Skidmore College is located on the edge of Saratoga Springs, winner of both the
American Heritage Great American Place Award and the Great American Main Street Award.

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About Saratoga Springs

Ceded to the Dutch by the Mohawks in 1694, the city takes its name from the native word "Saraghtoga" (place of swift water). Its reputation as one of the world's leading spas grew steadily through the nineteenth century, as it increasingly became known as the home of the nation's oldest thoroughbred racetrack and social center for elite society.

Today Saratoga is best known as a resort, cultural, convention, and entertainment center revolving around horse racing, outdoor recreation, classical and popular music, dance, and theater. The city is well known for its restored Victorian mansions, which attract students of art and architecture. The Saratoga Spa State Park, with its springs and mineral waters, is of more than recreational interest to biology students, and the wealth of rock formations in the region brings geologists from around the world.

With the growth over the past two decades of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the city has greatly increased its offerings as an important cultural center. Located in the Saratoga Spa State Park, SPAC is the summer home of the New York City Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as a concert center for top rock and jazz musicians. Such distinguished theater companies as Circle Repertory and The Acting Company perform in Saratoga's Little Theater, located next to the SPAC facility.

Saratoga also is known for the variety of its downtown area, a collection of shops, restaurants, galleries, and coffeehouses with an appeal to people of virtually all interests.

The area's historical tradition includes the famous Saratoga Battlefield, scene of the pivotal 1777 clash between the Colonial and British armies that led directly to the end of the American Revolution. Dozens of landmarks celebrate the area's role in American history. The Saratoga Historical Society and Walworth museums, housed in the Canfield Casino in Congress Park, feature exhibits and period rooms highlighting the city's fascinating past.

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For more information about the Saratoga area and nearby Capital District, you may wish to browse the following sites:

City of Saratoga Springs

Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce

Saratoga Springs Urban Cultural Park

Southern Adirondack Library System

Creative Thought Matters.