Saranac Laboratory Museum

Built in 1894, the Saranac Laboratory was the first laboratory in the United States built for the study of tuberculosis. The building is the unique architectural centerpiece of the village of Saranac Lake, once a health resort destination for thousands of people suffering from TB from around the world. Operated by Historic Saranac Lake, the museum features exhibits on the history of the village, from the guides and great camps to the TB cure era, to the decades of reinvention after the advent of the antibiotic cure. The main laboratory space has been restored as a model of a very early science laboratory. Season and Hours Open
Open Tuesday-Friday, 10:00-3:00. Saturdays by appointment.
Don’t Miss This When Visiting
The “cure room”, showing artifacts related to taking the fresh air cure. Also, be sure to watch the short film on Saranac Lake history, “This Was Heaven Really”

Related Sites Or Experiences
Historic Saranac Lake also hosts regular tours of historic sites such as the Bartók Cabin, where the great composer, Béla Bartók, spent the last summer of his life; Little Red, the first cottage of Dr. Trudeau’s Sanatorium, built in 1884; a walking tour of historic downtown; and the cure cottage museum.

Historic Saranac Lake also hosts a wiki website: hsl.wikispot.org. The site is an online archive of 5,000 pages of local history.

Identify And Describe The Management Organization
Founded in 1980, Historic Saranac Lake is a not-for-profit architectural preservation organization that captures and presents local history from their center at the Saranac Laboratory Museum.

Suggested Further Reading
The organization’s website: www.historicsaranaclake.org features updated events and tours.

Fees
yes
ADA Accessible
yes
Tours Are Offered
yes
Site is Child-friendly
yes
Site is Pet-friendly
yes