7 Experiences Your Family Will Love at Adirondack Experience – Episode 142

At Adirondack Experience, discover the beauty of the Adirondacks through art, nature, history, and culture. 

Last year, our family had a chance to explore Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake in upstate New York. We documented our first impressions of the Adirondacks through our visit to The Wild Center, a natural museum where you can discover the Adirondacks, connect with nature, and learn new ways people and nature can thrive together through various hands-on outdoor and indoor experiences. We are picking up right where we left off by sharing why Adirondack Experience: Museum on Blue Mountain Lake is a must-visit for families, culture seekers, history buffs, nature lovers, and outdoor enthusiasts.

Formerly known as the Adirondack Museum, Adirondack Experience, a.k.a ADKX, is an interactive museum showcasing life in the Adirondack region. In addition to a variety of exhibits, there’s outdoor hiking and a boating experience.

Continue reading or listen to the podcast episode.

Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Pandora | Any player

How To Plan The Perfect Visit To Adirondack Experience

Here’s what you can expect at ADKX.

Overlooking Blue Mountain Lake, the 120-acre campus in the heart of the Adirondacks features 23 buildings (some historic) and a variety of exhibits exploring all things Adirondack, past and present.

As a seasonal museum, ADKX is open daily from Memorial Day (May) to Indigenous Peoples Day (October).

Adirondack Experience Address: 9097 NY-30, Blue Mountain Lake, NY 12812

Children under 4 years old and active military personnel can visit the museum for free, while admission for adults ($22), youth from 5-17 ($14), and seniors over 65 ($20).

Check the events calendar for special events, like guided nature walks, painting classes, fairs, concerts, and more — some events are free while others are paid.

There’s plenty of free parking at ADKX and electric charging stations, first come, first served.

With something to do for all interests, there’s so much to see here that I recommend spreading out your visit over two days.

Since you can easily spend a few hours exploring the exhibits, plan to spend at least 4 hours at the museum. Take your time and soak it all in. Whip out your map and see where your interests take you.

Since there’s a lot of walking outdoors, I recommend bringing comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, snacks, and water. Just it case it rains, you may want to pack an umbrella or raincoat.

ADKX is easy to navigate with a stroller or wheelchair, except for Minnow Pond Trail, which is inaccessible to neither.

While we cherished so many moments at the museum, these are seven of our favorite experiences enjoyed by our entire family: baby, grandma, and myself.

1. Artists and Inspiration in the Wild Exhibit

Artists and Inspiration in the Wild is the newest permanent exhibit, which features four galleries illustrating how the Adirondacks’ natural landscape – light, forests, water, and mountains has sparked creativity in painters, sculptors, and artisans for hundreds of years.

You know, the thing with a lot of art museums or art exhibits is that it’s sort of treated like a temple almost. You know, be very quiet, no running around. And for kids, that’s really boring. There’s nothing for them to connect to. It’s hard for families. The thing with art is that, it’s this amazing act of creativity. We all have that spark inside us. Some of us lose some of that as we become adults. But art’s a wonderful thing. It’s fun. Some of it is really beautiful and you just want to stare at it and take it in one-on-one.

Laura Rice, ADKX Chief Curator

This exhibit features 250+ works of Adirondack art, spanning pre–history to almost yesterday.

Here you’ll find a variety of landscape paintings, ceramics, musical instruments, and textile art. The common theme? It’s all inspired by nature — the Adirondacks landscape and the environment.

At the Light Gallery, explore how light looks across the Adirondack landscape and how it can change the mood or give meaning.

Bringing this concept to life, I really appreciated the interactive display where you can use sliders to change the lighting and see how it affects the landscape painting. The Adirondack painting changes based on the time of day, season (Spring or Fall), or weather (sunny vs. cloudy). 

It showed me light can call up peace and tranquility, comfort and healing, but also emotions like sorrow and anger.

Part of the Inspired by the Adirondacks Artists-in-Residence program, working on his painting right outside of the exhibition entrance, I met Dennon Walantus, who’s favorite subject and the main focus of his paintings are the northern Adirondack mountains capturing an immediate response to the landscape.

Dennon uses paint to suggest the changing light, seasons, moods of the weather, and atmosphere.

The first thing I look for is form in the landscape. So like this one here, I have that island which would be my main form of subject matter in the landscape. But then second to that, I look for light. When I’m walking around, I pick out my time of day that I want my painting to be based on. So if I go out in the evening, I’ll get that golden glow light. It’s all about that split moment where I see light hitting something. I’ll stop and set up right there. It’s an adventure looking for that subject to paint.

Dennon Walantus, Painter

Throughout July and August, be on the lookout for regional artists working on their craft right outside of the exhibit daily. Feel free to spark up a conversation and ask them what they are working on.

Understanding who these artists were, what they were thinking about, what they were trying to communicate, what their process is, is really interesting.

Laura Rice, ADKX Chief Curator

The Adirondacks themselves are a vast wilderness, larger than Glacier, Yellowstone, Great Smokies, Grand Canyon, and Yosemite National Parks combined. With 6.1 million acres of mountains, lakes, forests, and small towns, the region offers endless opportunities for exploration and inspiration.

The Adirondacks are home to 1,500 miles of hiking trails, 30,000 miles of waterways, and 102 small towns and villages. The preservation of this natural landscape is of utmost importance to the people who call the Adirondacks home, and the Artists and Inspiration in the Wild exhibit beautifully showcases the deep appreciation and respect for the environment that is ingrained in the region’s culture.

