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Author: Jonathon Norcross

Saratoga Swim and Dive Team Wins First Sectional Title in 23 Years

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Featured, Sports.

Saratoga Springs girls varsity swim and dive seniors pose with the Section 2 championship plaque. Photo provided by Joshua Muldner.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — In the career of an athlete or coach, moments of pure ecstasy can be few and far between, if indeed they happen at all. Perhaps someone who has devoted much of their life to baseball will experience the otherworldly sensation of a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth of a championship game. Maybe a football star will feel the thrill of catching a game-winning Hail Mary pass in the endzone as the final seconds of the fourth quarter tick off the clock. For many, these are just dreams. But for the Saratoga Springs girls swim and dive team, the fantasies have been fulfilled. 

“There were points where we questioned whether we’d ever be able to bring home a championship for Saratoga,” said the team’s Head Coach Joshua Muldner. “Many of us were pretty teary after that… It was really, really emotional.”

The seemingly impossible moment arrived last weekend, when the swim and dive squad won its first Section 2 championship in 23 years after an undefeated regular season. The Blue Streaks defeated Niskayuna with a total score of 434, 70 points better than the runners-up. After securing the title, Muldner and his staff of volunteer coaches lept into the pool to join their victorious athletes. 

It was the culmination of a season that opened with back-to-back victories against Niskayuna and Shenendehowa, two schools that historically have been tough challengers for Saratoga. Throughout the year, records were shattered and names were added to the history books, with eight athletes making the list of all-time top times.

“This was a magical team season,” Muldner said in a statement. “Although there are a lot of individual and relay highlights, I really believe the biggest accomplishment was getting contributions from every team member. We don’t beat Shen or Nisky in dual meets or at sectionals without extraordinary contributions from each member of the team. We did not focus on going undefeated or winning a sectional title. In fact, we never spoke about these things as a group. Instead, these athletes zeroed in on what they could control. They trusted the process, focusing on the little things, and the results followed.”

At sectionals, the Blue Streaks earned state-qualifying times in the 200-yard medley relay, the 100 backstroke, the 100 breaststroke, and diving. Victoria Lill will head to states after finishing second in the backstroke with a time of 58.95 seconds. Saturn Cogan will also make the trip to the state championship thanks to her 100-breaststroke time of 1:08.51. The medley relay team of Lill, Cogan, Cadhla Weil, and Catherine Kim also qualified. These four athletes joined divers Gianna DiMaggio and Amelia Covey in qualifying for the New York State Championship meet scheduled to take place on Nov. 21 and 22. (The last time Saratoga sent two divers to states was in 2019.)

Also at the sectional meet, senior DiMaggio scored a 531.70 at the 11-dive, which was more than 45 points higher than the diver who finished second. Covey scored an impressive 465.25, earning fifth place. 

During the regular season, DiMaggio broke school records at both Schenectady (6-dive meet) and Bethlehem (11-dive meet). This is in addition to her shattering her own Saratoga Springs High School record. DiMaggio is now ranked 4th in the state for 6-dives and tied for 7th in New York for 11-dives. She has been recruited by the University of Richmond, where she will continue her diving career next fall as part of a Division 1 NCAA program.

“It’s funny, there weren’t as many nerves as I thought there would be with a brand new group of girls,” Muldner said. “They really stepped up. I think they were excited. I think they trusted each other.”

Trust is a crucial part of Muldner’s program, and his mantra is “trust the process.” He credited this “positive and team-oriented mindset” with helping the Blue Streaks acquire both their undefeated season and a sectional title.

“Throughout this season, the coaching staff was continually impressed by our team’s exceptional work ethic, their ability to listen and learn, and their willingness to trust the process,” Muldner said. “This was one of the most fun and rewarding teams [the coaches] ever had the privilege to coach.”

Muldner added: “The 2025 season will be remembered by coaches, athletes, and families as one of the most extraordinary in Saratoga Springs swim and dive history. A dynamic blend of experienced, high-performing veterans and a talented group of new athletes came together to form a unified, driven, and record-breaking team—one that truly embodies the best of what high school student athletics can be.”

