Announcement coincides with National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and the Raising of the Disability Pride Flag at the Park
Upgraded Accessibility, Expanded Parking and Park Office Move to Provide Enhanced Visitor Gateway
The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) today announced construction is beginning on a $4.4 million project to upgrade accessibility, parking, and site circulation at Saratoga Spa State Park’s Lincoln Bathhouse. OPRHP is also advancing a $2.5 million interior rehabilitation of the Bathhouse. These undertakings will complement the move of the park office and gift store from 19 Roosevelt Drive to the Lincoln Bathhouse located at 65 South Broadway. The relocation will create an enhanced visitor gateway to Spa Park and provide greater park office visibility at the park’s primary entrance.
The announcement was made as the Disability Pride Flag was raised in front of the Bathhouse in coordination with the NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) in recognition of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in March and to highlight the Governor’s State of the State commitment to expand access to state lands for all New Yorkers by making our parks and open spaces accessible and inclusive to everyone.
OPRHP Acting Commissioner Kathy Moser said, "Saratoga Spa State Park’s 4 million annual visitors will be greater served by this front-facing park office at the Lincoln Bathhouse through improved staff interaction, amenities and wayfinding. New paths, expanded parking and improved connections to South Broadway will make the area safer and easier to navigate for visitors, staff and our tenant partners. OPRHP is proud to continue Governor Hochul’s work to encourage New Yorkers to ‘Get Offline, Get Outside’ at what is already the Capital Region’s top destination for outdoor recreation and unique cultural experiences."
New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Willow Baer said, "Opportunities for inclusion are everywhere. Our state parks are places where New Yorkers connect with nature, with family, and with one another, and they must be welcoming to everyone. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, we are moving beyond words to action by investing in meaningful accessibility improvements that ensure people with disabilities can fully experience the beauty, recreation, and community our parks offer. This Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, raising the Disability Pride Flag is both a celebration of the strength and contributions of people with disabilities, as well as a commitment to building a New York where inclusion is not symbolic, but lived every day."
New York State Chief Disability Officer Kimberly H. Ridley said, "As we celebrate National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, New York is proving that historic preservation and modern accessibility go hand-in-hand. Transforming the Lincoln Bathhouse into an enhanced visitor gateway ensures that the first experience a guest has at Saratoga Spa State Park is one of belonging. These upgrades: new ramps, sensory-friendly paths, and improved orientation, transform this historic landmark into a welcoming front door for the disability community and a model for inclusive recreation across the state."
Self-Advocate Shameka Andrews said, "People with disabilities want to enjoy our communities like everyone else and that includes our state parks. We want to be able to live work and play in our communities, enjoy time with family and friends in these spaces and not just be an observer while everyone else is able to enjoy the space."
The exterior site improvements include:
- New paths, sidewalks, crossings, curb cuts, ramps and drop off areas to improve accessibility, circulation, safety and connection
- New landscaping, site lighting, bicycle racks, benches and orientation signage
- Expanded accessible parking lots for visitors, park employees and tenants
- New electrical system with EV chargers
- Newly separated entrances for visitors, park staff and NYS Park Police
- Improved entrance to the Children’s Museum at Saratoga
- New plantings of native trees
Interior improvements include:
- Visitor Welcome Hall with park gift store, wayfinding and amenity information
- A new exhibit space exploring the history of Saratoga’s mineral spring waters
- Improved park offices and multi-purpose meeting rooms
- New HVAC equipment, sprinkler system, structural upgrades
The original Lincoln Bathhouse was built in 1915 offering mineral spring baths to patrons, before burning down in 1927. The current building opened in 1930 and today houses the Children’s Museum at Saratoga, the regional headquarters of NYS Park Police, and the NYS Court of Claims. The Children’s Museum relocated from downtown Saratoga Springs in 2022 and draws 79,000 annual visitors to Spa Park year-round. In collaboration with OPRHP, the Museum added an inclusive interior courtyard playground, which features elements that support children of all abilities, in June 2025. The weekly Spa City Farmers’ Market also operates inside the Lincoln Bathhouse November through April and on the building’s front lawn May through October.
To accommodate these site upgrades, the park will be removing 84 trees around the Lincoln Bathhouse. Of the trees slated for removal, 11 are dead/dying and will be removed to avoid potential harm to people and property. Many of the trees being removed are non-native and/or invasive, including Norway spruce and Norway maple "Crimson King." Tree removal is occurring during the winter months to protect bat species, which may roost in the park’s trees from spring until early fall. As part of this project, Parks is planting 122 native trees around the Lincoln Bathhouse, with species and locations chosen to better reflect the original intent of the grounds’ landscape plan. Replacing these non-natives with native species will better support native flora and wildlife while making the local ecosystem more climate resilient.
The exterior improvements are expected to be completed in fall 2026. The park office move is scheduled for late 2026/early 2027.
The current projects follow a series of recent accessibility and infrastructure upgrades at Saratoga Spa State Park including the 2025 opening of an accessible playground near Creekside Classroom, the 2024 unveiling of ADA-compliant parking and sidewalk access at the State Seal Spring near Creekside Classroom thanks to a partnership with the Saratoga Springs Lions Club and the Saratoga Capital Region Park Commission’s Access for All campaign, the 2025 launch of a mineral springs audio tour in collaboration with the Saratoga Springs Lions Club and the 2025 overhaul of the 1960s-era electrical system in another segment of the park. These investments ensure Saratoga Spa State Park is strengthened and modernized for the 21st century.
Together these efforts build on Governor Hochul’s commitment to expanding green spaces across New York State to provide children and families opportunities to be outside, unplug and play, and spend time with loved ones. The FY 2026-27 Executive Budget includes $340 million for OPRHP to invest in enhancing and improving state parks. This substantial level of funding will aid the ongoing transformation of New York’s flagship parks and support critical infrastructure projects throughout the park system.
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, and welcomes over 86 million visits annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer app or call 518.474.0456. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, the OPRHP Blog or via the OPRHP Newsroom.
The New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) provides high quality person-centered supports and services to people with developmental disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorders, and other neurological impairments. OPWDD provides services directly and through a network of not-for-profit providers. OPWDD's mission is to help people live richer lives that include meaningful relationships, good health, personal growth and a home that supports them to participate in their community. For more information visit www.opwdd.ny.gov or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
