‘Very, very busy Saturdays’ at the museum

Saratoga expansion boosts attendance, and waiting lists

By KATHERINE KIESSLING

If you go

Children’s Museum at Saratoga

■ A Where: 65 S. Broadway, Saratoga Springs

SARATOGA SPRINGS

— If you’ve decided to take your little ones for a Saturday visit to the Children’s Museum at Saratoga, don’t be surprised if you’re greeted with a full parking lot and a waiting list.

The museum’s team expected membership and attendance would increase when the organization moved into the Lincoln Bath building at Spa State Park last July — the new, larger space is more centrally located, has easily accessible parking and offers more room for more activities than its former Caroline Street location, said Barbara Owens, director of development. The thought was numbers would increase by 50 percent, but Saturday attendance alone has tripled and overall attendance has doubled, Owens said.

The move to a larger space also happened at the same time as the museum’s 2021 merger with The

■ A When: 9 a.m to noon. and 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; museum closed from noon. to 1 p.m. for cleaning

■ A Tickets: $10 general admission, free for members and infants. Discounts available for active-duty military and families with an EBT card. Available at the door.

■ A For more information visit the museum , email info@cmssny.org or call 518-584-5540

Children’s Museum of Science and Technology, which was previously located in Rensselaer Technology Park. CMOST’s outreach educational programs are now offered through the children’s museum.

“We are very fortunate to have very, very busy Saturdays here,” Owens said. “It’s super exciting, and we’re thrilled to be serving so many members of the public.”

While tickets for special events, including Big Truck Day on April 22 and Sensory Sundays, are available online, regular admission tickets are available at the desk only.

As the museum nears capacity, the desk puts out a sign indicating three options: come back another day; if it’s the morning, consider returning in the afternoon; or join the wait list. Guests’ names are added on a first-come, first-served basis, and they are asked to wait in the lobby until space becomes available. Waiting times vary since each visiting group takes a different amount of time depending on the age of the children, size of the party or if it’s a first time experiencing the museum, Owens said.

For parents looking for a less crowded visit, Owens recommends coming during the school day, if possible, though there is a chance a field trip will be visiting. To help plan visits, the museum recently launched Facebook updates on field trip days to give parents a sense of how many children and chaperons will be in the building.

The museum also launched Sensory Sundays, a monthly day dedicated to smaller crowds, less noise and no flashing lights. During regular museum days, noise-reducing headphones and weighted vests are available at the front desk for over-stimulated visitors, and a sensory nook on the second floor offers a quiet sanctuary.