Highlights from the 2025 swim and dive season included:

5 new freshman records

200 Medley Relay: 10/11/25 at Albany – Time: 1:59.64

Victoria Lill: 29.19

Skylar Panetta: 34.93

Catherine Kim: 28.87

Maeve Moynahan: 26.65

200 Free Relay – 09/30/25 at Skidmore – Time 1:48.16

Victoria Lill – 26.41

Maeve Moynahan – 27.38

Skylar Panetta – 28.01

Catherin Kim – 26.36

400 Medley Relay – 10/8/2025 at Schenectady – Time: 3:57.31

Skylar Panetta – 1:00.27

Victoria Lill – 59.32

Catherine Kim – 59.39

Maeve Moynahan – 58.33

100 Backstroke – 11/8/25 at Shen – Time: 58.95

200 IM – Skylar Panetta – 11/7/25 at Shen – Time: 2:15.29

All-time, top-10 changes in program history

6 Dive Changes: #1) Gianna DiMaggio – 10/28/25 at Skidmore – Score: 310.25

11 Dive changes: #1) Gianna DiMaggio – 11/6/25 at Shen – Score: 531.70 & # 9) Amelia Covey – 11/6/25 at Shen – Score 465.25

100 Backstroke: #2) Victoria Lill – 11/8/25 at Shen – Time: 58.95 & #4) Cadhla Weil – 11/8/25 at Shen – Time 1:00.43

200 IM: #10) Skylar Panetta – 11/7/25 at Shen – Time: 2:15.29 

50 Free: #9) Cadhla Weil – 11/7/25 at Shen – Time: 25.30

100 Fly: #7) Ella Nacheman – 11/7/25 at Shen – Time: 1:01.12

500 Free: #5) Maeve Moynahan – 11/8/25 at Shen – Time: 5:17.00

100 Breast: #6) Saturn Cogan – 11/7/25 at Shen – Time: 1:08.51

SPAC Summer Lineup Grows: O.A.R., Jack Johnson, Train, Barenaked Ladies

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Entertainment.

Images via Live Nation.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The short days and long nights of autumn have arrived, but a dream of spring persists: A heap of artists have joined the Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s 2026 lineup.

The acts, favorites among Gen X-ers and Millenials, include summer concert specialists O.A.R., laid-back singer-songwriter Jack Johnson, pop-rockers Train, and alternative group Barenaked Ladies.

Johnson will perform (with opener Hermanos Gutiérrez) on Jun. 24; Train and Barenaked Ladies will hit the SPAC stage on Jul. 22; and O.A.R.’s “Three Decades Tour” will arrive on Sept. 19 with Gavin DeGraw and KT Tunstall opening.

The acts joined Cake, another Gen X and Millennial favorite, in SPAC’s spring/summer lineup, which now includes a total of five announced shows.

One Man’s Mission to Revive an Iconic Saratoga Music Venue

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Entertainment.

The crowd at the sold-out 2024 McKrells Christmas show 
at the Parting Glass in Saratoga Springs. 
Photos provided by Anthony Mangano-Delaney.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The hallway that connects The Parting Glass’ front bar with a backroom stage is decorated with fading images of musicians who once performed at the venue. The talent that graced the Irish pub’s stage includes Alison Kraus (winner of 27 Grammy Awards), Bela Fleck (17-time Grammy winner), and legendary folk group The Kingston Trio.

But it’s been some time since these artists visited a place that, well into the 21st century, was still outfitted with 1980s and 90s analog gear. One Parting Glass regular, Anthony Mangano-Delaney, used to gaze at the worn images of nationally touring musicians on the walls and wonder if perhaps his local watering hole wasn’t due for a resurgence.

In November of 2024, Mangano-Delaney created Fast Tony Productions, a company that for the past year has been booking, promoting, and staging concerts at the Parting Glass. It was the long-time music enthusiast’s first foray into the actual music business. Despite this, he’s already sold thousands of tickets to nearly two dozen shows, while also handling all the lights, sound, and event production himself.

