News
April 25, 2024Saratoga National Historical Park Begins 2024 Special Events Season
Saratoga National Historical will begin its special events season next week and continuing into May with the following offerings:
National Junior Ranger Day
Saturday, April 27, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm – Visitor Center
Join us in a national celebration of Junior Rangers! We will offer special family focused activities and opportunities to earn a National Junior Ranger Day memento!
Ben’s Bed: Recreating a Resting Place Fit for a General
Wednesday, May 15, 6:00 pm -Visitor Center
We have recently made significant changes to the furnishings of the Neilson House to better reflect its appearance in the fall of 1777. The first step was conducting extensive research into who occupied the house and their belongings. It was determined that a folding camp bed was the perfect choice to represent the presence of General Benedict Arnold in his divisional headquarters. Support was offered by donors and the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield, and the process of finding craftspeople who could replicate the techniques and skill of their 18th century counterparts in recreating such a bed began. Join us at 6:00 pm on May 15, 2024, in the Visitor Center theater to discover from the people involved how this project progressed from the archives to the workshop to the Neilson House! Space is limited, so email us at SARA_reservations@nps.gov to reserve your spot.
We will hear from Saratoga NHP Park Ranger and Historian Eric Schnitzer and Curator Christine Valosin, woodworkers Leonard Bellanca and Tom Wetzel, and seamstress Elisabeth Tatum.
Leonard Bellanca has been designing and making furniture using traditional methods, materials, and finishes since 1996. His work has been shown in fine art exhibitions throughout the northeast, and has been published in the Albany Times-Union, the Catskill Mountain Guide, the online journal Numéro Cinq, Fine Woodworking Online, and Simply Saratoga magazine.
Elisabeth Tatum is the Executive Director of Historic Red Hook and a PhD candidate in the history department at SUNY University at Albany. She is currently working on her dissertation which explores the lives of imprisoned debtors in eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century rural New York. As a historian of material and consumer culture, she is always excited for the opportunity to research, make, and present on historical clothes and textiles, from soldier’s beds to children’s gowns.
Tom Wetzel began his career after graduating with a degree in residential construction. For the next 10 years, Tom and his brother built everything from decks to whole homes. In 1992, he left the carpentry business and immersed himself in 18th century furniture. After self-directed study, Tom decided on 18th century American Windsor chairs as his focus. To date, he has built more than 1,000 examples!
Where are we?
Saturday, May 18, 10:30 am – Visitor Center
This 60-minute, hands-on session provides participants with a basic-level understanding of compass use, map reading, and the essentials of orienteering. No GPS here, we’re doing this “old school!” Space is limited, so email us at SARA_reservations@nps.gov to reserve your spot.
Stayin’ alive!
Saturday, May 18, 12:30 pm – Visitor Center
This 60-minute, hands-on program exploring some of the basics of wilderness survival, including: getting water, starting a fire, basic shelter, safety, signaling, personal gear, and why food is the least of your concerns! Space is limited, so email us at SARA_reservations@nps.gov to reserve your spot.
In Memoriam
Monday, May 27, 2:00 pm – Visitor Center
Join us for a special Memorial Day program as Park Ranger Eric Schnitzer reveals newly discovered stories of the lives – and deaths – of Americans who perished in the Battles of Saratoga.
A complete listing of events is maintained at go.nps.gov/saraevents.
