The Saratoga Spa State Park, listed as a
National Historic Landmark, is home to the Saratoga NY mineral
springs. The carbonated water is so pure, you can drink the water
unfiltered! The Mohawk and other Native American Indian tribes discovered the
springs. The mineral springs have been sought after for centuries, due to their
healing and restorative powers. The springs in Saratoga were used for treatment
of certain medical conditions after American colonization. When you stay at a
bed and breakfast in
Saratoga, you too can reap the benefits of these mineral springs!
With the popularity surrounding the springs, Saratoga NY was dubbed the
'Queen of the Spas' and soon became home to a handful of mineral bathhouses.
About Mineral Springs and Mineral Spa Baths
Mineral Bathhouses originated during the Roman Empire in c.33 BC. Both public
and private baths were used to cleanse citizens and rejuvenate them. These
bathhouses were originally used for cleansing, but soon developed into meeting
places to converse with others. The system called hypocaust was used to
revitalize their bodies through a series of rooms offered varying temperatures
of mineral springs that opened up the pores and hydrated the skin. The mineral
bathhouses that are found in Saratoga NY today carry on this old-world
tradition.
The birth of the first Saratoga NY bathhouse began with Congress Spring. This
mineral spring is now Congress Park in Saratoga NY. Many of the bed and
breakfasts in Saratoga are close to Congress Park; it is a great spot for
picnics and picturesque strolls. Three of the bathhouses that were built in the
early 1900s were the Lincoln, the Washington, and the Roosevelt mineral
bathhouse. Today, the Washington bathhouse is not in existence, however the
Lincoln Bathhouse is still operational. The Roosevelt bathhouse closed in 1996
and reopened in the summer of 2004. It offers a 13,000-square-foot spa among
smaller baths and other amenities. It is owned by the Gideon Putnam Hotel and
Conference Center. The Washington Bathhouse is now the National Museum of Dance
and Hall of Fame. Find out more about this museum on the attractions in Saratoga
Springs page.
In Saratoga NY, the function of the bathhouses were once sanitariums, until
the 1920s when they became a meeting place for the social elite to gossip and
relax. Today, the interest in bathhouses has spread, due to people seeking out
new ways to relax and reconnect with the past.
The Saratoga Springs Spa hotel, the Gideon Putnam has revamped the Lincoln
Bathhouse, now called the Lincoln Mineral & Spa. An array of massage and spa
treatments are offered. On the premise, there are 20 mineral baths. Due to the
health-conscious lifestyle today, it is hard to get in to a mineral bathhouse in
Saratoga NY without a reservation. Make sure to book a mineral bath reservation
and experience the mineral springs for yourself the next time you choose a bed
and breakfast for your Saratoga Springs lodging!
Source: John MacDonald. Capital District Business
Review. Albany: Jul 17, 2000.Vol27, Iss 15; pg.21; Donald I. Siegel.
Ground Water. Dublin: Jan/Feb 2004. Vol. 42, Iss. 1; pg
141
