Ballston Spa Attractions

Top Things to Do in Ballston Spa, NY

Things to Do in Ballston Spa

Tours near Ballston Spa

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Top Attractions in Ballston Spa

These rankings are informed by traveller reviews—we consider the quality, quantity, recency, consistency of reviews, and the number of page views over time.
Children's Museums
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What travellers are saying

  • Lita-Luise C
    Laguna Hills, CA97 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Little did we know that there was a National Bottle Museum, and were surprised to discover that it was in the town of Ballston Spa, where we were visiting. We patiently waited outside in our car for their 10:00 a.m. opening on a Wednesday, and lucky we were that day, as they are closed from Sunday to Tuesday.

    We went in and were met by Meg Stevens, the interim director, who gave us an introduction and a tour of the building’s two-stories. One entire wall rose to the high ceiling with white shelves filled with historic, mostly 1800 bottles of all kinds. Three thousand bottles were on this wall, alone, in a rainbow of colors. A section of the museum had a collection of medical bottles as well as apothecary jars and medical instruments. Cases of bottles that once contained beer, wine, and distillations were on display, as well as a large and page-worn vintage pharmacy book under a class case.

    Meg explained why the National Bottle Museum was created and its mission: “To preserve, research, and exhibit bottles and objects related to bottle making. To educate the public regarding the historical importance of the bottle industry, and its economic and socio-cultural impact on the daily lives of Americans. Visitors are offered guided tours, access to an extensive research library, offered an opportunity to view videos on glass making techniques, and ways to locate old bottles. The Museum offers educational presentations to historical societies, social groups, schools, colleges, and service organizations, at no cost to the public.”

    In Saratoga County during the mid 1800s, millions of glass vessels were needed to bottle the county’s mineral waters. The rich and famous as well as the un-well, from all over, came for cures to both bathe and drink the waters. Hundreds of people were employed, using hand tools and their lungs to blow glass. In addition to glass bottles, were other items made of glass. An entire display held paper weights, and another personal hygiene items. Something people don’t realize, is that every pharmacy, every producer of patent medicines, every brewery, dairy farm and manufacturer, required hand-made glass bottles. Machine made bottles were not manufactured until after Michael Owens patented his inventions in 1903.

    One of the museums most unusual collections is that of uranium glass. It is also known as Vaseline glass, as the product came in it, or canary glass for its yellow color. Uranium glass was first used by a German chemist in 1789, using uranium salt in the oxide diuranate form, which is added to the liquid glass in amounts from 2 to 25%. It shows best under a black light.

    There was also an exhibit of painted soda bottles, fruit jars, and coca cola bottles. Collectors donate or put on loan their collections, and once a year the National Bottle Museum sponsors its own Bottle Show and Sale, which draws dealers and collectors from all over, and is their annual fundraiser.

    Meg said she began collecting at thirteen, favoring yellow radium glass, and bottles in a violin shape. I certainly saw plenty of cobalt glass to drool over, and was interested in the apothecary jars. Their website offers some good information on how to clean the inside of found bottles while still protecting the label, as many old bottles can contain irritants, caustics, corrosives, poisonous or harmful narcotics. The exhibit was thoroughly enjoyable and we learned a lot.
    Written 6 July 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Krissy D
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    What great fun! Katrina and her llamas were fantastic. The llamas were easy going and affectionate. The trail was shaded and lovely!. It will definitely be an annual outing. Thanks Katrina for a sweet experience!
    Written 4 September 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • ScenicTrek
    New Jersey1,975 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    I found the Village of Ballston Spa to be a quaint place that still possesses a shades-of-yesteryear feel to it. We did not venture further than this antique shop and the surrounding area—within about a three-block radius. We still had an enjoyable and satisfying afternoon that consisted of antique shopping, a museum, and refreshing, cold beverages from a local eatery where we sat outside and enjoyed them in the summer air.