“There’s never been one show that just went totally smooth, uneventful, or unsurprising,” Mangano-Delaney told Saratoga TODAY. “There’s always something new that pops up, which, in a way, that’s why I continue to do it and enjoy doing it. There’s always a new challenge.”

One of the self-taught promoter’s first orders of business was updating Parting Glass’ equipment. He moved the old school analog gear up to a section of the attic that he calls “The Parting Glass Museum” and replaced it with new speakers and mixing boards. Now, the venue boasts equipment that meets modern-day touring standards. Musicians coming from larger venues in places like New York City can simply plug in and play.

“Life isn’t easy on the road for theater acts these days, let alone acts that are in smaller clubs and bigger bars,” Mangano-Delaney said. “So to be able to give them five-star treatment, to give them a great artists’ area, great hospitality, a full menu, everything you could want to drink…a great sound check, a great place to rest—it’s good to be able to offer that to people.”

Mangano-Delaney said that the revamped Parting Glass has impressed visiting bands enough that most have either returned or plan to return.

Among the acts booked thus far are veteran rocker Pat Travers, Irish-American band the Young Dubliners, and Jimmy Vivino, leader of the house band featured on Conan O’Brien’s late-night talk show.

Next up on the schedule is a Nov. 14 co-headling “Heavyweights of Soul” show featuring Grammy winner Mike Farris and Grammy nominee Sugaray Rayford; a Dec. 10 concert with Curtis Salgado, the real-life inspiration behind John Belushi’s Blues Brothers characters; a Dec. 21-23 McKrells Christmas residency; a Jan. 13 show with Tantric, who are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their certified gold debut album; and a Jan. 23 performance by five-time Grammy nominees Professor Louie & the Crowmatix, whose frontman produced three of The Band’s studio albums.

It’s a busy lineup, but for Mangano-Delaney, the juice is worth the squeeze.

“When you wrap up a show, the house lights come on, you put on the house music, and you have people coming up wanting to shake your hand and wanting to give you a hug,” Mangano-Delaney said. “I like to see the smiles on their faces and know that the same passion that I have, I’m able to share that and see other people’s faces light up. That’s really cool for me.”

Saratoga PLAN Opens 127-Acre Preserve in Corinth

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Business, Featured.

Saratoga PLAN and the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 23 to celebrate the opening of the Curtis Preserve in Corinth. Photo by Super Source Media for Saratoga TODAY.

CORINTH — The Curtis Preserve—a 127-acre, permanently protected plot of land that includes three trails near the edge of Adirondack Park—was officially opened by Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature) last month.

The preserve includes about 1.7 miles of trails, as well as a flowing brook that winds through a forest filled with red oak, white pine, and eastern hemlocks. Saratoga PLAN called the preserve a “critical wildlife habitat” that serves as an “important link for regional wildlife connectivity.”

The preserve was made possible thanks to a donation by Patricia LeClair and her family. LeClair and her neighbor Mary Curtis both loved the woods that connected their properties. After the Curtises passed away, LeClair inherited their land and later chose to donate 127 acres to Saratoga PLAN. 

“I walked those woods for many years and I hope that people will enjoy them as much as I did,” LeClair said in a statement.

“The LeClair family has made an outstanding gift to the community, helping to ensure the property’s ecological, educational, historic, recreational, and scenic values are maintained for generations to come,” said Saratoga PLAN.

In addition to LeClair’s donation, Saratoga PLAN credited local community members and organizations with helping to create the preserve. The property’s three trails were built and marked by PLAN staffers and volunteers, including participants from Regeneron’s “Day for Doing Good” (Regeneron is a pharmaceuticals company that purchased the former Quad Graphics printing facility in Saratoga Springs last year). 

Locals also provided feedback via surveys that helped inform decisions about public access. For example, the land had historically been used for horseback riding, and local equestrians helped ensure that the new preserve would continue to be available to horses.  

Financial support for the project came from the Saratoga County Trails & Open Space Committee’s Farmland Protection and Open Space Grant Program, which contributed nearly $33,000 to cover transactional costs. The Nature Conservancy’s Climate Resilience Grant Program added another $25,000 toward future stewardship needs.

