To Arms!

Being a military spouse and growing up as an Air Force “brat”, I can tell you that I’ve been to more military museums then I like to count. I love going to historic sites and forts, but museums, to me, usually turn out to be the same. However, that never stops my husband to continue to drag me from one museum to the next.

The other day, when the weather was still deciding whether it wanted to be a cold winter day or a rainy spring day, my husband informed me he wanted to get out of the house. To my dismay he suggested the New York State Military Museum here in Saratoga. I’ll be honest, that was not my idea of a “fun” afternoon, but I wanted to be supportive, admission was free, and it was just right here in town. So off we went.

Finding the place was very easy; located on Lake Avenue in what I consider to be the “down town” area of Saratoga. And although there wasn’t a parking lot we could find, we conveniently parked on one of the side streets nearby. The museum, which is housed in the Saratoga Springs Armory, is absolutely intriguing, looking like an old castle from the outside. Once inside, however, is when I really started putting my foot in my mouth about not wanting to go there. Like I said, I’ve been to several military museums, but whoever is the curator for this one has done a fantastic job.

With several exhibits, even a new exhibit from Fort Ticonderoga, this single floor museum can keep you busy for quite some time. The artifacts, photos, old weaponry, and exhibits are not only interesting, but beautiful. I think what makes this one better than the other ones I’ve visited, are several things. First, this is great for all age levels. Even my two year old son could enjoy it because he could see everything and touch a lot of the displays. The museum is also stroller friendly, which is convenient for any parent going there with little ones. Then there was the window exhibits. Many of them were quite large giving a grander view of things. Some of the other displays were also set up where you can walk around getting an even better perspective. Lastly, the curator’s notes on all the exhibits were interesting and easy to read; not a lot of boring facts that, I’ll be honest, I usually skip over.

My personal favorite section of the museum was all the old uniforms on display. The fact that a lot of them were handmade just fascinated me. Then my son’s favorite part was the old World War Jeep. We probably walked back to it five or six times. If you go, take a look at the “rules” inside the car in the front seat. If only people followed those rules today you’ll understand why I’m pointing that out. As for my husband, I can’t tell you which one was his favorite exhibit. I can say, however, he did get quite a chuckle when I was quoting Gone with the Wind in the Civil War exhibit declaring the “Yankees were coming.”

I guess what I’m saying, if you’ve never been, love New York history, and want something fun to do but don’t know what, you should definitely go. It’s a nice little gem right here in town and makes you appreciate those who gave their lives for us so many years ago. This is the perfect time too, being that the weather is still so indecisive. Hopefully my husband doesn’t read this, because then he would know he was right and persuading me to go there and I’ll never live it down.