Spa Bathhouse Reopens After 85 Years

Saratoga Spa State Park has a new bathhouse that has been repurposed after eighty-five years. It is now open to the public with social distancing guidelines. According to CBS 6 Albany, The Roosevelt Bathhouse was first opened back in 1935. It was named after the former governor of New York and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It began to deteriorate and ultimately close because of lack of usage in the 1980s.

Now it has a new purpose and the Roosevelt II Bathhouse will now open up and the entire facility will open under strict COVID-19 guidelines. The bathhouse's lobby has been restored, there have been many upgrades and additions like new restrooms, ventilation, heating, and plumbing systems. The two-point-three million dollar renovation project was part of the New York Parks 2020 initiative. The restoration was done to improve on the Roosevelt Baths.

Governor Cuomo said of the renovations:

"The Roosevelt II Bathhouse is a living piece of New York history that once provided a natural luxury experience to everyday New Yorkers, and by breathing new life into the facility visitors will once again find themselves enjoying the peace and beauty of Saratoga's natural springs,"

There are still twelve thousand feet of space available inside the renovated bathhouse that will be redone in the near future. Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) acquired two million dollars from Regional Economic Development Council funding for the development of public use of the space.