Grand Union Parlor 1895

The Grand Union hotel was the largest hotel in Saratoga history, occupying seven acres of land and offering 987 rooms and 26 cottages. The hotel was located on Broadway between Washington Street and Congress Street. It was truly a grand hotel with parlors and other common areas that represented the grand, Gilded period in Saratoga’s history.

Moon’s Lake house

Moon’s Lakehouse was a very popular Saratoga Lake restaurant owned by Carey Moon during the later part of the 1800s and was a popular spot for the wealthy and famous people that were summer visitors to Saratoga. In 1853 chef George Crum is credited with inventing the potato chip when a diner sent his fried potatoes back to the kitchen to be cooked more thoroughly.  Crum was insulted, so he sliced the potatoes very thin, fried them crispy and then salted them in an effort to make a point. The diner loved the creation, and an American favorite was born.

Ballroom Bridge for the Congress Hall

The Congress Hall was located on Broadway between Spring Street and East Congress Street. Congress Hall was built on a relatively small piece of land and did not have a ballroom in the hotel. In order to compete with the other large hotels and their ballrooms, the Congress Hall owner bought land across Spring Street and built a wonderful ballroom. This bridge was constructed across Spring Street to allow hotel guests to easily travel to the ballroom.