Located deep within the Blue Line of the Adirondack State Park is the town of Blue Mountain Lake. No trip to the area is complete without visiting this sleepy little town. The Adirondack Museum makes it's home there.

This is a huge museum with more than 20 exhibits scattered over it's 30+ acres of green grass. The property sits on the edge of Blue Mountain Lake and the views are breathtaking. Over 200 years of history are recounted in these exhibits and since you're in and out of buildings as you wander you never get tired or bored. Learn the history of the area and the people that have lived here over the past two centuries.

There are exhibits on logging, mining, boating, camping, hunting, basically everything you could ever want to know about the Adirondack region. It's got one of the best collections of fresh-water boats in America. I love seeing how the Adirondack Guide Boat was made. If you're lucky, you'll get to see a craftsman restoring an old boat to it's original beauty. These guide boats were designed for use in the Adirondacks. Shaped like a canoe with oars, instead of paddles, they can get across a lake or up a creek with little effort. They're stable, fast and a wonderful way to see the area.

There are exhibits with rustic 'rondack furniture, art exhibits showing you how the region has changed over the years and, one of my favorites, the photo house. Here you can sit as a conveyor belt moves historic photographs past your wondering eyes. I'm always amazed at the range of people that called this area "home" over the years.

I remember as a child climbing on the rock that's exhibited as being from the top of Gore Mountain. I think I still have a picture of me somewhere standing on the mountaintop beaming with pride!

Be sure to take in the sailboat that sits in it's own pond in the middle of the museum campus. Take your time and really savor each exhibit. Plan on spending the weekend in the area. There's great camping on Blue Mountain Lake and lots to see in the area. I made my first trip here when I was 8 years old and have often returned with my children. They have learned a true respect for these beautiful mountains and the people that tamed them.

The Adirondack Museum has been called "the best museum of it's kind in the world" by the NY Times. You better believe it is!

Return to our Articles page