Saranac Lake

The area was first settled in 1819; a dam and sawmill were built in 1827, a school was built in 1838, and the first local hotel opened in 1849. Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau arrived in 1876, believing the cold, clear mountain air to be helpful in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis; his Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium was established in 1884. The Trudeau Institute, an independent medical research organisation established in 1964, is a successor to Dr. Trudeau's 1884 Saranac Laboratory for the Study of Tuberculosis. Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau, the doctor's great-grandson, grew up in Saranac Lake and maintains connections there.

Hundreds of "cure cottages", private residences with large, glassed-in porches where patients could benefit from the clear mountain air, were constructed in this era. The 1944 introduction of antibiotic drug streptomycin largely supplanted prior treatments for tuberculosis by the 1950s; the buildings were re-purposed, with sixty-three of those still extant in Saranac Lake listed on the US National Register of Historic Places.

The "great camps of the Adirondack Mountains", elaborate summer homes for the wealthy, became common in the region near the end of the 19th century as rail travel placed upstate vacation areas such as the Adirondacks and the Thousand Islands within easy reach for New York City's well-heeled elites.

Five thousand people live in the village. North Country Community College, a two-year public college established in Saranac Lake in 1967, has 1500 students, 143 permanent and 300 adjunct faculty. Paul Smith's College, a private four-year college in the adjacent hamlet of Paul Smiths NY, was established in 1946 and now has a thousand students.

One quality of Saranac Lake is lack of heavy vehicle traffic. Walking is the perfect way to explore the town.

There is local bus service twice daily to Lake Placid.

• Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial Cottage, 11 Stevenson Ln, ☏ +1 518 891-1462. Robert Louis Stevenson, author of 'Treasure Island' and 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', spent the winter of 1887-88 here writing 'The Master of Ballantrae.' The cottage has been carefully preserved. (July 1-Sept 15, open every day except Monday.) 
• Visitor Interpretive Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, 8023 State Route 30, Paul Smiths (at Paul Smiths College), ☏ +1 518 327-6241. 
• There is a small, but nice, museum in the basement of the Saranac Lake Free Library.
• During the winter, there is a grand castle of ice located on Lake Flower.
• Saranac Laboratory Museum, 89 Church St., ☏ +1 518 891-4606, mail@historicsaranaclake.org. Tu-Sa 10AM-4PM, Th 10AM-7PM. The Saranac Laboratory, established by Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau in 1894, was the first laboratory in the United States for the study of tuberculosis. It is now operated by Historic Saranac Lake as a museum describing the history of Dr. Trudeau's work on tuberculosis. Rotating exhibits, regular summer walking tours of historic sites. $5/adult. (updated Jul 2015)

• Pendragon Theatre, 15 Brandy Brook Ave, ☏ +1 518 891-1854, fax: +1 518 891-7012. Live theatre. 
• Saranac Lake River Walk, 1 Main St, ☏ +1 518 891-1990. A 1.5-mile multi-use path follows the Saranac River from the police station and village hall through the downtown. Paul Smith's Electric Light and Power and Railroad Company Building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, stands next to the dam that created Lake Flower and a small power house. Across Mail Street is River Park, which has a band stand, the Saranac Lake Bears and boats for a tour of the lake. The path then winds through downtown from 15 Broadway through Woodruff Street to a supermarket at 156 Church St. 
• Water Sports
• Lake Colby has a nice beach and places to picnic in the grass near the water.
• Adirondack Massage Therapy (massage cruises), 449 Lake St, ☏ +1 518 572-1881, adkmassage@gmail.com. Seasonal boat tours and massage cruises are available on a 24-ft pontoon boat for up to 7 passengers. Year round massages are available in studio office or via house call. Boat tours are also available near the Farmer's Markets on Tuesdays and Saturdays. (updated Jan 2016)

• The Community Store, 97 Main St, ☏ +1 518 354-8173. M-Sa 9:30AM-5:30PM, Su 10AM–3PM. Locally-owned department store (clothing, housewares, craft supplies, books) 

Saranac Lake has several very pleasant Art Shops. It also has book stores (one new, one used) and a fine Army Surplus store. Next door, is a beautiful Native American shop. For healthy, organic food, herbs, and peaceful atmosphere, try Noris. There are some antique stores, but if you want a real adventure, search through The Gold Mine.

• Fiddlehead Bistro, 33 Broadway, ☏ +1 518 891-2002. Farm-to-table dining (updated Oct 2018)

• Belvadere Restaurant, 102 Bloomingdale Ave, ☏ +1 518 891-9873. Tu-F 11:30AM–1:30PM and 5–8:30PM, Sa Su 5–8:30PM. Italian restaurant and bar, cash only. 
• Grizle T's, 53 Main St, ☏ +1 518 891-6393. 
• Red Fox Bar Restaurant, 5034 NY-3, ☏ +1 518 891-2127. Steaks, pasta, seafood, chicken, can accommodate events for up to 100 people. 
• Rusty Nail, 90 Broadway, ☏ +1 518 891-9870. Seems like a rough joint, but is usually cool. 
• Waterhole, 48 Main St, ☏ +1 518 891-9502. Waterhole #3 is a favourite of motorcyclists and has live music most weekends. 

• Saranac Lake Free Library, 109 Main Street, ☏ +1 518 891-4190, fax: +1 518 891-5931. Wi-fi and public use computers. 

• Lake Placid
• North Pole and Wilmington