    The store is located just one block west of the main street (Milton Avenue). It consists of two floors. The majority of items are found of the first floor, so even if you cannot navigate the stairs to the second floor for whatever reason, there is still plenty to see on just the first floor. Items for sale include: jewelry, pictures, paintings, framed artwork, books, lighting fixtures, lamps, dinnerware, glassware, silverware and utensils, decorative items, furniture, signs, clothing and hats, collectible plates, postcards, antique household products, figurines, wooden crates, bottles, and music albums. I recall tools and small farm equipment lining the stairs up to the second floor.

    Depending on how much you care to scrutinize what’s there, you could spend anywhere from one to two hours. If you are an antiques person, or if you just like to browse some interesting things you may want to buy, I heartily recommend a visit here.

    Some Helpful Things to Know:

    1) There is ample free parking along the street on both sides.

    2) There is a clean public restroom available for patrons.

    3) The check-out people up front were happy to let me leave my small stack of purchases with them while I continued to browse more items.

    4) It is a five-minute walk to the National Bottle Museum, several restaurants/eateries, the local Post Office, and a few boutiques.

    5) For some reason, the place is listed as Waverly Square Antiques on the aerial view on Google Maps. Don’t be confused by this. If you go to the Street Level View, you will see it shows the Stone Soup Antiques sign on the building.

    If you found my review and/or pictures helpful, please consider clicking the thumbs-up button. Thank you!
    Written 3 June 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Ashley F.
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Double M haunted hayride is the best around! Every year they add new attractions keeping us and our kids on our toes and scared! Grim Reaper is our favorite character with his fortune telling and making the little kids laugh. Cannot wait until next year!
    Written 2 November 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • mark_scho
    Clifton Park, NY33 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    great selection of grass-fed beef, cut to order. We love tio get our meat here. Also have free-range chicken.
    Written 4 March 2018
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Eric G
    7 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    It's an incredible place for a day of family fun with tons of activities for kids from toddlers to about age 10 or 12. The place is HUGE. Plan on spending an entire day there. Everything was clean (including the bathrooms) and the staff was super friendly.

    Food service is their weak point. The prices aren't too bad for an amusement place, but the kitchens are slow. If you time it wrong or get unlucky, you could easily be waiting half an hour to get your food. They don't allow outside food.
    Written 10 October 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • parkstraveler17
    Malta, NY11 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Brookside Museum is also the home of the Saratoga County Historical Society. It was here that I discovered the book "Twelve Years a Slave" by Solomon Northup a once, local man, years before they made the acclaimed movie. While the building is small, it is crammed with all sorts of county history. They change out exhibits every few months and have a few rooms that stay relatively year round. They added a Geneology department a few years ago so researching local ancestry could be easier done. It doesn't cost much to enter and they are often running special programs so be sure to check. Nice little museum, in a great little town, so close to Saratoga Springs.
    Written 1 July 2016
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Laraine L
    Pocono Lake, PA204 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This antique shop features early country and primitives, Americana & folk art, fine art, period furnishings, textiles, ceramics and glassware. Something for everyone.
    Written 20 November 2017
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Laraine L
    Pocono Lake, PA204 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This shop has antique vintage items, hats, tea pots, cups and saucers, vintage clothing and lots more. Fun place to explore and shop for goodies.
    Written 14 March 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Laraine L
    Pocono Lake, PA204 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is a new store that uses a side entrance to enter. It is full of upcycled furniture and décor as well as industrial and vintage items. Very helpful and friendly owner.
    Written 14 March 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • mwooduk
    Miami, FL7,710 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    We came to visit this church while visiting our son, daughter in law and four young grandkids who live close by. This is their new church home. The church building is beautiful and has lots of parking. No stairs to climb to get into the church which was helpful for my 86 year old mother.

    The service started at 10:30 a.m. This church is part of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian church. It is a very traditional service with a choir and a standard worship format of service. I have to commend the piano player who was outstanding and played beautifully prior to the service starting. The pastor gave a good sermon and we enjoyed our visit.
    Written 28 November 2018
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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