Adirondack Museum Review

Check out the Adirondack Museum in the Town of Blue Mountain Lake.  This museum is chock full of interesting exhibits, artifacts and historical buildings.  In addition the museum is centrally located enough that it's easy to get to from most areas of the Adirondacks.

The museum is located in the Town of Blue Mountain Lake along Routes 28N and 30, about an hour or so north of Lake George and about an hour and a half south of Lake Placid.  It's a fairly easy drive from the Warrensburg exit on the Northway (I87).

You do have to pay for and admission to this museum, but it is worth it.  In 2008 admissions were $16 for adults, $8 for children and $15 for seniors.  If you don't purchase an admission you can visit the gift shop along with a small exhibit hall.

What I really liked about the Adirondack Museum is the fact that it's not just a single monolithic building, but it's actually 21 different sites scattered throughout the property. Some of the stops are bigger exhibit halls, but some are just a single, small building that showcases some part of the Adirondack history.  There are exhibits on boating, living in the wilderness, roadways, railroads, Adirondack camps, outdoor recreation and more.  The only let down in my mind is the lack of focus on the natural history of the Adirondacks.  There is some, but the majority of the museum focuses on the settlement of the mountains and their subsequent history.

We spent about four hours walking around the museum.  There were a few exhibits we skimmed by, but overall we really enjoyed the museum and I think most other people would spend about the same amount of time at the museum. 

For families with small children, the kids might not enjoy the museum as much as there's not a lot to keep kids occupied.  There are some exhibits they can climb into and play on, but the vast majority of exhibits are generally historical objects or photographs with text explaining their significance. 

My Take

I would think that for anyone who wants to get a good grip on the history of the exploration and settlement of the Adirondack region, a trip to the Adirondack Museum would be worth it.  Even visitors passing through the region will enjoy the museum as it really does a great job at exploring and explaining the history of the region.