Saratoga Automobile Museum, Saratoga Springs NY

[Billy Kingsley]

Located in Saratoga Spa State Park, the Saratoga Automobile Museum features a a lower floor with a large exhibit space that changes, usually, twice a year. Upstairs is the permanent collection, with a focus on cars built in the state of New York. Although more than 2 hours away from home I consider this my "home" museum and have been attending events at the museum since it opened. They hold regular car shows which attract a wide variety of cars. I got my first ride in a Model T at their lawn show in 2019. 

 

These photos are from my most recent trip, September 2020.

 

There is plenty to read, each car has an info display, which I have photographed, as well as general history displays, also photographed by me. 

 

This is part of their permanent collection.

 

The current exhibit is Dyson Racing, which is a sampling of the famous race cars owned by Rob Dyson of Poughkeepsie, NY, as well as some of his street cars. (He still owns the 1932 Ford which was his first car, and it's in the museum). This exhibit is ending soon. 

 

I took over 300 photos of this trip, which are on my website: Saratoga Automobile Museum Dyson Exhibit album | El Camino Billy | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

 

Here's some examples from past exhibits: Barn Finds Saratoga Automobile Museum Barn Finds Exhibit album | El Camino Billy | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

 

Brass Era: Saratoga Automobile Museum Brass Era Exhibit album | El Camino Billy | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

 

Bugatti Exhibit: Saratoga Automobile Museum Bugatti Exhibit album | El Camino Billy | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

 

Woody Exhibit: Saratoga Automobile Musuem Woody Exhibit album | El Camino Billy | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

 

 

One of my favorite features of the Saratoga Automobile Museum is the Map of New York showing all the cars that were made in my home state. This detail photo shows the Hudson Valley, where I am from. I drove past the American Fiat plant on a regular basis but didn't know it was the Fiat plant until after they destroyed it to make a Home Depot circa 2000.  

 

 

I have a LOT of coverage of the Saratoga Automobile Museum on my website, lots more than I shared here: Car Museum Trips | El Camino Billy | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

 

Thanks for reading. 

Edited April 21, 2021 by Billy Kingsley
forgot photo (see edit history)

[Billy Kingsley]

Visited the Museum again on Thursday. They currently have a Porsche exhibit. Disappointed to see the space for the cars they sold in September is empty at the moment.

 

Unrestored 1912 T is new upstairs

Finally got a decent shot of the outside of the building, something I realized I didn't have when I created this post a few months ago.

 

 

Porsche exhibit: Saratoga Automobile Museum Porsche exhibit album | El Camino Billy | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy. 

[JamesR]

Awesome place! I especially love the Porsche room...which is strange, given that I'm not a Porsche guy. It's just so nicely done.

[ted sweet]

the spa state park where the museum is the site of saratoga spring national this werekend

[oldford]

I was disappointed in the museum. I visited it on Friday before the National Meet. If I wanted to see Porsche cars, there were plenty, but ONLY Porsche cars. Rather bland display. The 1912 Ford referenced above was NOT a 12, but a 1914. Sad to see that this museum couldn't get the year correct. When I politely informed the lady at the main desk, she replied, "This is not the first time that they got a car wrong..."  I was of the opinion that they were 'between' exhibits.

 

Frank

[ted sweet]

not between exhibits.

[Terry Bond]

On 6/28/2021 at 10:41 AM, oldford said:

I was disappointed in the museum. I visited it on Friday before the National Meet. If I wanted to see Porsche cars, there were plenty, but ONLY Porsche cars. Rather bland display. The 1912 Ford referenced above was NOT a 12, but a 1914. Sad to see that this museum couldn't get the year correct. When I politely informed the lady at the main desk, she replied, "This is not the first time that they got a car wrong..."  I was of the opinion that they were 'between' exhibits.

 

Frank

I also thought it was incorrectly dated and spent considerable time point out some odd things about it to a friend. For example, there was a 1912 dashboard clearly there. As I began teaching a mini CJE class, I noticed the sign behind it (that people had been standing in front of).  It explains the car is a 1912 and it's had a 1914 body put on it later by the original owner.

 

Terry