National Historic Landmark in the announcement. The state also plans to light the bathhouse in colors for holidays and special events, joining landmarks such as Niagara Falls and the Empire State Building that are lit for special occasions.

Local officials welcomed the reopening. Assemblymember Carrie Woerner said the renovation and the museum honor the past while helping park visitors, residents and the local economy, and Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chair Phil Barrett thanked the parks agency for preserving a piece of the county’s heritage, according to the announcement.

How the project came together

The state announced the work in March. At the time, a parks agency release said the outdoor work would be done in the fall of 2026 and that the park office would move in late 2026 or early 2027, so the office move came ahead of that schedule. The March release also noted that the 2026-27 executive budget set aside $340 million for state park projects.

The bathhouse is one of several recent investments in the park, according to the state. These are the others it listed.

• A $3.6 million renovation of the Kiddie Pool area at the Peerless Pool complex is finished.
• A $12 million renovation of the Spa Little Theater is expected to reopen later in 2026.
• Saratoga Spa State Park draws more than 4 million visitors a year and ranks among the five most visited parks in the state system.

Our read: moving the office and gift store to South Broadway puts the park’s front desk on the side of Saratoga Spa State Park that faces downtown. For locals, the bigger change is likely the parking and paths, which make the Children’s Museum and the winter farmers market easier to reach. The museum’s weekend-only preview is a soft launch, so expect its hours to change once it opens fully.

Know about something happening in Saratoga County that we should cover? Send us a tip through our contact form.