“The Curtis Preserve is a great example of how we can come together to protect land that connects people to nature,” said Rob Davies, executive director of Saratoga PLAN.

This preserve is open to the public from dawn to dusk for nature study, walking, snowshoeing, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. To learn more about the preserve or to download a trail map, visit www.saratogaplan.org/curtispreserve.

Become a Pilot in Saratoga: Hewison Aviation Opens Up Shop at County Airport

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Business.

Maura Hewison, operations manager for Hewison Aviation, at the Saratoga County Airport during a ribbon cutting ceremony on Oct. 29 hosted by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. 
Photo provided by the chamber.

BALLSTON SPA — Anyone can become a pilot. 

This is the mantra, of sorts, for Hewison Aviation, a company that offers flight lessons and recently expanded its services to the beautified Saratoga County Airport.  

“The general, typical, day-to-day person—they don’t know that they can become a pilot,” said Maura Hewison, the aviation company’s operations manager. “Unless you have an uncle or a neighbor or someone who is a pilot, it’s not on your radar. You don’t know how to do that.”

Hewison’s staff of instructors can teach just about anyone how to pilot an airplane. Their teachers have anywhere from 500 to thousands of hours of flight time experience, a qualification that Hewison says sets them apart from competitors. In addition to the nuts and bolts of manning an aircraft, these instructors also emphasize a “disciplined attitude toward aviation” that aims to keep pilots well-trained and passengers at ease.

“What you’re doing in flight training is you’re learning how to stay calm in the event of an emergency,” Maura said. “It’s called aviate, navigate, and communicate. That means fly the plane, figure out where you’re going to land, and talk to whoever you have to talk to… It teaches you how to stay calm and how to focus instead of everyone freaking out.”

Hewison is interested in teaching these lessons not just to hobbyists but also to the next generation of pilots. The company hopes to get more high school students involved in flight lessons, perhaps via a Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) program.

“These are going to be the people that are flying you and your family around for the next 30 to 50 years,” Maura said.

Hewison’s mission to share a love of the skies with young and old pilots alike stretches back to the company’s founder, Chris, watching his father and uncle soar through the heavens. Chris’ father was a private pilot and his uncle was a fighter pilot in the Korean war. When Chris created his flight school 11 years ago, his first plane was purchased from his father. Since then, the company has grown slowly but surely, expanding but attempting not to expand too rapidly. In New York State, Hewison now operates out of the Griffiss Airport in Rome, where they have about 30 students per year; the South Albany Airport, where they tally around 60 students per year; and, as of January 2025, the Saratoga County Airport.

The company offers a wide range of courses, from introductory “discovery flights” to commercial pilot licenses. To learn more, visit hewisonaviation.com.

Saratoga Field Hockey Player Breaks Single-Season Scoring Record

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Featured, Sports.


Photo of Mia Khazin via her X profile.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs field hockey player Mia Khazin shattered her school’s single-season scoring record in a brutal 3-2 overtime loss to Guilderland on Oct. 28. In that contest, Khazin netted her 30th goal of the year, surpassing Lindsey Frank’s record of 29, which was set in 2018. 

By surpassing Frank, a Blue Streak Hall of Famer who now works as a marketing coordinator for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Khazin catapulted herself into the ranks of all-time great Saratoga athletes.

“[Mia] always looked up to people like Lindsey Frank,” said the field hockey star’s coach, Jo-Anne Hostig. “She said, ‘It’s a nice feeling to be amongst them but I never thought I would.’ But then I say to her, ‘it’s your hard work. It’s what you did in the offseason, your determination…’ I’m really proud of her to have done that, and I think there’s a lot more to come, to be honest. I think it’s just the beginning for her.”

