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Saratoga National Historical Park will begin a $6 million multi-year project to rehabilitate the interpretive battlefield experience. The work is being funded through the Great American Outdoors Act.
Park officials said the project focuses on improving accessibility and interpretation of the Saratoga Battlefield. The work includes rehabilitating the parking areas and pathways at all tour stops to address deferred maintenance, improve accessibility, and replace aging waysides exhibits to enhance the interpretation experience of the battlefield.
This month, the Tour Road will be closed during the week to all traffic, including vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles. It will be available on weekends for pedestrian and bicycle use only.
From April 9 through May 27, the Tour Road will be open on weekends only for use by vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. The south entrance parking area will be used as a construction staging area and closed for the duration of the project. The closures are in place for the safety of park visitors and to allow for the work to be completed faster, officials said.
Modern, outdoor exhibits constructed of durable steel, aluminum, and bronze will replace existing waysides that are well beyond their intended design life. In addition to being more cost-effective by requiring less routine maintenance, the new exhibits will include replica objects and convey updated information about the battles, the landscape, multiple perspectives, and the roles of lesser-known participants to better connect visitors with the meaning and importance of the site. The design layouts are geared for easier reading; using added color contrast, appropriate fonts and font size, tactile bronze relief maps, braille, and installation heights that are beneficial for all visitors.
The current Tour Road experience is more than 50 years old, officials said. Despite massive efforts by park staff to maintain the aging infrastructure of the road and tour stops, a significant maintenance backlog has developed.
Made possible by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund, the renovation will expand physical access and safety enhancements for more than 100,000 visitors annually and eliminate $4 million of this backlog, officials said.
It will also be instrumental in preparing the park for the extra attention it will receive related to the upcoming 250th anniversary commemorations of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 and of the battles in 2027. Finally, historical scholarship surrounding the pivotal events which occurred here in September and October of 1777 has significantly advanced. This project has allowed us to reflect this deeper understanding on the landscape.
Parking areas and walkways will be revamped at all 10 tour stops to meet universal standards for accessibility, including seating with companion seating. Audio description for the new exhibits will be provided on an app for public use.
The battlefield grounds can be accessed by foot via the Wilkinson Trail at the Visitor Center.
Equestrians may use the lower visitor center parking area for their trailers and access the Horse Trail via the entrance road, officials said. Visitors should use extra caution when crossing the Tour Road and when passing through or near tour stops actively under construction. Construction vehicles will be traveling in both directions along the road.
The Tour Road and most of the tour stops are expected to be open seven days a week between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day.
Visitors should be aware of active construction zones, traffic delays, and construction vehicles on the Tour Road. For safety and for the safety of the construction personnel, people are asked to adhere to the construction closures and follow instructions from park staff and contractors.
Updates on park hours and the project are available on the park website, www.nps.gov/sara/learn/tour-road-improvement-project.htm.