2. Have lunch at Lake View Café

With both outdoor and indoor seating, grab a cup of coffee or a bite to eat at Lake View Café.

Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., grilled cheese and other grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, soups, yogurt, juices, pastries, and other snacks are all available.

The patio views overlooking Blue Mountain Lake are breathtaking! I can only imagine how beautiful the views are in the Fall.

Undoubtedly one of the best Instagram spots on campus!

3. Life in the Adirondacks Exhibit

Life in the Adirondacks is a 1,900-foot exhibit that introduces the Adirondacks and what it’s like to live, work, travel, and play here. The museum recommends visiting this exhibit first for an overview of the region.

Browsing through the collections and interactive exhibits, we learned about the various groups of people who have lived here: people native to the land and those who came to the Adirondacks for work or leisure.

At interactive stations like ‘Roughing It,’ children can build log cabin houses or pretend to fry fish after a fun day of camping in the wilderness.

The snow roller was one of my favorite artifacts. Bigger than expected, this device packed down the snow on the roadways, creating a nice smooth surface allowing horse-drawn sleighs to travel across.

I also enjoyed learning about, how throughout the late 19th century, wealthy families set up luxurious “Great Camps” as summer wilderness retreats. Learning about what it took to prepare these seasonal homes and the subsequent depletion of natural resources was fascinating.

In addition to reading the displays, watch the short videos and re-enactments for different multi-media perspectives. And if you have any questions, ask the staff. They have a great deal of knowledge to share.

4. Hike Minnow Pond Trail

If you love to hike, paddle, or just sit and enjoy the views, you’ll enjoy the short hike on Minnow Pond Trail to the Boathouse.

Visiting with an 18-month-old-baby, we loved the ¾ mile hike to Minnow Pond. As you can imagine, Baby K pointed at everything and wanted to stop at every stream and pick up all the rocks and tree bark.

Bring sneakers, bug repellent, and sunscreen if you plan to hike with your baby. Plan to leave the stroller at the registration desk, and I recommend bringing a carrier so it’s easier on your shoulders and back. 

The trail is clearly marked, and there are plenty of seating areas to stop if you need to take a break.

If you prefer more of a challenge, the Blue View Trail offers a more vigorous route for experienced hikers.

The Adirondacks is known for its breathtaking landscapes, and being able to witness them firsthand is a truly magnificent experience. Whether it’s through boating or simply taking in the views from the museum’s patio, you will be in awe of the natural beauty that surrounds you.

5. Glide across Minnow Pond on a vintage guide boat

The trail will take you to the ADKX Boathouse, where you can borrow a vintage guide boat, rowboat, or canoe. If you’re wondering, yes, borrowing a boat is part of your museum admission, so there is no need to pay extra. Visitors have to be 6+ years old to be able to participate.

Personal flotation vests are provided as well as clear, waterproof pouches for your phone and other valuables.

While Baby K and my mom relaxed on the dock, I paddled in a vintage 1920 guide boat.

As a novice rower, I’m really proud of myself. I got the rowing technique down with the help of the boating staff who were friendly, helpful and patient with me, answering all of my questions.

Out on the water, the scenery and views were magnificent. The self-guided paddling experience is a must-do! Overall, there’s a lot to do at the Adirondack Experience, like way more than you would think when you first walk through the doors.

6. Kid’s Cabin

There are a variety of outdoor exhibits kids will love, like Reising Schoolhouse, a one-room schoolhouse built in 1907. Today, it serves as a family activity center offering games, toys, and crafts.

Toddlers and younger children can play on the swings and Kid’s Cabin, a kid-sized wooden cabin featuring a play kitchen, dolls, and an old-fashioned laundry system.

Listen to this podcast episode on Spotify.

7. Relaxing by the pond

For some relaxation, gather around the pond, lounge on an Adirondack chair where you can watch the trout jump for dragonflies, people watch, or admire the ducks nesting. Don’t miss the daily trout feeding at 12:30 pm.

Despite spending two days at the museum, there’s still so much we didn’t get to see like viewing the largest collection of authentic Adirondack guide boats and canoes at the ‘Boats and Boating’ exhibit or learning about the history and traditions of logging in ‘Work in the Woods’ exhibit.

In summary, we left the Adirondack Experience with a deeper appreciation for the region and a better understanding of its people and how they’ve lived over the centuries. There’s a lot to do at Adirondack Experience for all ages, way more than you might think when you first walk through the doors.

The Adirondack Experience is definitely worth visiting for anyone who appreciates nature, history, and art.

Catering to all types of interests, I’d recommend visiting whether you’re in the area or even if you’re further out and want to focus your trip around the museum. Plan your visit and discover why ADKX is a must-see for yourself.

Read Next: 10 Adirondack Museums For Culture Seekers

Read the full transcripts of this podcast episode below.

[fusebox_transcript]

A special thank you to Adirondack Experience for hosting our family. All opinions shared are my own.

Looking for more fun things to do in the Adirondacks, press play to learn more about the Wild Center.

Enjoyed this article? Discover even more incredible things to do in the Adirondack with this list of recommendations!

Danielle Desir Corbett

Danielle Desir Corbett is an award-winning and 6x grant-funded travel writer and podcast host who went from financial struggle to visiting 27+ countries all without waiting until retirement. Her story is proof that budget doesn’t limit adventure. Tune into The Thought Card Podcast for practical strategies to travel smarter and live on your terms. Say hello: thethoughtcard (at) gmail (dot) com.

thoughtcard.com/