Khazin has already committed to play field hockey for the Division 1 Quinnipiac University, which just wrapped up their 10-8 season on Halloween. Khazin was interested in the school not just because she wanted to play Division 1 field hockey, but also because Quinnipiac boasts a strong academic reputation. Prior to the start of the 2025 season, the school’s field hockey team received the BIG EAST Team Academic Excellence Award thanks to a team GPA of 3.8, the highest among all BIG EAST field hockey programs. All 21 Quinnipiac field hockey players were also named to the 2024-25 BIG EAST All-Academic Team.

“She’s always been a scholar-athlete,” Hostig said. “I think that she’ll fit in well there.”

Khazin has made the Saratoga Springs High Honor Roll multiple times during her high school career, and according to her recruiting profile, she’s also served on the student council and the Women’s Empowerment Club.

“She’s a person that, as far as being a great role model, she’s been inspiring to the younger players because she set herself up two years ago to say, ‘I’m going to improve. I want to get better.’ She doubled her scores from her sophomore year to her junior year,” Hostig said. “She set herself in the offseason to really work hard at trying to improve everything about what she was as an athlete, as a player, mentally and physically. It was hard and she had things that she had to overcome, and she did.”

Bluegrass Sensation Billy Strings’ Saratoga Origin Story

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Entertainment.

Photo of Billy Strings taken by Christopher Morley in 2023.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Billy Strings might be the most popular bluegrass musician on the planet right now, adored by both genre purists and jam band fans alike. Ahead of his headlining Nov. 12 concert at the MVP Arena in Albany, Saratoga TODAY uncovered a little-known story about Strings’ journey to the top, which passed through the famed Spa City folk venue Caffe Lena.

Alan Epstein is a local musician who sometimes teaches mandolin classes at Lena. In the fall of 2013, he received an email from a friend and fellow mandolin player, Don Julin, praising a young guitarist named Billy Strings, who would’ve been around 21 years old at the time. Epstein trusted Julin’s ear for music and decided to book a concert featuring Julin and Strings at a yoga studio in Greenwich. 

“We invited Don and Billy to stay with us, and I remember, like it was yesterday, the day they arrived,” Epstein told Saratoga TODAY. “They had driven straight through from Traverse City, and after they unloaded their gear, Billy took out his guitar and started to pick and sing. [My wife] Bonnie and I were speechless. It felt like, for lack of better words, he was the real deal. I called all my friends and told them to come out to the concert. It was a small crowd but an outstanding show.”

Fast forward a year later, and Epstein received another email from Julin about booking a second show with Strings. This time, the yoga studio was booked, so Epstein needed a backup plan. He had recently begun hosting a monthly bluegrass jam at Caffe Lena, so he reached out to Sarah Craig, the venue’s executive director. The two couldn’t figure out an immediate booking solution, so Epstein and his wife Bonnie decided to host the bluegrass wunderkind at their home in Greenwich. Craig was among the 32 privileged few in attendance who gathered in Epstein’s living room to hear Strings play. It was at this house show, Epstein recalled, that Craig spoke with Julin about booking him and Strings at Caffe Lena for the following spring.

According to the caffe’s records, Strings and Julin then played a show there on April 3, 2015. Epstein called it “one of the best I had ever heard them play.” While Strings was in town, he stayed at Epstein’s home, where the pair jammed together. They picked “Bill Monroe tunes on two mandolins after I had made us all a breakfast of fried matzah,” Epstein said.

That memorable experience would predate Strings’ rise to nationwide fame, which was still a couple years away. In 2017, Rolling Stone named Strings one of “ten new country artists you need to know.” Also that year, Strings released his debut solo studio album, “Turmoil & Tinfoil,” which landed on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart for seven straight weeks. HuffPost proclaimed the album to be among the best of the year. It was the beginning of a whirlwind that would result in Strings collaborating with big names like Willie Nelson and Luke Combs, as well as earning a 2021 Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album that cemented his reputation as a bonafide star.

But Strings’ success was never a sure thing. In fact, far from it. He was born in Michigan in 1992, to a biological father who would die of a heroin overdose when Strings was only two years old. While still a child, Strings’ mother and stepfather struggled with methamphetamine addiction. At just 13, he left home and battled addiction himself.     

“My parents are recovering addicts,” Strings told podcaster Theo Von in an interview last year. “They’re doing so great these days. We all are, too. It’s like we’ve all sort of made it through some crazy shit and we made it out the other side and we went, ‘Holy shit, how the hell did we do that?’ But all that is to say that I’m super proud of my parents these days and I’m proud of myself. We all made it.”

Somehow, Strings emerged from a rough start in life to become both “California sober” and a wildly successful musician. It’s an unlikely journey that included a few early stopovers in the Saratoga area, where locals quickly saw the gifts Strings had to offer.

“I’m a big fan of Billy Strings and I love what he has done for bluegrass music,” Epstein said.

Those unfamiliar with Strings’ talent will have a chance to see it up close on Nov. 12, when he plays at the MVP Arena in Albany.

Ted’s Fish Fry Opens Highly Anticipated Ballston Spa Location

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Business.


Photo of the new Ted’s Fish Fry location at 2103 Doubleday Avenue in Ballston Spa via the company.

BALLSTON SPA — A long-awaited Ted’s Fish Fry location in Ballston Spa opened its doors on Nov. 1 at 2103 Doubleday Avenue, the former home of a Pizza Hut.

Plans to open the outpost were first unveiled in March of 2024, with an anticipated opening of fall 2024. Then in March of 2025, the Albany Business Review reported that renovations of the former Pizza Hut had begun in February and that the location was set to open in late spring or early summer of that year. Then in October of this year, an opening appeared imminent as the structure’s exterior was transformed, and job postings appeared on the company’s website.

The new Ballston Spa location is open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Ted’s Fish Fry has been a Capital Region mainstay for decades. The chain also has locations in Albany, Troy, Clifton Park, Latham, and Watervliet. The eatery specializes in fried seafood and chowder.

Toys for Toga Launches 13th Holiday Campaign

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Business, Featured.


A media event celebrating the official launch of the 13th annual Toys for Toga campaign at the intersection of Broadway and Caroline Street in downtown Saratoga Springs on Oct. 29. Pictured from left to right: Darryl Leggieri, President of Discover Saratoga; Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh; Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner; Senator Jim Tedisco; Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus; Death Wish Coffee Marketing Director Shannon Sweeney; and Toys for Toga Program Coordinator Max Oswald. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A colorful assortment of gifts dotted the scene: racecars, board games, beer, coffee, and dinosaur sludge. The presents, intended of course for Holiday revelers of varying ages, signaled the arrival of the 13th annual Toys for Toga campaign, which provides gifts and monetary donations to local children and families in need. 

Toys for Toga, which officially launched on Nov. 3 after a press event on Oct. 29, is a collaborative effort of more than 100 Saratoga County businesses that last year delivered 4,500 toys to the Franklin Community Center in Saratoga Springs, the CAPTAIN Community Human Services in Clifton Park, and the Mechanicville Area Community Services Center in Mechanicville. 100% of all toys and monetary donations will remain in Saratoga County, divided evenly among the three aforementioned beneficiary organizations.

Businesses ranging from Death Wish Coffee to G. Willikers Toys to The Rusty Nail now have bins stationed inside their respective locations waiting to be filled with new, unwrapped toy donations. (A complete list of drop-off locations is available at www.toysfortoga.com.)

“Toys for Toga has become a cherished Saratoga tradition, one that perfectly reflects our community’s generosity and spirit,” said Darryl Leggieri, president of Discover Saratoga and a founding member of Toys for Toga. “It’s amazing to see so many local businesses and individuals come together year after year to make the holidays brighter for children across Saratoga County.”

“We’re really excited that this is our 11th year participating in Toys for Toga, and it’s something we genuinely look forward to every year,” said Death Wish Coffee Marketing Director Shannon Sweeney. “It gets our employees excited, gets the community excited, and it’s really a testament for what a community can do when they come together. This area truly knows how to step up and help a community in need and, together, we’re impacting three amazing local charities. It’s an honor to be in partnership with you guys.”

This season, Death Wish has a special offer available for donors (and those in need of a caffeine fix). The donation of a toy valued at $20 or more at the Death Wish office at 260 Broadway will be rewarded with a free bag of coffee. The office is open Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Another special offer for adults: Druthers Brewing has a Toys for Toga winter ale available in four-packs at local beverage centers and grocery stores.

Those who’d rather contribute to the cause monetarily can do so by visiting www.toysfortoga.com.

A History of the Saratoga Springs History Museum

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Business.


A Saratoga Historical Society exhibit in the Canfield Casino, circa 1920. Photo provided by the Saratoga Springs History Museum. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs History Museum explored its past and present at the 142nd annual meeting of its historical society at the opulent Canfield Casino on Oct. 29.

Before diving into a presentation on the museum’s evolution during more than a century of existence, Executive Director James Parillo addressed its current state, which appears to be quite healthy. According to Parillo, income this year is up 18% compared to 2024, admissions have risen 5%, donations are up 50%, memberships are up 24%, and grant income is up 30%. The only financial element that hasn’t increased this year is gift shop sales.

“Our expenses this year only rose 1.7%, so that’s one thing that helps keep us in such a strong position, with income up, and expenses not rising,” Parillo said. “Our spending is very conservative.”

Careful stewardship of the museum over the years has been a tall order, with some stewards perhaps succeeding more than others.

The historical society that preceded the museum was founded on October 13, 1883 by a group of 16 petitioners that included some big names in Saratoga history, such as Spencer Trask, co-founder of Yaddo; Joseph W. Drexel, the original owner of what is now the Grant Cottage State Historic Site; and John R. Putnam, the grandson of Saratoga Springs founder Gideon Putnam. Their first board of trustees also included Ellen Hardin Walworth, one of the founders of the Daughters of the American Revolution. 

This prestigious group didn’t initially create a museum per se, but they were interested in sharing their collections of historic artifacts. Their first home was the House of Pansa building on Broadway, which still stands and is currently the headquarters of Death Wish Coffee.

After a while, the historical society needed a new place to house its collection and by a happy coincidence, the Canfield Casino was for sale. The casino, originally named the Saratoga Clubhouse by its legendary founder John “Old Smoke” Morrissey, was sold by then-owner Richard Canfield after anti-gambling forces shuttered it. The City of Saratoga Springs purchased the famed gambling house in 1912 and allowed the historical society to move into the building’s second floor. This is when the society appointed its first official curator, Captain James Andrews, and the museum as we know it today began to take shape.

In 1927, the museum named a new curator: Evelyn Barrett Britten, who was close friends with the Walworth family. Britten’s Saratoga bona fides were impressive. She was valedictorian of Saratoga Springs High School in 1909, a longtime reporter at The Saratogian, and, for 25 years, the city’s official historian. Britten was responsible for supervising the transfer of belongings from the Walworth mansion to the third floor of the Canfield Casino. Britten also waged a sometimes bitter war to protect the casino from developers. She passed away in 1969, after serving as the historical society’s curator for 42 years.

“She was wonderful,” Parillo said. “We owe her so much for organizing the museum and bringing in artifacts.”

Britten was succeeded (both as leader of the museum and as city historian) by Bea Sweeney, who became the historical society’s first-ever director. Sweeney had a substantial influence on the Spa City by placing more than 70 buildings in the Franklin Square area on the National Register of Historic Places and by establishing the city’s archives.

“Bea Sweeney was a powerhouse,” said Parillo. “She was a woman that organized everything… Bea went through, with a corps of volunteers, and catalogued every artifact we had at the museum. You were looking at 80-plus years of collections. It was a monumental task.”

In more recent years, the museum has modernized with a new logo and mission statement: “to foster public education and chronicle Saratoga Springs history by operating the History Museum, conducting programs, and collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting materials that document the city’s social, political, economic, geological, and cultural history.”

Today, the museum boasts the highest visitation in its history, preserves more than 16,000 artifacts, and has digitized thousands of photographs for online research. 

Those interested in supporting the museum can do so via a membership or donation. To learn more, visit www.saratogahistory.org/membership or www.saratogahistory.org/donate.